The following is an excerpt from a recent message Shane Cory sent to LNC members:
There is not a chance in hell that I’m going to smile and say “have a nice time” when my eight year-old son walks out of my front door for a date with a 50 year-old pedophile based upon his own supposed decision.
Forgive me for being so upset and so “American” about this, but I believe that our government does serve a purpose and at its core it is to protect the rights of the individual. That includes those who cannot help themselves.
I find it deeply troubling that Mary and others would dance around this issue with theoretical nonsense. This goes far beyond what will happen in Denver and her being a current presidential candidate. Significant, long-term harm may come to our party because of the anarchistic views of someone the media will portray as a party leader.
I have discussed this with our chair and in no uncertain terms, I will not defend Mary Ruwart or her stances to the media. I am not an anarchist hiding under the “purist” label, I’m a libertarian. I believe in a small, efficient government that both respects and protects our liberties.
[...]
In the meantime, I will be doing what I believe is my obligation to the party and our members by going on the offensive to protect us from further fallout. Later today we may issue a statement addressing the issue of child pornography and will do more if necessary.
Evidently Cory does not believe he is capable of being a good parent and thinks the government should do that job for him.
What I find “deeply troubling” is the fact that Shane Cory and the LNC are dictating which candidate is, or is not, “libertarian” before delegates have a chance to vote at the convention.
[...] posts here and here. Posted by disinter Filed in 2008 elections, Libertarian Party, Libertarian [...]
So because Cory got his panties in a twist he’s going to throw a candidate under the bus in a graphic display of unethical behavior.
Let’s see if Cory has the parts to take Mary up on her debate challenge on Kubby’s show tomorrow night…
Oh yeah, if Shane is so worried about his 8-year-old hooking up with a 50-year-old pedophile then he isn’t doing his job as a parent. Maybe he should resign to spend more time with his kid…
Shane and Stieie are letting their emotions cloud their judgement, and as a result are engaging in unethical behavior. That’s poor leadership that deserves replacing.
Good for Shane…he is EXACTLY right.
Denver Delegate Says:
April 27, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Good for Shane…he is EXACTLY right.
Saying you’re for protecting individual rights is fine, but since when should it be left to the state to define when a person is mature enough to be responsible for the “individual rights” that IT defines? Some bureaucrat read it in a book? Some study says the average age of maturity is XYZ? The voters decided when everybody else’s kid is mature enough? OR the age is “just a best guess”?
Any supposed “standard”, especially left in the hands of the state will NECESSARILY punish virtually all children . . . those who are mature enough BEFORE the stated age, AND those not YET mature when that age arrives. Even if you were to apply a normal distribution (bell curve) to this, you will see that a majority of children will be wrongly classified as possessing individual rights or not for a period of years.
Those close enough to a child or given children are best able to make this evaluation. The state bureaucrats are the LEAST likely to, EXPERTS and all.
One other point . . . Cory basically admits that HE has the authority to let his 8 year old do this or that! What does the State have to do with this?
Shane Cory is mixed up.
(I assume that this is a real correspondence for Cory.)
The issue is child pornography, not child rape. Some of you don’t seem to know the difference.
DOMESTIC CRIME is for the individual states to prosecute. NATIONAL SECURITY CRIME and POSTAL CRIME is for the Federal Government to prosecute.
Mary Ruwart is not seeking nomination for state office, she’s seeking nomination for Federal office, so any question concerning her personal opinions on “child pornography” is irrelevant.
Those who are making a big issue out of this might want to take the advice Ron Paul gave to Mitt Romney at the Michigan debate, “pick up the Constitution and READ IT”. Or at least come down off your soapboxes, you’re making yourselves look like idiots that don’t understand the rule of law.
Beware criticizing Shane Cory. He likes to call you up or get you aside with no witnesses and threaten to SUE you for criticizing him for his actions as an LNC employee. (Including conflicts of interest.) Glad to see him openly outed for the creep he is.
Let him try. I’m a master of dealing with that issue. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a recording is priceless. He can take a hint, I hope.
Besides, as the ED of a political party, he is by definition a public political figure and much different rules on those types of lawsuits apply, and he wouldn’t have a prayer in the world.
I think Mary Ruwart is owed an official apology.
As disgusted as Shane Corey is with Ruwart’s very libertarian position on this issue, I am disgusted with him, not only for completely missing the point of, well, any of the matter, but for opening the door for further destruction of the Libertarian Party. It’s not about whether or not you would like a 50 year old to date your 8 year old. It’s about whether or not you are giving your consent (which Corey obviously isn’t), and whether the federal government has any jurisdiction in this issue at all.
Sorry Shane, if you can’t be consistent in principle, you might as well call yourself a Republican or something. Pick your label. Anything besides libertarian, please.
Shane Cory’s 8 year old might have a better understanding of Libertarian ideas than Shane Cory. I can’t believe a guy like this is the national Executive Director of the Libertarian Party.
Dr. Ruwart didn’t say anything about 8-year-olds or about pedophilia being OK. My impression was that she was referring to a 16-year-old having sex with a 16-year-old, not an old man having sex with a little kid. I thought being Libertarian meant you were smarter than the rest of society, I guess not.
Cory really sounds like a Democrat or Republican talking about how Libertarians are dopeheads and representing that as the truth.
My understanding is that Mary Ruwart didn’t specify the age range she was talking about. If that is correct, then Dr. Ruwart misapplied libertarian thought to children. You have to draw the line somewhere because young children do not have the cognitive abilities to consent to sex.
Too bad she apparently blew it on this one because Dr. Ruwart presented many libertarian ideas passionately and powerfully.
And I agree that the feds should have nothing to say about this matter. Ron Paul fortunately takes a federalist position on states matters. But Mary didn’t simply say that the feds should stay out of it. She could be smeared on this one because she wrote about this issue in her book.
So, today I called and spoke with Andrew Davis, who is also quoted in the LP national press release on child pornography, but was not asked to resign (yet). I asked Mr. Davis where in the constitution for the united States of America it gives authority for the federal government to “combat child porn.”
He asserted that the commerce clause, he wasn’t sure where it could be found, gave the government power to do anything. Which seemed an odd position for him to take given that he was, in the same press release, calling for less federal government involvement in prosecuting victimless crimes.
[...] 19, 2008 Third Party Watch is now being managed by the infamous Shane Cory. Below is an email Cory sent to TPW writers today: Dear TPW [...]
I noticed that someone posted the following
I did not post that, and I’m the person that usually posts under the pseudonym “Denver Delegate.”
In fact, I am not happy with Shane Cory’s actions that precipitated his departure as the LNC’s Executive Director.
I’m troubled that someone would try to trade here on the brand I had established over at TPW — for what little cachet it had acquired — to support Cory in his smear of Ruwart.
So, reader beware.
I’m looking at pages 41-45 of my copy of Ms. Ruwart’s book, Short Answers to Tough Questions.
http://www.amazon.com/Short-answers-tough-questions-Ruwart/dp/0963233653
I’d encourage people to read the entire section in question. Nowhere does she say pedophilia is OK. It’s quite to the contrary, and these attacks are based upon taking what she wrote out of context.
On page 43: “Children forced to participate in sexual acts have the same rights and recourse as a rape victim. We can, and should, prosecute their oppressors.” So much for Mr. Cory’s plans to send his 8-year-old son off on a date with a 50-year-old pedophile as soon as Ms. Ruwart is president. Sounds as if the pedophile (and perhaps Mr. Cory himself for his complicity in the crime) would be prosecuted during a Ruwart administration.
Mr. Cory’s desire for an increased federal “War on Child Porn” is great for the depraved parents who want maximum black market profit $$$ for their child’s participation in pornography. As Ms. Ruwart points out on the same page, “When we outlaw child pornography, the prices paid for child performers rise, increasing incentives for parents to use children against their will.”
Precisely!! Shane Cory is a good representation of all those overly liberals who feel they have the answers to our personal and national woes by extending the reach of governments hands into our lives. He is also a good center piece for those who claim “we are patriotic too!” We are passionate about our beliefs just as you are..” but again as one can read for their selves, Coryites REQUIRE Government to take care of their kids for them. I am a father myself!! I take care of my children and when they want my protection, they let me know it!! And all one needs to know is the rights thats we have unalienably set down for us through our founders and framing documents — Right to allow Government to take your money, take your liberties, to barge into your lives just are not included — I hear in Cory a Liberal “poor me” I need your subsidy welfare Democrat – not a Libertarian.