April 2008

2008 Missouri LP Karl Wetzel and Champion of Freedom Awards

By Greg Tlapek

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The Missouri Libertarian Party presented its annual awards during the 2008 Heartland Libertarian Conference in Kansas City April 5th. John Schultz, Missouri Libertarian Party Secretary and Boone County Libertarian Party Chair, was presented with our highest honor, the Karl Wetzel Award. Michael Hurley, Erik Buck, Bill Wayne, Jim Givens and Kevin Babcock were presented with Champion of Freedom Awards.

Michael Hurley - Champion of Freedom

Our first award for Champion of Freedom goes to a recipient who has a long history with the Missouri Libertarian Party. He was chair of the state party before there were written records. More recently, he was chair of the Cass county party. He's been a contributor, a committeeman, and a candidate. His activities helped found the Missouri Libertarian Party. This first award goes to Michael Hurley. Michael was a candidate for State Rep in '86, US Congress '88, and State Rep again in '92 and '94. He is an excellent representative for the Party and we hope by recognizing his participation to encourage him to continue. We'd like to thank his wife, Patti for her support, and award Michael for his longstanding devotion to the cause of Liberty, with our gratitude.

Missouri LP Executive Director Greg Tlapek (left) presenting Michael Hurley
with a Champion of Freedom Award as Glenn Nielsen (right),
Missouri LP State Chair looks on.

Erik Buck - Champion of Freedom

Michael is from Cass county, the county just to the south of here. While we're in the neighborhood, our next recipient is from Clay County, just to the north, home to the likes of Peter McCandless, Kevin and Jackie Bradbury, and our own Karl Wetzel. None of the above, Erik Buck is the Libertarian from Clay County I'd like to present today with an award for being a Champion of Freedom. Erik has been an educator, both by a trade as a teacher and as a troubadour for the libertarian movement spreading the word through his many candidacies for US Congress. Erik was our candidate for US Congress from the 6th district in each of the past three election cycles, and he very presentably made our case. We'd like to thank his wife, Catherine Culley Buck for her support, and award Erik for his outstanding service to the cause of Liberty, with our gratitude.

Missouri LP State Chair Glenn Nielsen (left) presenting
Erik Buck (right) with a Champion of Freedom Award.

Bill Wayne - Champion of Freedom

Let's head east...just a little..not so far as Columbia, not even so far as Sedalia, home of the Missouri State Fair, just a little nearer--Johnson County, home of Warrensburg and our next recipient Bill Wayne. Like our previous recipients, Bill has performed the highest service for the Party--served as our candidate--first in 1998 as Presiding Commissioner of Johnson County, then again in 2006 as our candidate for State Representative from District 121. Because Bill Wayne understands Missouri politics, he has faithfully made that trek down to the county clerk's office each March in election years to file as a Libertarian Party committeeman from his county and for his Party. He was proud to be our presidential Elector from Congressional District 4 in 2004. Bill has not hidden his light under the proverbial bushel basket. He and his politics are well known in his neck of the woods. He has been a regular contributor to the print media on difficult subjects that are the grist of daily politics. He does us proud, and we are proud to thank his wife Sandra for her support and present Bill with our recognition of his efforts as a Champion of Freedom.

Jim Givens - Champion of Freedom

By nature, we proceed, and with a purpose..east again, to find the next Champion of Freedom, past our state capital Jefferson City, but not so far as Washington DC. We stop this time in Columbia, Missouri, home of the University of Missouri, and more to the point, many devoted Libertarians--a couple of whom we would like to spotlight for their efforts. Age before beauty, as the saying goes, so to begin we'd like to thank Jim Givens for being one outstanding Libertarian. Jim, to the best of our recollection, just materialized. Back in the day--when all meetings were face to face and Columbia was the place, Jim showed up at a meeting of the Missouri Executive Committee. Who was this guy? He was knowledgeable, well spoken, authoritative and an all around asset to the Party. It wasn't long before he became Chair of the Party. He is a diplomat and a statesman and if we had 1/10th the representation we deserve in the legislative bodies which govern us--hell, if we had any representation--, Jim Givens would be the representative we'd want. Let us hope, more importantly continue to work, take a second to thank his wife `D for her efforts on behalf the Party , and award Jim Givens with the recognition he has long deserved as a Champion of freedom.

John Schultz - Karl Wetzel

This next guy, also from Columbia, we kind of hate to talk too much about. "Cause if he knew-- that we knew-- that he knew--that we knew all he does for the Party--almost every day, who knows what might happen. We'd probably have to pay him, or something. John Schultz. I'm reluctant to try to iterate all he does. Executive Committee. State Party Secretary. County Committeeman. County Chair. Processor of the monthly pledges. And not least, candidate--State rep in 2002. John burst onto the scene in 2000 with great vigor and it is with great appreciation that we present him with the highest honor we can bestow--the Karl Wetzel award. The Karl Wetzel award is bestowed in memory of its namesake who dedicated his life and his fortune to the libertarian movement in Missouri. John Schultz deserves this award. On any given day, if you wonder who is working on your behalf for the benefit of the Missouri Libertarian Party, John Schultz is your man. Everyone has a life outside the Party, and John is no exception. With two young children it's an inspiration that he finds time to dedicate to the libertarian movement. Understandably, we'd like to extend our appreciation to his wife Mary and award John with our highest honor, the Karl Wetzel award for 2008.

Missouri LP State Chair Glenn Nielsen (right) presenting
John Schultz (left) with the Karl Wetzel Award.

Kevin Babcock - Champion of Freedom

As our sojourn continues ever eastward we reach St. Louis, at the limit of the Missouri Libertarian Party boundaries and on that narrow I-70 corridor that divides the state like the two major parties divide the country in a political dichotomy that is their invention. It is in St. Louis. once the third largest city in the nation, that we find the final recipient of the Champion of Freedom award--Kevin Babcock. Kevin is a trooper, a foot soldier for freedom. Like you and everyone else, Kevin's got a life. He's about to graduate law school, so you can imagine how busy he is. Yet....when we called him and said we needed a candidate, his response was, as it has always been, "Where do you need me most?" In 1994 it was for State rep..again in 1998....again in 2002...in 2004 it was US Congress...in 2006 it was back to state rep... and this time US congress. If we were all like Kevin, we would have light work. Last, but not least, we are proud and grateful to present Kevin Babcock with the award that recognizes he is a Champion of Freedom.