Lance Marshall Brown
Born: August 20, 1972 -- Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Hometown: Dalton, Massachusetts
Present:
Lance Brown is the CEO of PeoplesForum.com, an online debate and discussion community which he co-founded in 1998. He is also the Director of Future Solutions, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding non-coercive, non-governmental solutions to society's problems. He lives in Nevada City, California.
Lance is extremely active in political causes devoted to advancing individual liberty. He is the Chairman of the Nevada County Libertarian Party, and a co-founder of the Nevada County Bill of Rights Defense Committtee. He appears regularly as a panelist on "The Nevada County News Hour" on the local community access TV station, FCAT, and has received coverage in all of the local print and broadcast media.
Lance has also created a number of online projects and web sites, which are at various stages of development. Some of Lance's online projects include:
Past Highlights:
2002 - Co-founded Nevada County Bill of Rights Defense Committee
2001-2003 - Chairman, Nevada County Libertarian Party
1998 - Co-founded PeoplesForum.com, moved to California
1996 - Founded Future Solutions
1994-95 - Public Relations Officer, UMACRC/PV NORML
1994 - Launched presidential campaign
1991-94 - President, UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition (UMACRC)/Pioneer Valley NORML
1993-94 - President, Van Meter House Council (UMass)
1990-91, 1992-94 - Attended University of Massachusetts at Amherst
1989-90 - Attended University of Southern California
1989 - Attended Presidential Classroom Scholars Program
1988 - Delegate to National Junior Achievement Conference
1988 - Junior Achievement - regional President of the Year
1987 - Junior Achievement - regional Vice President of the Year
The San Francisco Examiner also printed my Bill of Rights Day Letter to the Editor, though they carved it up so much that I don't really like what was left. It makes me sound like a teenager. (EDIT: No offense intended to teenagers-- I should have said "It makes me sound like I would have when I was a teenager". That's closer to what I had in my mind when I said that.)
Here's the letter they printed:
Happy Birthday, Bill
DEC. 15 is Bill of Rights Day -- the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
I've concluded that I think that's pretty cool, and if there's a holiday deserving a spot in my annual calendar, it's Bill of Rights Day.
I know the timing's not great, but what can you do? You can't change a birthday.
Lance Brown
Nevada City
...and here's what I sent in:
December 15th is Bill of Rights Day - the anniversary of the ratification
of the Bill of Rights.
I only became aware that it was a holiday in recent years, and the first
time I celebrated Bill of Rights Day was in 2001. As a Libertarian, living
through a wholesale expansion of federal law enforcement tactics in the
name of the "war on terror", honoring the birthday of the Bill of Rights
with a rally seemed like a smart idea.
The next year, the ideas behind the rising threats to civil liberties had
matured into a change in attitude of many Americans and elected officials,
about limits on the government's power to impose itself on us. In that
environment, I held a "funeral" for the Bill of Rights-- and, like most
funerals, it was a celebration of the Bill's life, as well as the mourning
of a loss.
This year, I've come to accept that this is a holiday that's becoming
genuinely important to me. And I've concluded that I think that's pretty
cool, and if there's a "new" holiday deserving a spot in my annual
calendar, it's Bill of Rights Day. Maybe you should try it out yourself
for a few years, and see how it fits for you. I know the timing's not
great, but what can you do? You can't change a birthday.
I've recently compiled nearly 20 ways that people can celebrate and honor
Bill of Rights Day, and put them into a free website:
http://billofrightsday.com . It will be there this year and every year, to
help people make plans for the big day. I hope you'll take part in this
growing tradition.
Come on everyone, give it a try: "Happy Bill of Rights Day!"
It just goes to show you-- keep it short, or they'll make it short for you (and you might not like how).
The SacBee took an alternate route. The editor e-mailed me and told me I had to cut the length for them to print it. So I re-submitted the letter, shortened a bunch. The letter they printed ended up being just what I sent in the second time.
Here is a letter to the editor by me which appeared in the Sacramento Bee on December 13th, 2003. It's on their site also, quite a ways down this page.
Bill of Rights Day
Dec. 15 is Bill of Rights Day, the anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
I only became aware that it was a holiday in recent years, and the first time I celebrated Bill of Rights Day was in 2001. As a Libertarian, living through a wholesale expansion of federal law enforcement tactics in the name of the "war on terror," honoring the birthday of the Bill of Rights with a rally seemed like a smart idea.
By December 2002, the threats to civil liberties had risen to a level where we thought it made more sense to have a "funeral" to mark the day. So we did. And this Monday we'll have a memorial ceremony, as a sequel.
This year, I've come to accept that this is a holiday that's becoming genuinely important to me. I've compiled nearly 20 ways people can celebrate and honor Bill of Rights Day, and put them into a free website at BillofRightsDay.com.
Come on everyone -- give it a try: "Happy Bill of Rights Day!"
- Lance Brown, Nevada City
Here's a Letter to the Editor I sent to the Auburn Journal recently. It's about medical marijuana activist/icon Steve Kubby -- it concerns this story, and the letter about that story which is at the top of this page. (There is a lot more background material at Kubby.com.)
Here's what I sent in--
To the Editor:
Shortly after one of your readers said that he hoped Canada would keep Steve Kubby and save Placer County the cost of incarcerating him, Canada made its decision to refuse Kubby's plea for political refugee status. Still, your reader was right to hope that no more of Placer County's resources would be wasted pursuing this folly of a prosecution.
Your reader also observed that Kubby was receiving a "very soft sentence" for the mushrooms and peyote that were found at his house nearly 5 years ago. Well, since he hasn't been shown to have harmed anyone, and since he is a productive family man who is anything but a problem drug user -- just what sort of sentence should he get? He should get something greater than being hassled for 5 years, being bankrupted and losing his home and business? He should have a harder punishment than the torment of worrying about whether he'll be alive to raise his children, or whether he'll die while being denied his medical cannabis, as Peter McWilliams did?
As a Libertarian, I feel that my friend and colleague shouldn't have had to deal with any of this craziness. Kubby never hurt anyone and should have been left alone. Nobody's better interests are served by continuing to persecute him and his family.
Sincerely,
Lance Brown
This is an attempt to rejuvenate my blog in time to post a Christmas message while it's still technically Christmas. The blog setup I was using until December 11th crashed, and I haven't been able to add or edit entries there since then. This new setup is step one in what will be a new arrangement for the site. More about that later. And I've got a lot of updating to do in terms of what I've been up to. That will also come later.
For now, I just hope you're having an enjoyable holiday season, and I hope you had a merry Christmas.
"I've been reading some of the political content at freedom2008.com, and find it damn interesting.
"I am nominally a Democrat, but have never been seriously politically active, mainly because I'm fed up with a lot of what the major parties say and do. ...you could say I'm looking for an intelligent alternative.
"I'm not ready to declare myself a Libertarian, but your site piques me and makes me think. And that's (at least) half the battle.
"Very interesting."
-- Kurt B.,
Allentown, Pa.
"Wow I am amazed and joyous! Your views are just what
this country needs! I am going to spread the word about your campaign."
--
Elizabeth
Ward
"I read every article posted on your site and was amazed to find myself repeatedly saying 'Wow, I agree with that.'"
"I'm pro-Lance as long as I'm not also running for prez" -
-- Mojo Nixon, entertainer and revolutionary
"You are probably this country's last chance at
freedom in this lifetime."
-- ¡Obay!
"I stumbled upon your website and it is
WONDERFUL. You can count on MY VOTE and MY SUPPORT in 2008!!!"
-- Alan Handleman,
Grayson, KY
"This is the blog belonging to my former boss and aspiring President of the United States. I remain pledged to moving to Ireland if he actually wins but still it's an interesting site."
-- Adam Graham,
Boise, Idaho
"I just want to take a minute to tell you that we
really do appreciate your writing over here. I find the state of this country so outrageous that I mostly sit around pulling my hair out and fantasizing about Canada. But, incredibly, you don't stew! It's like you're on a whole other plane.
"It's so easy to lose sight of reality with all that glare from the fancy magic show illusions of our 'two' party system. Seriously. Your message is hopeful and real."
-- Kristen Werner,
Rollinsford, N.H.
"I like the USA the way it is. Don't you screw it up!
You are doing your best. Have a A for misguided effort. ...
"I think you definitely are anti American and are working
to ruin this country. I hope the FBI and CIA are watching you."
-- Len Thompson
Su | M | T | W | Th | F | Sa |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |