As President Obama signs the pork, er, stimulus bill, right in our own backyard today, a group of liberty-minded individuals are reaffirming their commitment to smaller government by founding the Gadsden Society. Their debut event will be a "celebration of liberty for all" and will be held on the steps of Colorado's Capitol on March 1st.
The Gadsden Society is named after Sons of Liberty member Christopher Gadsden, the original designer of the yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flag that become a symbol of liberty during the revolutionary era. The society was founded by Dave Williams, legislative director for the Libertarian Party of Colorado, political activist and blogger Lenina Close, and Wesley Dickinson of the People's Press Collective. They are hoping to fill an existing void for a pro-liberty voice at the Capitol and provide testimony on bills moving through the legislature.
"The Gadsden Society is going to focus on trying to change policy on the state level," Williams told Face the State. "A lot of the statewide organizations like the Independence Institute are prohibited from lobbying because of tax rules. We are filling that void as a non-partisan, non-profit, public advocacy group."
The rally will be held Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m. and will feature Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier, CU Regent Tom Lucero, and political activist Ross Kaminsky as keynote speakers. Williams' hope for the rally is to "let people who still believe in smaller government and liberty know that they aren't alone."