Larry Dodge

Lawrence Burnham Dodge (December 20, 1942 – July 17, 2012) was an American businessman and activist, who served as Chair of the Montana Libertarian Party.

Larry Dodge
Born
Lawrence Burnham Dodge

(1942-12-20)December 20, 1942
Oakland, California, U.S.
DiedJuly 17, 2012(2012-07-17) (aged 69)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Activist, politician, professor of sociology
SpouseHoney Lanham

Background personal

Dodge was born in Oakland, California. Dodge had worked as a professional photographer for some time in his career.[1] Prior to his political involvement in politics, he trained in sociology. He gained a Ph.D. from Brown University. Also he was a professor at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. He was also professor at the University of Montana.[2][3]

In 1990, he married long-time LP activist Honey Lanham who was from Texas.[2]

Relocation to Panama

In 2004, after considering different locations around the world, they decided to move to Panama. They settled on the mountain town of Altos del María there. They had visited the area a couple of years previously to check it out. Part of the reason they moved there was due to Dodge's health issues and the fact that healthcare was beyond their means. In an article in The New York Times she drew a comparison between her husband's medical treatment costing $52,000 in the US and in Panama costing $11,000. Low land prices and Panama's laissez-faire stance on private property rights and entrepreneurship were also a feature.[4][5] Another reason given for their move to Panama was the personal freedoms they felt Panama offered them. They felt those freedoms were being rapidly eroded in the U.S.[6]

Health issue and hospitalisation

In April 2012 he was in a Panama hospital having suffered from what appeared to have been an aneurysm. He had been with his wife when he collapsed and she had got him to hospital.[2] He died on July 17, 2012, aged 69.[7] A memorial was held for him on 18 August.[8]

Activism

The Washington Post described Dodge as a Montana sociology professor turned libertarian activist.[9] Along with Don Doig he has been referred to as an old warrior who had made a career out of fighting big government.[10] He appeared at and participated in various Libertarian conferences. In the 1980s he was at one of the Libertarian National Conventions in which he opened with a keynote on libertarian successes and credibility.[11][12] He also spoke at the Eris 1999 Conference held in Aspen, Colorado.[13]

One of the issues he had an interest in was gun ownership.[1] In 2002 he wrote an article for Gun Owners of America called "In Op-ed Pieces". It was about gun control laws, the loss of liberties and the government not being the least bit interested in honoring the Bill of Rights.[14]

Fully Informed Jury Association

Along with Don Doig, Dodge was the founder of the non-profit group Fully Informed Jury Association in Montana. The organization was set up to inform Americans about their rights as jurors as well as personal liberties.[15][16]

Political

Dodge was the best known leader of the Montana Libertarian Party.[17] He tried three times for statewide office.[18] In 1982 Dodge campaigned for the senate seat that was held by democrat John Melcher and Republican Larry Williams. He got 4 percent of the vote.[19][20] In an article in the Spokesman-Review Oct 20, 1982, he said that Melcher was being bankrolled by special interest groups and that Republican Williams was using polls to pick out the most popular issues to aid his image.[21] In 1987, Dodge tried to promote Russell Means for the Libertarian candidacy in the 1988 race.[22]

References
  1. The Dallas Morning News Aug. 17, 2012 Dr. Lawrence Burnham Dodge Obituary
  2. Libertarian Republican Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Larry Dodge in intensive care in Panama City by Clifford F. Thies
  3. Missoulian October 03, 2012 Dr. Lawrence Burnham Dodge
  4. New York Times April 11, 2006 Retirement, Moving On – Content to Watch Bananas Grow, More Retirees Relocate to Panama By Bob Tedechi
  5. New York Times February 13, 2005 National Perspectives: Beauty and Tax Breaks Lure Buyers to Panama by Alex Markels
  6. Focus Panama Here in Panama where life is good Some profiles on our new neighbors – Larry Dodge and Honey Sue Lanham
  7. Ballot Access News August 15, 2012 Larry Dodge Dies by Richard Winger
  8. The Dallas Morning News August 17, 2012 Dr. Lawrence Burnham Dodge Obituary
  9. The Washington Post Monday, February 8, 1999 Page A1 In Jury Rooms, Form of Civil Protest Grows By Joan Biskupic
  10. Essays on Foundations of American Constitutional Government: "... by the constitution" By Robert D. Gorgoglione Page 504
  11. The Michigan Libertarian Newsletter Summer 1985 Vol. 12 No. 5-8 Page 1 National Convention: "Freedom Reborn and the Second Wave"
  12. Libertarian Party of Michigan http://www.michiganlp.org/Past%20Newsletters/Michigan%20Libertarian%20Vol%2012.5-8%201985%20Summer.pdf Archived 2015-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
  13. The Eris Society Eris 1999 – Aspen, Colorado Archived 2015-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  14. GOA 16 January 2002 Amazing Disgrace: Assault on Juries and the Bill of Rights ...
  15. The Day December 14, 1999 D4 Nation New Mexica county ordered to use non-English speaking jurors by Jordan Koidin Associated Press Writer
  16. Punishment, Participatory Democracy, and the Jury By Albert W. Dzur Page 132 The Citizen-Activist Movement of the Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA)
  17. The Spokesman-Review Friday Nov. 9, 1984 Page 12 Libertarians retain ballot status
  18. ABA Journal Jul 1991 Page 18 Poower to the Juries
  19. Spokesman-Review Sep 5, 1984 Page 16, Montana Libertarians seek success, not agreement By Larry Wills Staff correspondent
  20. Lewiston Journal Oct-4, 1982 Page 6, The answer really came easy
  21. Spokesman-Review Oct 20, 1982 Senate seat candidates trade jobs
  22. Reason, 10.22.2012 – Russell Means, R.I.P. – Brian Doherty
Interviews
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