December 2025
Give yourself a gift
Hello Liberty Lovers of Riverside County!
If you would like an essay featured in the Liberty Letter, or if you read or watched something awesome that you think should be in the Suggested Reading of one of these newsletters, reach out to us at admin@rclp.us and let’s chat!
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From the Chair
The end of the year encompasses a variety of reasons for gift giving. Obviously, we’re in a holiday period here. But this is also a place for people to appreciate one another’s activity over the year. The “end of the year bonus” (paging Clark Griswold …) is a not-uncommon phenomenon, and lots of people are in the habit of tipping on certain contractors’ last bill of the year (tip your yard guy if you have one, those guys work hard).
I’d like to take a moment here to talk about a gift you can give yourself: the gift of activism.
Lots of people dream of activism. Few truly do it. Arguing on social media doesn’t count. Nobody’s mind gets changed by being insulted online. The internet has enough influencers, and you’re not going to be the next one.
That can be a hard pill to swallow. It’s easy to feel like you’re not accomplishing anything, get depressed about it, and fall to despairing motionlessness (or overcompensate by metaphorically foaming at the mouth on social media). But that’s what government wants you to do. Government is good at convincing those it rules that involvement is useless; they gaslight you into believing you can’t accomplish anything. The despondent are more willing to just complain on the internet while government runs unchecked. Government wants you despondent. They want you to believe you don’t matter.
Don’t fall for the trick. You can matter in the place where you live. Here at the end of the year, as you review your activity and achievements of 2025 (or maybe the lack of them), give yourself the gift of activism.
The key is to start small. Find the agendas for your city council or school board. Start going to the meetings. You don’t need to speak out (yet). You don’t need to be angry (yet). What you need to do is get the lay of the land. Too many libertarians skip this step, but it’s like learning the rules before you get on the field–if you don’t figure out how the game is played, all you’ll do is lose and lose and lose until you give up. And government wants you to give up. Don’t let leviathan win.
Understand what’s going on in your area. Figure out who’s who, who’s supposed to be in charge, who’s really in charge, and who defers to whom. Take notes. Figure out who appoints seats on local commissions. Chat with your city councilcreature or school boardweasel (politely!). Understand who these people are, and seek to gain that understanding without grandstanding and rancor. For better or for worse, your neighbors are still your neighbors. Learning how to get along with them will get them on your side far faster and stronger than shouting at them for their mistakes. If you’re ever going to run for anything, you need to learn to be friendly. Local involvement is how you do that.
And as you do that, as you get out of your house, get up from your keyboard, and go do that, you’re going to find that government is more accessible than you think. And you can access it. It will take time, so be patient. But as you work toward understanding and involvement, you will gain confidence and strength. You will learn who to talk to, and who will listen. You will learn who wants what, and how you can work with those people when your interests align.
You’ll feel better, because you’ll BE better. You’ll be a better neighbor, a better activist, and yes, a better libertarian.
Give yourself the gift of activism this December. It’ll pay dividends all through 2026 and beyond. You’ll be amazed.
–Loren Dean
In the News: Conventions Aplenty!
There are two big meetings coming up back to back, and you should put them on your calendar. Check the Calendar section below for date and place specifics.
The first is the Riverside County Libertarian Party annual convention, coming in January. Local activity is the foundation of the entire liberty movement; county LP affiliates are where local activists can find each other and network. Unfortunately, our network here in RivCo has thinned dramatically, and needs to get revved up again. We’ll be electing our five officer spots (Chair, two Vice Chairs, Treasurer, and Secretary), and we need you! Come out and stand for an office, come out and talk local liberty, come out and have some lunch. But come out and meet other libertarians! It’s the first step toward everything else.
The second is the Libertarian Party of California annual convention, in February. About a dozen state-level executive committee offices are up for election there. This is also where the LPCA will elect delegates to the national convention (more on national as it approaches). It’s good to come to one of these and feel the energy in a room full of libertarians from all over the state.
So as you consider Mr. Dean’s advice above to renew your activism going into the new year, put these on your calendar. It’s time.
More Suggested “Reading” This Month
(It’s not always reading; it’s the internet, you know how it is)
The Free Press (Bari Weiss’s outfit) appears to agree that local activism is the best kind, and the only kind that actually accomplishes anything.
Racket News (Matt Taibbi’s outfit) has some thoughts on the “double tap” strike against that Venezuelan boat.
The guys at The Fifth Column have some thoughts on AI.
And the fine folks at Mont Pelerin Review would like to remind you that we’re not doomed, no matter what the news tries to tell you.
https://thetorch.media/ is an independent Libertarian web portal publishing articles from all across the spectrum of liberty-loving thought. They’re worth a look.
https://news.lp.org/ is the website for the Libertarian Party news portal. Check it out, subscribe there for updates, and check out how to contribute yourself!
Calendar Notes
As always, bookmark and regularly check our website for the most up-to-date event details: https://rclp.us
10 January 2026: RCLP county convention
We’ll be electing new officers for the new year. There’s a lot going on in 2026, and with county chair Loren Dean doing state-level stuff we here in the county need to step up to steer the critical local action. Come be part of the liberty movement!
14-15 February 2026: LPCA state convention
The 2026 annual convention of the Libertarian Party of California will be held over Presidents Day Weekend, at the Handlery Hotel in San Diego. Find the details here: https://ca.lp.org/convention/
You can now make a reservation at the convention hotel, either by phone or online. The online portal is here: https://reservations.handlery.com/sd/book/dates-of-stay?groupID=4961907
If you would prefer to register by phone, call the hotel directly at 619-298-0511 or 800-676-6567. Be sure to mention “LP of California” to get the discounted rate ($119 a night, plus $8 parking).
21-25 May 2026: LNC Convention
This is the national big one, this time in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Registration isn’t fully open yet, but will be at https://www.lnc2026.com/
Voter Registration and Party Membership
If you vote, be sure your registration is Libertarian. Whether you vote or not, stay abreast of your registration details on the California Secretary of State page at this link: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/cavoter
Being a registered Libertarian voter certainly allows you to call yourself a real libertarian. However, there is more you can do. You can join the national Libertarian Party as a “sustaining member” by signing the membership application statement and paying dues to the national organization. Note that while paying dues at the state level (California) makes you a local “central committee member,” national membership is separate.
Join with this online form: https://lpca.app.neoncrm.com/forms/join
Join us in taking a stand for a world set free!
Find us on the web at https://rclp.us
Email us at admin@rclp.us
LPCA Discord server: https://discord.gg/wfXzapGsTd
LNC Discord server: https://discord.gg/fxdH2bre