Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Dan Lungren, Law and Order, and the Rise of Libertarianism

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/dan-lungren-drug-warrior-reelection_n_2159755.html?ref=topbar

Dan Lungren served in Congress in the 1980s. Then he served as Attorney General for eight years in California, where he received the lowest rating from the National Rifle Association.

I remember the photo-op of Lungren hugging one of his friends in the House of Representatives. His reelection from a Northern California district was a homecoming for Lungren, a unique turn of events in part because the swing-Republican district was a close win for him.

Following the Citizens Commission on Redistricting, Lungren faced a well-financed Democratic challenger in a district with a weaker advantage. He lost.

For the Huffington Post, Lungren represented the anti-Libertarian beat which riled states' rights advocates and protection for drug users.

Seizure laws permit state peace officers to confiscate lands, property, and freedom in the name of fighting the War on Drugs, which has turned into a War on Liberty for the past four decades.

Law and Order mean nothing without Liberty, and Lungren was too slow, too late in turning back the harsh punitive measures of previous legislation. Northern California residents will learn soon whether the Democrat which they have sent to Congress will pursue more state power or relax the punishments which imprison drug offenders disproportionate to the offense.

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