Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Other Political Convention Saturday
Posted By Eric S. Peterson on April 18, 2012, 3:56 PM
If you’re too cool for the Democratic or Republican State Conventions this weekend but want to check out some cool speakers then you won’t want to miss the Libertarian State Convention, featuring everything from polygamists to cops against the war on drugs to the first openly gay elected mayor of Utah.---
Convention weekend is here, and if you are not a delegate and maybe perhaps drift between parties but are serious about civil liberties then the Libertarian State Party Convention may be just the ticket for you. While the delegate selecting and voting will go from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m, and the public is welcome to attend, it’s the afternoon sessions that have a little bit of everything for the true liberty-lovers and Constitutional cheerleaders out there.
1 p.m.: State chair, radio talk-show host and hypnotist Jake Shannon will be giving comments about the economy and the party. Shannon once articulated for City Weekly the rudimentary definition of Libertarians as “Republicans who smoke pot.”
1:45: Ashley Sanders with the SLC Move to Amend group will be talking about their grassroots goal of getting cities, counties state and, eventually, Congress to call for a Constitutional amendment to say that corporations are not people and the money does not equal free speech.
2:30: You can hear from Joe Darger and his family, the Salt Lake County polygamist family who are said to be the inspiration for HBO’s Big Love series.
3:15: Hear the amazing tale of Willy Marshall, Libertarian and former mayor of Big Water Utah and the first openly gay elected mayor in the state.
4: You can hear James Mooney from Law Enforcement Against Prohibition speak on the failed War on Drugs. As a former undercover narcotics officer in Utah law enforcement, Mooney has gone from a foot soldier in the war on drugs to a fierce critic of the policies of petty drug punishment.
Check it all out, Saturday, April 21, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the Salt Lake City and County Building, 451 S. State.
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