SMART Recovery

Discussion
1

At Saturday's meeting, Phil requested I post information about SMART.
SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) is a self-help approach to recovery from all addictions, including addictions to alcohol, substances, food, cigarettes, pot, love, sex, the internet, and many others. The active ingredient in SMART is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), developed in 1955 by Dr. Albert Ellis. REBT has spawned the variety of cognitive-behavior therapies now so popular among psychotherapists.

SMART does not rely on 12 Steps, Higher Powers, or spirituality. Rather, we appeal to those individuals who prefer a rational approach to life's problems. According to SR's radical message, no one is powerless over their addiction. We teach you concepts and strategies to use the power you have to beat your addictive behaviors.

Our meetings are open to the public and there's no charge. Please don't hesitate to sit in on a meeting and see for yourself how it works.

For a detailed description, go to: http://www.threeminutetherapy.com/smart.html

For San Francisco meetings, go to: http://www.threeminutetherapy.com/smartmeetings.html

For questions, call me at 415-673-2848 or email me at DrEdelstein@....

Best, Michael

2

Our own Rob Power just posted on the
outright board a call for help. Rob has
undertaken a campaign to ensure that the
Libertarian National Committee reaffirm
the Libertarian plattform plank on Gay
equality under the law in light of the
recent appointment of the author of the
defense of marriage act, Bob Barr to the
LNC.

So far the LNC has only received 17
messages on this topic.

Here is how I customized my letter to the
LNC...

It would be terrific if the national
leadership took some effort to discuss
with Mr. Barr the pure libertarian
message on social freedoms and
responsibilities. Asking some of our
older, former conservative members who
are articulate to discuss the issues with
him may be helpful. Decorated War
veterans such as Camden Mc Connell who
ran against George Miller for Congress
may be particularly persuasive. Ah, if
only Ron Crickenburger were still around.

If Mr.Barr is serious about being a
Libertarian which I believe he is, then
he would be well served to open his mind
and listen to the best ex conservative
,most articulate Libertarians talk about
libertarian views on freedom and
responsibility regarding gay issues and
drug issues. I hope the leaders will take
the time and effort to make sure this
conversation happens.

Sincerely

Philip Berg
Congressional Candidate vs. Nancy Pelosi
Chair, Libertarian Party of San Francisco
Life Member

and here is Rob's originalmessage, with
the link you will need to send the
letters.
...Shane just called me. Friendly as
usual, but his message was short:

We've only received 17 emails about this
issue in the last 48 hours.
That sends a clear message that this is
not very important to you.

Can't say I disagree with him. We have
over 200 registered members
and supposedly thousands of supporters
within the LP. But you'd never
know it from 17 emails.

Please forward this link:

http://actionstudio.org/?go=2673

to your state/local/college/etc.
Libertarian lists and ask all of our
allies to use our web form to contact the
LP decision-makers. It will
only take a minute or two of their time,
and it will have a huge impact.

Your response (and the response of every
Libertarian you consider
LGBT-friendly) is vital to the success of
this campaign.

Thanks,

Rob
http://www.outrightusa.org
...........
Thanks,

Phil

3

Thanks
for

taking
the

time
this

morning
to
chat.

I
want
to
reiterate

and

strengthen

my
thoughts

to
you
on
Outright
Libertarian's

recent

campaign

to
support

National

Freedom
to
Marry
Week.

First,

let

me
say

that
I
honestly

don't
care

one
way
or
the
other

what
action
the

LNC
takes

on
this

matter,

if
any.

Why?

I'm
an
employee

of
the

LNC.

I'm

going
to
carry
out

any
lawful

order
that
comes

down
from

the
board.

If
they

ask
me
to
issue
a
statement

condemning

National

Potato

Day,

I'll
follow

through

and
do
it
in
a
way

that
will

bring
a
tear
to
your
eye.
I'll
speak

up
for
all

defenseless

spuds

around
the

world
who

have
been
uprooted

from
their

homes
only

to
be
skinned,

sliced,

diced,

baked
and
boiled

alive.

With
that

said,
I
want
to
let
you

know
that

I
am
disappointed

with
Outright

Libertarians.

It
has

been
well

over

48
hours

since
you

launched

your

campaign.

You
have
asked

your

members
to
speak
up,

from
the

comfort
of
their
own
homes,

by
simply

punching

out
a
few

letters
on
a
keyboard.

So
far,

only

17
of
your

members

have
taken

the
time

to
respond.

That
is
damned

pathetic.

Outright

Libertarians

is
supposed

to
be
the

most

organized

and

effective
activist

group
in
the
LP.

You
can

only

muster

17
people
to
respond

over
a
lazy

winter

weekend?

I
don't

have
an
easy
job

with
the

LP.

I'm

consistently

bombarded

by
libertarians

who
do
nothing

more
than

whine,

moan
and

complain

while
opening

old

wounds.

They
are

the
do
nothings

of
our

movement.

Each
time

I'm

confronted

by
one
of
these

pathetic

individuals,
I
urge
them
to
get
off
of
their
butt

and
do
something

about
it.

I
tell

them
to
stop
the

whining

and
do
something.

Rob,

you

have
stood

up,

walked

down
to
the
arena

floor
and

have
attempted

to
do
something

in
an
organized

and

respectful

manner.

For
that,

you

should
be
commended.

However,

how
am
I
supposed

to
prove

to
our

near-
full

gallery
of
critics
that
they

can
be
effective

if
you
can

only
get

17
people

to
join

you?
That's

about
ten

percent
of
your
own

membership!

This
tells

me
that

you
either

don't
have

support

for
this

action

within
your
group

or,

sadly,

that

activism

is
dead

within
the

LP.

I
sincerely

hope
that

it
is
not

the
latter.

If
I
were

sitting
on
the
LNC,

as
a
matter
of
principle,

I
would

tell
you
to
go
back

and
lead

your
group

to
show
an
overwhelming

response.
I
wouldn't

even

consider

it
with

your

current

showing.

Libertarians

are
no
different

than

anyone

else.

If
you
kick

them
in
the
ass,

they

move.

Consider

this
your

kick
in
the
ass.

This
is
no
longer

about
Bob

Barr
and

his
stance

on
an
issue.

Believe
me,

he's
a
big
boy

and
can

handle
the

criticism.

This
is
now
about
something

much
more

significant.

I
would

personally

be
embarrassed

if
our
LNC

were
to
take

action

because
17
people

sent
them

an
e-
mail.

Go
back
to
the
table

on
this

matter
and

prove
to
me
and
to
the
LNC

that
activism

is
still

alive
in
our

movement.

More

importantly,

prove
to
that

gallery
of
critics

that
they

are
better

off,

down

in
the

arena
with
the
rest

of
us,

fighting

together

to
further

liberty.

Respectfully,

Shane
Cory

Executive

Director

Libertarian

National

Committee