After over a decade since the last Free New York newsletter was released, the LPNY’s official newsletteris back! The only difference, at least for now, is that the newsletter will be release online only and sent via the LPNY’s email list.
This revival of the LPNY newsletter will provide readers an inside look at Libertarian Party activism in New York State with a focus, beyond the clutter of Facebook, Twitter, and occuasional emails.
In addition to news on party business, we will have sections for Libertarian Party leaders and activists across the state to report on their activities in order to encourage everyone how you can make a difference too in your community. I am asking all County Affiliates to give a report as to their county’s happenings, whether an organized County Affiliate or an unorganized county group. I would also like to promote local meetings and events, in order to help spread the word of local Libertarian Party activities.
In future issues, I would like to spotlight different Libertarian Party leaders and activists, to talk about how they became a Libertarian and their involvement in the movement and party.
We will also feature articles on candidates and campaigns, and any news from our elected Libertarians across the state.
We also welcome editorials and commentary on the issues from a Libertairan perspective. If you have anything you would like to submit to the newsletter, send it to info@lpny.org
Some of you may be asking—why is this issue listed as volume 52? This involves an understanding of the history of the LPNY newsletter. If you do the math, that would make volume 1 occur in 1972. The first LPNY newsletter was known as “FLP News” in July 1972, and then “Free Libertarian Party News” in August 1972. From October 1972 to March 1980, it was known as “Free Libertarian,” but it was in 1978, known as volume 7, was the last numbering by volume from the early period. The newsletter was simply called “Newsletter” in 1980, and then went to a large format and called “The New York Libertarian” in 1981, listed as volume 1. In 1982 and early 1983, the newsletter was called “FLP Insider” and listed as volume 1 and 2 for each year. In 1983, the newsletter once again called “FLP News” and was numbered by issue and not volume from #1 in June 1983 to #16 in October 1985.
In December 1986, the earliest instance of the name “Free New York” was used with the subtitle “The Libertarian Alternative.” The subtitle was dropped with the November 1989 revival of the newsletter. In 1991, “Free New York” was renumbered by volume once again for 1991-1992 (volume 1), 1992 (volume 2), 1993 (volume 4), and early 1994 (volume 4). In 1995, “Free New York” was listed as volume 24 with 1996 listed as volume 25, which corresponds to 1972 being volume 1. Another revival of the LPNY newsletter occurred in 2003, and by 2006, “Free New York” was listed as volume 4 of the series that began in 2003. The most recent revival took place in 2007-2009, all listed as volume 1.
With this brief history on the numbering of the LPNY newsletter, this revival is now referred to has volume 52 for 2023, to correspond with 1972 as volume 1, taken from the idea from the mid-1990s as aforementioned.
Pictured to the the right is the earliest known issue of the party’s newsletter as “Free New York.”