Taking Notice - Libertarianism Not So Fringe Anymore
For many years and despite the heckling, I have been a Libertarian. The reason is simple. I believe that government should be smaller and more aligned with the constitution. I also believe that personal freedom (and responsibility) and private property rights are the cornerstone of what made this country great, and that they must be protected. I’ve been told over and over again by well-meaning friends and co-workers that Libertarians were “fringe” and that if I wanted my vote to count for anything, I needed vote for a candidate running for one of the two major parties. Some well intentioned but uninformed critics have told me that Libertarians were nothing but a bunch of pot smoking hippies; others viewed the party as a gang of gun slinging anarchists.
Despite the criticism, I’ve stayed with the party and have argued that at some point, Libertarians will be considered mainstream. As the years have gone by and the differences between the Republican and Democrat parties are blurring, I’m starting to think I’ve been right.
There’s a long way to go; however, it’s encouraging to see that Time magazine described the Libertarians as “not so fringe” in its July 10, 2008, issue. I personally think that many voters, if they were to honestly evaluate themselves, are Libertarian (take the “world’s shortest political quiz” link in the bottom right sidebar on this page and see for yourself). If people voted for what they truly believe is right, rather than voting for who the 4th Estate says will win, we could truly see a remarkable change for the better this election cycle.
Bob Barr has brought a tremendous amount of credibility to the Libertarian party. Yes, there are things that he advocated in the past that don’t seem Libertarian, but he seems to have genuinely thought about the issues, corrected his course and has taken an honest stand. Please take a look at the Bob Barr campaign web site and the Libertarian web site to discover why there really is a choice this upcoming election … and one that can bring true change.
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