Libertarian International Organization

Once disarmed grandpas who surprise possible killers? LIO inspired Libertarian 'gun/self-defense rights & more' dialogue is now in all countries, and Libertarian-driven right-to-carry statutes trained and armed citizen guardian volunteers as this elderly man. The offenders were wounded and later arrested.

The same week, analysts point out that Grandpas are now preventing potential and tragic  Aurora, Colorado potential massacres--where police were reportedly aware of sanity issues but there was no action (http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-psychiatrist-contacted-university-police-weeks-movie/story?id=16943858  ;)-- armed with Libertarian tools...but it is not just a matter of gun rights alone but a comprehensive voluntary system of approach that reduces and prevents problems and engages citizen 'bottom-up' action and input.

These tools range from Lib-inspired concealed carry to  other citizen tools such as mediation, being more alert to environmental causes such as violence-inducing medications and allergies,  and growing world and local dialogue on ending the 'coercive cycle of abuse' --from punitive/rights-disrespecting family to corporate and other institutions to central government and back --that help you reduce the culture of coercion. Setting aside false choices and circular arguments by some of arms vs. safety, regulation vs. responsibility, punishment vs. permissiveness, while ignoring the corrupting example of corrupt statutes and officials--how has this global movement of citizen responsibility for the body politic come about?

'Public safety and defense is the primary  job of the volunteer citizen, not the government' or other auxiliary hired officials...and begins in the household... When LIO first raised the subject in 1971 as a line of discussion and data-development world citizen disarmament coupled with out-of-control crime and totalitarianism seemed inevitable to many. Now, 40 years later, the spread of citizen self-defense/mediation techniques and the effect on reducing problems is worldwide helping nations adopt or better participative democracy and public safety:

• Armed grandpas work. The same week of the notorious Batman shooter massacre, a similar apparent threat was averted in Florida. In that state Libertarians championed and got passed 'concealed carry' of weapons restoring much of that citizen right along with encouraging self-defense, citizen watch, and social mediation classes ( vs. government proposals to ban use of several martial arts). This Youtube shows an armed grandpa benefiting from the Libertarian approach and saving threatened civilians. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=epZod2qyyN4 (Ironically, the city is where the Libertarian movement for concealed carry was organized, Ocala, which had suffered attempts to prosecute women who defended themselves from rape with illegal pistols and touching off a crime wave induced by official policies, say activists).
• Check the environment before punishing or regulating. People inspired by Libertarian dialogue continue to focus polemics on environmental causes to misbehavior as the first, not last place to lolok and correct: Along with highlighting the coercive atmosphere created by errant institutions and officials, they have led dialogues on family abuse, school bullying, anti-gay and other bigoted violence, genetic or allergy factors, lead or other additive poisoning in e.g. paint or food, and now over-corrective prescription of behavior drugs as officials--who create the drug problem by mandating or encouraging the practice--then demand restrictions on civil self-defense based on untoward incidents they themselves cause. ( http://lewrockwell.com/kohls/kohls13.1.html )
• Worldwide relaxation of weapon restrictions, with legalization of citizen watches, and expanded self-defense and courteous behavior classes (as in Japan, which still has arms restrictions but low incidents as most of the population is able to easily disarm a gun-wielder, and teachers teach as the first principle of defense being mutual respect or  rei, the prinsiple also used in developing the modern Libertarian pledge) is spreading (  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearms_law ) as Libertarians predict they will gear up to lead restoration of the right to bear infantry arms and disarm police (on old British Bobby system ) in every country, and make any worldwide citizen arms including self-defense classes restrictions DOA.
• Non-coercive behavior mentoring to build virtue, not react to avoidable vice and misbehavior--and end built in coercive cycles that go from abuisive parenting to social misbehavior to totalitarian or abusive systems in a self-perpetuating cycle. Along with the Libertarian pledge of rights-respect focusing good behavor and courage to correct self-created institutional problems--often reflecting poor or hidden data, suppression, or lack of  rights/voluntarism disrespect and citizen involvement-- programs such as positive parenting ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_parenting#Non-punitive_discipline )  , hands are not for hitting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rx53-FXaik )    , and conflict reduction classes for youth and officials (  http://www.phillymediators.org/news/free-youth-mediator-training )  spread...so we will rarely need the armed grandpas.
• Get back on mission: Increasingly, public safety officials say much of the problem is diversion of resources into punishment of lifestyle or psychological issues ( prostitution, drugs, family abuse; see http://www.leap.cc/ ) and confusion of lifestyle/social work-type matters with citizen protection often accompanied by draconian measures ( see http://www.fear.org ). Police presence often creates a rash of false accusations and inappropriate responses by bureucracies that threat the users as a problem. Many police report to LIO departments still spend 90% or more of their time in non-harm matters when they would--as fire safety professionals have learned with libertarian/LIO workshops--rather focus on proaction, education, and awareness (Now many fire and similar officials spend 90% of their time in citizen self-protection and problem avoidance awareness, better interaction on insurance/safety standards, etc.)...In contrast, citizen watch and mediation often does the job for much less or free. ( e, .g. http://www.libertarianinternational.org/apps/blog/show/1713986-win-how-lib-mayor-cut-crime-40- ) using 'granpa and granny' mediators and citizen input and community orgamization participation.
• Make gun/self-defense  registration accountable and private: Current gun rules typically over-regulate while missing the real issues of liability and good conduct/sanity and are so often politicized. Having e.g. neutral insurance follow a threatening serious weapon with/or certification of conduct/sanity by an accountable actor such as an insurance company may be a good solution for some voluntary communities and be a better transition tool for current quasi-voluntary ones. At present rules make it difficult for e.g. alarmed teachers, gun clubs, or even close families to seek examination on dysfuntional and threatening family members or neighbors, with reports to authorities often met with a shrug, say critics--while imaginary threats to authorities by irate citizens are met with hysterical arrests. At the same time, many Libertarians encourage study and expanded legalization of non-lethal /non-damaging 'stopper' defense weapons or martial arts to end use of force for temporary restraint or disablement until help arrives...while warning that expanding centralized coerced rules will only leave to citizens again prey to gangster regimes or at best smugly abusive officials as public safety declines.

The LIO will-- especially through the good work of LIO Friends and those in public office-- continue to encourage open dialogue among key activists  focused on combined  rights, choices, and data-driven best practice-holistic approaches and info-sharing at the user level, along with encouragement of informed scientific and user-friendly assessments and self-correction.

ALSO:

• http://abcnews.go.com/US/james-holmes-psychiatrist-contacted-university-police-weeks-movie/story?id=16943858

LIO hopes this will help you by peaceful dialogue better democracy or replace dysfuntional command or coercive policies with aware use of  legalized  communities of voluntary governance led by Libertarian-conversant citizen watchdogs of, in the words of F. Douglass, the  3 boxes of rights: The ballot box, the jury box, the cartridge box.