January 1998
Ohio Libertarians protest Clinton's phony Town Hall
When Bill Clinton decided to go to Akron, Ohio, for a "Town Hall" meeting about racial issue on December 3rd, the state Libertarians decided to greet him with a few facts the President would rather forget.
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And when Clinton held his televised meeting -- with a carefully hand-picked audience -- Libertarians were waiting outside to protest, and to point out to the media that Clinton's so-called racial dialogue was a "well-choreographed decoy."
Media appearances
In all, the party's efforts, which includes a press conference, five press releases, and the rally, generated numerous media appearances, said Chet Sutherland, Vice-Chair of the S/PLP."The coverage of the event, typically, centered around breathless coverage of President Clinton and his staged event," he said -- but also included more than a dozen mentions of the LP's efforts on radio and television and in local newspapers.
"This effort did generate interest in the Libertarian Party," said Sutherland. "[We're] already reaping the benefits of increased attention."
But the S/PLP's goal was not just publicity; it was also to point out the hypocrisy of the federal government when it comes to racial harmony.
"Instead of working to end racism, Clinton and his administration, through their orchestrated national town meetings, will only further divide this nation on racial grounds, " said Babka.
As evidence, Babka pointed out numerous racially divisive government policies, including the fact that Census forms require Americans to declare their race. "This reeks of the apartheid practices that South Africa was infamous for," he said.
The S/PLP also pointed out that Libertarians had the solution to many of the nation's racial difficulties -- a greater respect for individual rights.
"Social tolerance is the key to solving our nation's race relations challenges," said Babka. "Individual rights should not be denied, abridged, or enhanced by the laws -- at any level of government."
