Young Americans for Liberty

Young Americans for Liberty
Abbreviation YAL
Formation 2008
Type Student Organization, 501(c)(3)
Purpose Political Activism
Region served
United States
Executive Director
 Cliff Maloney Jr.
Director of Programs & Operations
 Edward King
Affiliations Students for Ron Paul, Campaign for Liberty, Youth for Ron Paul
Slogan Winning on principle
Website http://www.yaliberty.org

Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) is a 501(c)(3) political organization that was formed in 2008 at the end of Congressman Ron Paul's presidential campaign. They focus on educating their peers about various topics including libertarian values and emphasizing the role of the Constitution in the American government.

History

During the 2008 Presidential election, Republican Representative Ron Paul stirred a large grassroots movement, especially on college campuses around the U.S. As a result of this, students began to form organizations on campus under the banner of Students for Ron Paul.[1]

After the election, the movement continued and eventually splintered off to create Young Americans for Liberty, which expanded into a broader effort to support liberty.

Young Americans for Liberty has hosted several national events since its inception: Bringing Ron Paul to college campuses, protesting the War in Iraq, protesting the Transportation Security Administration — which received substantial recognition online, hosting political boot camps, promoting the Constitution, protesting the government to reduce the National Debt, and pushing for members to attend CPAC.[2]

Meanwhile, to raise awareness about liberty-minded beliefs, each chapter performs a variety of events on campus, including fundraising for liberty-minded causes, hosting speakers, or tabling/protesting. For example, beginning in March 2011, Young Americans for Liberty groups protested U.S. military intervention in Libya.[3]{ Besides protests, bringing speakers that are essential towards the liberty movement are invited by Young Americans for Liberty groups, such as Ron Paul, Thomas E. Woods, Justin Amash, and Gary Johnson.[4][5][6]

National Conventions

Since 2009, Young Americans for Liberty has hosted annual National Conventions in Arlington, Virginia. The 2014 YAL National Convention was the organization's largest yet, with more than 300 students in attendance.[7] Speakers included Sen. Rand Paul, Ron Paul, and a video address by Glenn Greenwald.[8][9][10] The 2016 convention included speakers such as Reps. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) and Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Judge Andrew Napolitano, and Cato’s David Boaz.[11] The national conventions have rapidly grown in size since the beginning, with each having more attendees than the last. The 2009 convention had 60 attendees and the 2016 convention had 382 attendees.[12]

Notable activism

Visualize the Debt

In March–April 2011, Young Americans for Liberty held their largest event-to-date, reminding college campuses and their local communities of the massive federal debt. Over 70 Young Americans for Liberty chapters participated in the event, which received nationwide press. The event was designed to protest the federal government to push towards lowering the National Debt by presenting petitions to members of Congress.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

Federal lawsuit against the University of Hawaii

In April 2014 two students at the University of Hawaii filed a federal lawsuit after they were prevented from handing out copies of the US constitution.[21]

Controversy

CPAC 2010

During the February 19, 2010 CPAC panel, 2 Minute Activist: Saving Freedom Across America, Students For Liberty's Alexander McCobin opened his remarks by thanking the American Conservative Union for welcoming GOProud as a co-sponsor of the event. California Young Americans for Freedom chairman Ryan Sorba followed with less than kind words for McCobin, Students For Liberty, Young Americans for Liberty's Jeff Frazee, and the American Conservative Union condemning the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for inviting GOProud.[22][23][24][25][26][27]

Free cigarettes

In 2011, the official University of North Texas chapter of the YAL protested a potential outdoor smoking ban on campus by handing out cigarettes in an effort to get students to sign a petition opposing the ban.[28] When university officials reprimanded them, the group claimed they would seek legal aid and that restrictions on handing out the cigarettes was a violation of their First Amendment rights.[29] The group collected 206 signatures for the petition.[30] The university implemented the smoking ban at the beginning of 2013.[31]

Milo Yiannopoulos

In May 2016, the University of California, Santa Barbara chapter hosted Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos at an event titled "Feminism is Cancer," as part of his speaking tour, "The Dangerous Faggot Tour." The controversial event resulted in infighting among the national leadership of YAL.[32] Field Director Ty Hicks declared in a Facebook post that Yiannopoulos was barred from ever speaking for any YAL chapter again. Although Executive Director Cliff Maloney claimed that Yiannopoulos wasn't actually banned, other leaders, such as Western Regional Director Erin Yeoman and University of West Georgia YAL President David Willis, tried to discourage other YAL chapters from hosting Yiannopoulos again, primarily due to the fact that he "makes fun of libertarians and supports Trump," and also because of his alleged "inflammatory anti-Muslim, [and] anti-feminist" rhetoric.[33]

References

  1. ↑ George Dance, "Ron Paul Helps Launch Young Americans for Liberty," Nolan Chart, Dec. 7, 2008, Web, May 15, 2011.
  2. ↑ "National Events". Young Americans for Liberty. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Libertarians Protest War in Libya". Student Free Press. 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "Fall 2009 Report". Young Americans for Liberty. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  5. ↑ "Spring 2010 Report". Young Americans for Liberty. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "Fall 2010 Report". Young Americans for Liberty. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  7. ↑ "Rand Paul speaks to young libertarians". USA Today. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Rand Paul: MSNBC has 'partisan cranks and hacks'". CNN. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  9. ↑ "Glenn Greenwald Speaks at Young Americans for Liberty Convention". CNN. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Dr. Ron Paul addresses the 2014 YAL National Convention". YouTube. 6 August 2014. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Fed up with today's politics? #BeTheNext leader and change it.". The Huffington Post. 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  12. ↑ Boyer, Matthew (2016-08-11). "2016 YALCON Report: Our best event yet | Young Americans for Liberty". Yaliberty.org. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
  13. ↑ "National Debt Event". Young Americans for Liberty. 16 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  14. ↑ "Campus group protests ballooning national debt". JConline. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  15. ↑ "Display to present U.S. national debt issue". Utah Statesman. 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  16. ↑ "Master the balancing Act". Augusta Chronicle. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  17. ↑ "UC San Diego students call for awareness of the national debt". KUSI News. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  18. ↑ "Grace students join national debt protest". Journal Gazette. 29 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  19. ↑ "Congress doing little to slow debt, student group says". Polifact Georgia. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  20. ↑ "National debt clock to be erected in Gautier". WLOX ABC News. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  21. ↑ Reilly, Clarke (2014-04-26). "Hawaiian University Sued For Blocking Students From Passing Out Copies Of The Constitution". Huffington Post. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  22. ↑ Andrew Sullivan "The Weekend Wrap", , The Atlantic, February 22, 2010
  23. ↑ Michael C. Moynihan, "You Know the Lowlights. Here Are a Few Highlights from CPAC…Seriously", , Reason, February 21, 2010
  24. ↑ Mike Madden, "CPAC crowd boos homophobe off stage", , Salon.com, February 19, 2010
  25. ↑ Vita Brevis, "CPAC Civil War", , Daily Kos, February 19, 2010
  26. ↑ "CPAC speaker booed for APPLAUDING gay group invite", , The Daily Caller, February 19, 2010 Archived 26 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ↑ William Upton, "Fear and Loathing at CPAC", , The American Conservative, February 22, 2010
  28. ↑ Heinz, Frank (2011-11-28). "UNT Students Hand Out Free Cigarettes to Protest Smoking Ban". Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  29. ↑ Ryan, Rebecca (2011-11-29). "Organization protests smoking ban". North Texas Daily. University of North Texas. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  30. ↑ Smajstrla, Ann (2011-12-01). "SGA fails to pass smoking ban referendum". North Texas Daily. University of North Texas. Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  31. ↑ "UNT's Smoke-Free Campus Policy Overview". University of North Texas. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  32. ↑ Mark Schierbecker (May 30, 2016). "Young Americans for Liberty backtracks after staffer says it has blacklisted Milo Yiannopoulos". The College Fix.
  33. ↑ Ben Kew (May 30, 2016). "Young Americans for Liberty Infighting Over Milo Invitation". Breitbart.
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