On the same line, Phillies condemned Massachusetts bill H5850, the state counterpart to the Federal assault weapons law. "H5850 is bad for freedom and bad for the people of Massachusetts. The Bill doesn't even deliver what it promises to its supporters. For each banned assault weapon, a still-legal weapon that fires the same ammunition with the same accuracy will remain available. If Governor Weld were of libertarian inclinations - he isn't - he'd be working to defeat this bill.
Phillies discussed the Libertarian view on firearms ownership and gun control: "The Libertarian Party is the only party that consistently supports the Second Amendment. Some Republican say they support the Second Amendment, but the Clinton Crime control bill only passed because it received Republican votes."
"The Libertarian Party opposes all taxes, bans, and restrictions on ownership of guns and ammunition. We oppose firearm registration. All too often, registration has been the precursor to confiscation. The Constitutional purpose of firearm ownership is to allow Americans to protect themselves, and to protect their families, their communities, their country, and their freedoms. Firearms also provide enjoyment for millions of Americans who hunt or participate in target shooting events."
"Gun ownership is part of a solution, not part of the problem. Clinton's Crime Control bill is really the Clinton Victim Disarmament bill, taking guns away from law-abiding Americans, while leaving them in the hands of America's burglars, rapists, and hired killers."
The Libertarian Party is one of Massachusetts' three legally-recognized major political parties. Libertarians stand in the dynamic center of the political spectrum: pro-freedom on social issues, conservative on fiscal issues. Libertarian candidates gain ballot access under precisely the same laws that give ballot access to Democratic and Republican candidates. In 1992, Libertarian State Representative candidate Stephen Epstein gained over 10% of the vote in a contested 3-party race. In 1994, a Massachusetts Libertarian running for statewide office received 3% of the vote, more than the difference between Kerry and Weld in a recent poll.
George Phillies was born July 23, 1947 in Buffalo, New York, first son of Eustace G. Phillies, M.D. (deceased) and Clara Phillies. Phillies grew up in Kenmore and Williamsville, New York, finished as salutatorian at the Williamsville Central High School (now Williamsville South) and went to MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While at MIT, Phillies earned degrees of Bachelor of Science in physics and life sciences, as well as Master of Science and (in 1973) Doctor of Science degrees in physics. Phillies then joined the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program as a researcher.
In 1971, Phillies joined the United States Army Reserves, eventually rising to the rank of Specialist, 5th Class, in a Boston unit, the 338th Medical Detachment; he received an honorable discharge in 1977. In 1975, Phillies moved to California, working as a postdoctoral fellow in the UCLA Chemistry department and living in Santa Monica. Phillies in 1978 moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was employed as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan. In 1985, after declining alternatives at nationally-known schools, Phillies moved to the prestigious Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he rose to the rank of Professor in the Department of Physics. Phillies is recognized internationally for his scientific studies of light scattering, soaps, and polymer solutions.
Phillies, 48, never married, rents a townhouse in Worcester, Massachusetts, a block from the WPI Campus. Phillies has participated actively in Libertarian Party organizing efforts in Central and Western Massachusetts. In 1996, he was elected Executive Director of the Massachusetts Libertarian Association.