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!
These emails may be too long for some email inboxes. If so, scroll to the bottom to find a link to read them in your browser (and don’t be afraid to click through to like and comment at Substack directly). All the contact information you need is also at the bottom.
From the Chair
Last month, FreedomFest came to Riverside County. Regular readers to this newsletter will know we’ve been hyping it for a couple of months now. The show was great! I was there, along with fellow RivCo Libertarians Marcus Schuff, Tara Young, Jeff and Wendy Hewitt, June Genis, and the incomparable Boomer Shannon, to take in the shows and share the energy of the larger liberty movement. Next year FF will be in Las Vegas; if you can go you definitely should. I’ve asked Marcus and Tara to share a little about their experiences, so I’ll keep my own comments brief and direct you to read on.
I will say as an aside that I was able to guest last month on a local podcast, the Snack a Little Talk a Little podcast led by the delightful Mark and Jana. We dove into libertarian thought for about 90 minutes. Give it a listen:
I hope everyone’s Fourth of July celebration was a delight!
–Loren Dean
In the News: FreedomFest Reports
From Marcus Schuff
I had a busy and fun experience at my first FreedomFest, an annual gathering of libertarians, conservatives, and free-market advocates that brought thousands to the Palm Springs Convention Center for talks, debates, and networking. I volunteered with FreedomFest and exhibited with the Riverside County Libertarian Party.
My week at FreedomFest started out Tuesday morning with a 6 a.m. drive from Temecula to Palm Springs. It was foggy throughout the Temecula Valley, and the sun didn’t come out until I hit Beaumont. Later, I longed for fog as Palm Springs’ temperatures hit 109 degrees. I reached the Palm Springs Convention Center, the site of this year’s FreedomFest, in about 90 minutes. This gave me time to snack on a packed breakfast before checking in with the FreedomFest team at 8 a.m.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I teamed up with Mary Ann, a friendly Palm Springs local, to assemble complex signs—some with over 40 parts and no instructions—for FreedomFest’s vibrant displays. By Wednesday afternoon, the exhibition hall opened, and I helped Loren Dean, our county chairman, set up the Riverside County Libertarian Party booth in a massive space rivaling Las Vegas venues. The huge room had ample space for diverse exhibitors, including individual authors, precious metal vendors, oil producers, and other political groups.
Later that day, Loren Dean, I, and others sat down to lunch, and in short order we were joined by the one and only Scott Horton of AntiWar.com and the Libertarian Institute. OK, we may have enthusiastically called his name to join us, and he graciously did.
Scott Horton wouldn’t be Scott Horton if an impromptu and spirited debate didn’t break out about the strategy of the Libertarian Party between Scott and others at the table. Scott argued the Libertarian Party could act as a kingmaker, strategically backing liberty-friendly candidates to wield outsized influence in local and national politics, while others insisted the party should compete against Republicans and Democrats, not endorse them. Scott debates in person just as fiercely as on TV. He’s confident, experienced, and tenacious. While I didn’t participate in the debate, it was a thrill to watch.
Thursday was my day to spend helping table the Riverside County Libertarian Party booth. Loren Dean and I spent the day talking with people from all over the world. We spoke with people from Mexico, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, and yes, even Florida. We introduced Riverside County’s libertarian spirit to thousands of attendees. This gave our party a platform to showcase our fight for liberty in a state often hostile to libertarian ideas.
Friday was my last day of FreedomFest and I was able to finally break off to enjoy a talk by Dr. Robert Malone, Bret Weinstein, and Del Bigtree. The topic of discussion was “Controlled Opposition.” They discussed efforts by some groups to undermine the liberty movement and the importance of resisting their divisive tactics.
Also on Friday, there was a cocktail hour for Speakers and Exhibitors. I snapped selfies with notable figures, including Clint Russell and Dr. Cornel West.
FreedomFest was a whirlwind of talks, debates, and connections, proving the Liberty Movement—and Riverside County’s role in it—is thriving. Inspired by liberty lovers worldwide, I’m excited to bring this energy home. Join us at our next meeting to keep pushing liberty in our community!
From Tara Young
(Tara has more multimedia skill than the rest of us, and so was able to assemble a video essay of her experience. Enjoy!)
More Suggested “Reading” This Month
(It’s not always reading; it’s the internet, you know how it is)
While at FreedomFest we ran into lots of different people with lots of different ideas about freedom and liberty. Here are a few that seemed especially nifty, and you may find worth a visit.
The Mobility Independence Foundation raises money to research open source wheelchair options, informed by people who actually use wheelchairs. In today’s world where “free movement of people” takes on a different meaning involving borders and enforcement, it’s important to remember that personal mobility is deeply liberating all on its own. Check out their work here: https://themif.org/
Braver Angels is an outfit that has been discussed in a past liberty letter. Their mission is getting “Team Red” and “Team Blue” to sit down in workshop-format in-person gatherings and try to talk beyond stereotypes in search of common ground and understanding. Word is they’re experimenting with “Team Gold”, and since we libertarians broadly understand that freedom is the solution for most of what the Red/Blue divide fights about, we’d love to see more of it in the conversation. Check them out here: https://braverangels.org/
Integrally is an intriguing new debate app built to allow people to focus on an argument itself instead of on who is making it. As anyone who has ever had a political conversation knows, ad hominem attacks can instantly derail an otherwise intelligent exchange. While Braver Angels seeks to combat that head-on by forcing people to look at each other, Integrally seeks to short-circuit that by tightly anonymizing all discussion on its online platform. No post or response is tied directly to a user’s account by name. In theory, this allows people to discuss ideas in more of a good faith way. It’s a neat idea with intriguing ramifications, and while we’d like to see a desktop application, it’s worth taking their app for a spin. Check them out here: https://integrally.one/
It wouldn’t be a freedom discussion without the gun guys showing up. Check out Gun Owners of America: https://www.gunowners.org/
And the Second Amendment Foundation: https://saf.org/
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
12 July 2025: Q3 Central Committee meeting
Join us at Cactus Cantina in Riverside proper to chat about FreedomFest and look ahead to the state convention, which is ALSO this month!
26-27 July 2025: LPCA Convention
The convention site is UP! Find it here: https://ca.lp.org/2025-convention/
Thanks go to LP donor Chris Rufer for offering the use of his hotel’s convention space (Hotel Mission de Oro in Santa Nella). Individual action in action! Get the date on your calendar, and register ASAP so the credentials committee has ample time to verify you (it will save you time in line on the day of).
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.
If you aren't a dues-paying member at all, you can join as a national member AND as a state/county member using a single online form:
Combined National/State/County Membership Form
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