Who we are and the lessons we learned

Libertarian Party History

The Old Timers Series

More than a full generation has passed since that small but determined band of mostly young people came together to form what we all hoped would become the right political tool for renewing the battle for individual freedom.

We all know it started in David Nolan's living room. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, as the saying goes. Some who were there then to witness what happened are now dead. Others are still in there working for freedom either in the LP or in related fields.

I started out in West Los Angeles where I had been born and raised and where I met my first mentor on the ideas of Liberty, James Dean. Where did you start out? Where are you now? What happened in the middle?

This is about the past we share and about reconnecting to each other.

The Old Timer's Series will feature short biographical sketches of Old Timers to appear on these pages and on a blog we will set up for that purpose. If you are an Old Timer I have not yet found, get in touch. It will be great to reconnect even if we didn't talk back then. We will have a lot in common, no doubt.

As I am contacting Old Timers I am also compiling a list of contact information and each Old Timer will have the option of getting in touch with other Old Timers, if they wish to be contacted. I'm hoping everyone does. Think about other Old Timers and about those Old Timers who are not with us any more. I will be doing sketches for Roger MacBride, William Hunscher, Mike Hall, Bob Lehman, and others who can't be interviewed. I know there are more.

These individual stories will help us all understand the past we share. Eventually, it would be lovely to have a get together so we can see each other again.

Consider what kind of reunion we could have. Cruises are fun but there are endless possibilities. In the meanwhile, start rifling through those dusty mementos and through your mind. It is amazing how much you remember when you start thinking about it.

Look forward to chatting. Melinda