Alex Carrion

I am happy Ross Ulbricht is free and pardoned. I am happy that Lyn Ulbricht will be able to see her son free from imprisonment. There are many people who fought for this, and chief among them was Lyn Ulbricht. A mother's fierce determination to see her son free. She packed up and moved when Ross would be transferred. She never stopped fighting and never wavered in her efforts. Alongside her for over a decade have been activists and allies. Libertarians are part of that coalition. So were advocates like Thomas Massie and Rand Paul in the House and Senate. I think we Libertarians can take pride in helping to keep that torch always lit. This includes our current LNC Chair Angela McCardle and the past leadership and membership of the party over the last 11 years, who all lobbied for this pardon. This pardon was on Trump's desk four years ago and wasn't signed. It should have been. While I'm grateful President Trump issued this pardon, I won't give him credit for an action he could have taken 4 years ago. 1,463 days after the end of his first term, he finally followed through on an action he could have taken up to 8 years earlier. So I am thankful for those who lobbied for this pardon, I'm thankful for those who never tired in their advocacy for Ross. But no, I won't thank a man who prioritized renaming the Gulf of Mexico over his Day 1 promise to Ross, his family, and the voters. We still have no Libertarians in the cabinet or top posts. We still have a neocon Secretary of State, and we Libertarians still need to be vigilant. Ross being free is fantastic. If you've ever known someone who has been in prison, you know how precious that freedom is when they get out. Tonight, I will say a prayer for Ross and Lyn. I hope they get all the privacy and time they need to rebuild Ross' life and start anew. God is great, and I'm happy Ross is going home.