On December 31, 1995, Bill Watterson brought his legendary comic Calvin and Hobbes to an end with a simple, four-frame drawing with only Calvin, Hobbes, a sled, and a world covered in snow. Hobbes says that the world looks "brand new, like a big, white sheet of paper to draw on." Calvin celebrates the new year and the "fresh, clean start" it brings. He lauds the day full of possibilities. Then he closes with the iconic line, "It's a magical world, Hobbes, old buddy… Let's go exploring."

We talk so much about the cause of Liberty. We debate trade-offs with different approaches to furthering Liberty and compare the effectiveness of various strategies to grow Liberty. We work, with no expectation of personal return, to bring about this thing called Liberty.

To me, Liberty is not a destination. Rather, it's a journey, a magical world of possibilities inviting us to go exploring. We have the great privilege of embarking on this odyssey together. The relentless pursuit of Liberty, defending those who are least able to defend themselves from the tyranny of wanton state overreach, with the companionship of other Liberty-minded individuals, these are rewards themselves.

The only requirement is not to hurt others. Not only is this not a high bar, it is also intrinsically rewarding, as we use our energy to improve things around us, and the whole world benefits. Imagine if the resources that we have poured into making bigger and more weapons of war were instead dedicated to developing a truly clean and abundant source of energy. Or if we let the economy grow organically through our participation instead of taking people's money when they earn it, when they spend it, when they live in their house, when they own their car, when they start a business, when they hire someone, and when they die. Or the innovation potential if industry was allowed to thrive rather than being crushed under the weight of absurd regulation enforced by a stifling bureaucratic apparatus which ironically is sustained with the squandering of the money that was taken from us.

Certainly, Libertarian philosophies can get nuanced and complex, but our basic worldview is simple. You have the right to make decisions about what is best for you. Don't hurt others. There is a magical world in front of all of us, and I am in awe at the possibilities when we come together.

Happy New Year. Let’s go exploring.

-Joe Garcia, LPNC Chair

Over the past few weeks, we have seen our beloved home state dominate the national news cycle as the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the uber high-profile Moore v. Harper. When the federal government makes sweeping changes, it affects all of us, and we, the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC), certainly strive to stay aware and informed, and to pass that information along for anyone who finds it useful or wants to act on it further. Our Second Amendment coordinator, Justin Hinckley, did so in this newsletter, for example, and we will continue to use every means at our disposal to keep North Carolina citizens aware of the actions the federal government is taking which could affect their lives.

However, our government gets its power from the people who fill its positions, further its machinations, and wield – or resist – its authority, and the LPNC remembers that, first and foremost. Each individual is worthy of defending, no exceptions, period. We watch national news, but we take local action in defense of people, and our efforts continue to bear fruit. It’s in these moments, interacting with people on a human level, no pretense, no ego, where I feel the holiday spirit most deeply. The easiest path forward is to ignore the realities in our backyard and focus on the loudest national news story, and then expect a national solution to our backyard problems. But that’s not the Libertarian way.

This month, for example, we are proud of the work we put into helping Pastor Moses Colbert raise the money he needed to provide a safe place to sleep and protect from the cold people who have nowhere else to go, which is discussed in detail further down. And I am proud personally to have worked beside all these wonderful people, from the LPNC and many other places, as we came together in defense of individuals who needed it most.

I am also proud of each individual volunteer who sacrificed time and money to run for office this year. Wake County, in particular, has done well recruiting candidates and running campaigns, as Wake County LP Chair Travis Groo discusses in his interview. In the upcoming off-cycle year, I look forward to standing next to more of you as you make the decision to dedicate yourself to furthering the cause of Liberty. The LPNC is here to support everyone who wants to run for office.

Of course, I am also proud when the combined efforts of each individual in the LPNC begin to make a real difference and it gets noticed elsewhere. We are always more than just the sum of our parts, a point that hits home in the discussion between our Political Director, Dee Watson, and Larry Sharpe, on his podcast. They talk about the wonderful things we have accomplished in North Carolina as well as all the things we have left to do.

Finally, I am proud to have worked with Brian Irving this year, who will be stepping down from his role as Executive Director on the LPNC Executive Committee. Brian, you have been a good friend and trusted advisor, and you have always been and remain a relentless steward of Liberty. I am grateful for the work you put into the LPNC, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together going forward. On behalf of the entire LPNC, thank you.

For all of you reading this, I want to wish you the happiest and most peaceful of holidays. Remember the worth of each individual person in yourself and those around you. Then, get ready for 2023, as we in the LPNC have only just gotten started!

-Joe Garcia, LPNC Chair

Maybe I’m a little old fashioned, but I still think of November as a time to pause and take stock of what is good, and then to express gratitude. Being thankful is a dwindling American tradition, and maybe if we appreciated what we do have before we fixate on what we lack, we, as a country, would feel less polarized against our neighbors.

In the spirit of November thanksgiving, the first thing for which I am thankful is the news that our beautiful home state of North Carolina just became the second ever (after California, which has way more people) to pass 50,000 registered Libertarian voters. Our message is peace and prosperity, and we will never back down in our defense of everyone's right to disagree without violence. While politicians from the uniparty manipulate with fear and jealousy to drive votes, we advocate for "radical" ideas like you should be able to live without the government getting involved in every aspect of what you do. It's clear that people are beginning to realize the duopoly cares only about itself, and are joining us, the party of the people.

Today is election day, and I encourage all of you to vote Libertarian. In our first article, we look at why you absolutely should cast your ballot, but I want to use this space to express more thanks to all 32 of the wonderful candidates we have running for office in North Carolina, and for all the candidates that came before. Publicly, you all are the face of the LPNC, and you wear it well. Personally, I am honored to know each one of you. I am truly grateful for the sacrifice you are making in pursuing the cause of Liberty on the political stage.

Finally, I want to take a moment to say how thankful I am for the time I got with my good friend, and relentless defender of Liberty, Donald Reid Deal. Reid passed away in his home in September, and I miss him a lot. I thought about it, and I am mentioning him in the November newsletter because it felt appropriate and true to the kind of person who Reid was, grateful for the good things and never hung up on the bad. He was a lynchpin of the LPNC for many years, and we all feel his loss deeply. As we move forward together, I am determined that we do so in a way that would make Reid proud.

-Joe Garcia, LPNC Chair

Fall is a beautiful time in North Carolina, and an exciting time for the Libertarian Party here. We have seen real progress in the Liberty movement over recent months, driven by the relentless dedication of the good people in our party. We finally saw the release of the body camera footage from the Joshua Rohrer arrest in Gastonia. The city continues to refuse to have independent review of the video, and we will continue to show up until there is some real accountability for this wrongly arrested war veteran, as we have since the beginning.

We also saw our Mecklenburg County affiliate host a debate between Shannon Bray, Libertarian Party candidate for the U.S. senate, and Matthew Hoh, the Green Party candidate. Shannon is one of 32 Libertarian candidates on the ballots this year in North Carolina, and we are excited for the Liberty message that they are forcing into the conversation. They need our support, and today’s newsletter puts the spotlight on a few of them. Check out the full slate of candidates on the website, and give time or money if you can, they will certainly appreciate it.

We are currently hosting a table at the North Carolina State Fair, as mentioned below. It is an annual event that is always fun, interesting, productive, and well worth the time and energy. Last weekend, our Cape Fear affiliate hosted a strategizing and social event, capped off with a bonfire. In recent months, we’ve had LPNC members representing at Pride parades around the state, reminding people that we were calling for removing restrictions on marriages between consenting adults 40 years before it became the cool thing for the two big parties to do.

We remain tirelessly dedicated to the cause of Liberty, with every person as our inspiration. With the cooling weather and changing leaves as the backdrop, we want to thank everyone, sincerely and deeply, for giving what you can, especially our donors, who provide the financial lifeblood that keeps us in operation. For those of you who are able, we encourage you to do more, as we rely on our individual members to drive our accomplishments, and we are looking forward to achieving so much more.

-Joe Garcia, LPNC Chair