ow embarrassing it is for most Americans today blindly celebrating the Declaration of Independence while also joyfully supporting a huge police state that far surpasses any crimes engaged in by King George III. It’s hard to imagine what people like Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams, and Thomas Paine would think of our police state today and the so-called “Americans” who support it.

We mourn the passing of our good friend Butler Shaffer, who died yesterday afternoon at the age of 84. Butler was a libertarian at a time when there were very few libertarians in the world. Like many supporters of the free market, he was first attracted to the Republican Party. He supported Barry Goldwater for President in 1964, but he soon came to realize that limited government was a chimera and that the State was by nature opposed to liberty.

In order to think clearly about the drug war, people need to separate the evils resulting from drug abuse from the evils resulting from this foolish drug war. The drug war itself has given birth to incalculable violence for the past several decades. It seems proponents of the drug war simply ignore the root causes of the violence in question.

“If I wasn’t a lawyer, wasn’t a judge, just as a taxpayer I’m astounded at how much effort and money goes into creating more and more criminal statutes, criminal offenses without taking a good look at why do we need this, do we have something that will cover this already,” Fields said.

Attorney Marc J. Victor who represented Dr. Peter Steinmetz, who was arrested at Sky Harbor Airport for carrying his AR-15 Rifle peacefully and who was later cleared of all charges was interviewed about the shooting.

I would strongly oppose any government effort to ban any substance for competent adults to ingest; especially in a case where I have personally decided not to use the substance anyway. It’s about my right to decide for myself. It’s a freedom thing! It ought to be an American thing too.

“The issue isn't the guns," Victor said. "The gun doesn't do anything. It sits on the table. It's the disposition of the person using the gun. Bad guys can use knives; they can use their hands to bash their wives.”

A Valley man claims his First Amendment rights are being trampled on after he was arrested following a confrontation with a photo radar operator in the city of Scottsdale. Shelton Obadiah is one of the Valley’s most vocal photo radar activists, and the creator of Youtube.com/RP4409, a site devoted to stopping photo radar. Obadiah told CBS 5 News that he believes the city of Scottsdale is out to get him and that is why he is facing charges of disorderly conduct.

This judge pro tem will not use the power of the state to initiate force against persons who have not trespassed or used unlawful force or fraud against others or their property. This judge pro tem has deeply held personal views which are in direct contradiction to the duties of a judge who presides over non-violent drug cases. The two positions cannot be reconciled.