The Friends of Liberty mission is to present libertarian ideas to Greater Clevelanders so they may encounter, evaluate and when appropriate embrace the ideas of self-government. We are non-political, though we discuss politics and are always looking for new ways to bring libertarian concepts to Greater Clevelanders.

On May 19, Jim Dowdell, of the Ohio Constitution Defense Council, explained how our Second Amendment rights have been attacked. While duck hunting is nice, the framers had another reason for adopting the Second Amendment; it is to be the final check on a tyrannical government. The 1934 tax of $200 on a $25 gun was the first attempt to keep guns out of the hands of the people. Also in an attempt to keep blacks unarmed, many states adopted concealed-weapon laws. In 1968 under the guise of interstate commerce, the federal government started regulating and recording all gun sales. Most recently, anyone convicted of domestic violence can't even touch a round of ammo. Interestingly, Jim explained that this gradual but steady slope toward an outright ban on guns parallels that of Nazi Germany. According to Jews for Preservation of Firearm Ownership, much of our federal gun law is lifted verbatim from Hitler's books. Finally, although a life member of the NRA, Jim criticized the organization for only playing defense and not vigorously reasserting our Second Amendment rights.

Greg Bell, of the Coalition to Repeal Ohio E-Check (CROE) will address the June 23 Friends of Liberty meeting. CROE provides an organized focus for the widespread opposition to Ohio's enhanced automobile emissions inspection and maintenance (I/M) program. Neighboring states Michigan and Pennsylvania have canceled their E-Check-style programs for being inefficient, and overly burdensome and costly for motorists. The Coalition has similarly exposed the Ohio E-Check program as bad public policy by facilitating the exchange of credible information between our members.

Don't miss Greg Bell on June 23th at Denny's restaurant, 1600 Snow Road (398-7076). Get off at I77 at Rockside, turn West on Rockside, continue for about 2 1/2 miles and Denny's is on the right. Dinner is from 6PM to 7PM, and the speaker starts at 7PM. For more information about Friends of Liberty visit http://www.logan.com/liberty or call (216) 248-8620. For more information on CROE visit http://www.coax.net/croe or call (513) 429-4183.

Nick Dunbar won a $25,000 settlement against the city of Orlando, Florida for violating his First Amendment rights after he spent seven hours in jail for peacefully handing out LP literature in Lake Eola Park in September 1995. Commenting on the settlement, Dunbar said: "I only regret that it is the taxpayers who will pay the $25,000. I believe the arresting officers should be personally liable."

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that judges have a duty to stop jurors from ignoring the law by issuing firm instructions or even dismissing jurors. Tuesday's ruling resulted from an Albany drug case in which a federal judge dismissed the only black juror from a trial in which all the defendants were black. The judge found that the juror was ignoring the evidence in favor of his own preconceived ideas.

Kurt Russell, star of such motion picture blockbusters as Escape from New York, Stargate, and Executive Decision, used the Cato Institute's gala 20th anniversary celebration in Washington, DC, last week as an opportunity to go public with his support for libertarianism.

The Multnomah County, Ore., school system is test-marketing a novel new way to reduce truancy: *paying* parents of chronic truants to help their kids get to school. Parents get $3 if their kids stay the whole day, and a buck if they stay put for half a day.

In a 6-3 ruling April 28, the US Supreme Court decided states can bar political candidates from appearing on an election ballot on more than one party line.

During court testimony about an in-prison murder, the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary was described as a place where, as the Atlanta Constitution put it, "prisoners walked around with $100 bills in their hands, buying and selling heroin and marijuana." The prison was described as "drug infested." One inmate declared: "Even in the hole, I've seen someone with $1,000 made up of $100 bills. Dope, either heroin or marijuana, was easy to obtain." The US government seems intent upon wiping out the Bill of Rights and turning the country into a police state in the name of the War on Drugs. The irony is, even if they turn the whole nation into a maximum security prison, they still won't be able to keep drugs out.