What It Means When I Say "Libertarian"

This is something I've meant to write about for quite some time. I've seen the term bastardized, used in vain, and thrown around like a swear word far too often for these past few months. Years, even.  I've now just recently started to see some news articles pop up where libertarians are being labeled as "terrorists" who are trying to tear apart the government. Maybe they are. I wouldn't know because I don't subscribe to whatever the main party is trying to tell whomever they're trying to tell. and I think that many people who have been beating up the main line libertarian party is probably right. But its not what its supposed to stand for. People got it all wrong. From what I've seen as I've learned more about small government and liberty, it seems as though we all agree that the government should be doing less than it is now. we all begin to differ almost immediately after that. However, under the guise off  "true freedom" all Libertarians seem to just argue amongst themselves about policies that would actually help their candidates get them elected, instead of standing on a similar party stance.



This is my first issue. Libertarianism is really more an idea than a political party. For me, being libertarian means that I love my country dearly. I celebrate all national holidays with reverence, I make sure to reach out to my veteran friends on memorial day, on veteran's day, and I invite them over for the fourth. I teach my daughter about the history of our country, and make sure she understands how to respect the flag. At the same time, I am wary of our government leaders. I want to know and understand the whys behind their votes in congress, and I want to understand the executive action that takes place at the White House. I read through many Supreme Court Rulings, and ask myself if they have upheld the constitution. To me, the first part of Libertarianism is loving your country in all of these ways. At the community, family, and national levels.



As a libertarian, The main question I ask myself when I'm looking at a new law, or wondering about an issue is "why legislate?" This is a loaded question, in reality. The more specific question I think would be "why would we legislate against/for this, and whom does it benefit? Lets take the issue of Gay Marriage. Why legislate to allow it? to allow folks from all walks to life to marry whomever they please. Now, here's the issue  that I see. Why does the government need to legislate for it AT ALL? In my humble opinion, the government has no earthly right telling anyone who they can and cannot marry. EVER. Its none of their business. The only thing it does for the American people is ferret more money out of the national treasury and into the salary of somebody who has to track this, manage it, and check to see who is marrying whom. Why? What purpose does this serve on a government level? Why does it matter that Joe married Annie, or Greg? Who honestly, really cares?



This is what I don't understand about government. It like they've gotten so tied up with the idea that they need to solve everything, that they've forgotten that people really like to just do their own thing. Do you really want the government involved in your love life? Do you really want them monitoring the internet? So you really think you need them to help you go to the store, go out to eat, and any number of other things? The government sure does.



I can understand why things go the way the do in congress. These people in congress want to be re elected, and the only power they have is to create laws. That's it. They can create laws, or shoot down other people's laws. But with 300 some odd years of law creation comes a lot of bullshit that nobody needs. Especially when that's your only function. to create laws.  How does one get re elected by NOT making any laws? by essentially not doing their job? Its a hard thing to wrap your head around, but sometimes laws are really just not needed. I can totally visualize how this can also get away from congress as well. When you only make laws, and you spend most of your time in Washington, of course your natural thought process is that Washington knows best. Congress knows best. The President Knows best. But its really not the case. I know me best. I know what I want best. So let me do it.



Now let me qualify everything I just said. The government is necessary. As the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world, we should be helping the poor. We should be helping to cultivate peace and PERSONAL liberty in foreign nations. We should be the stewards of a new, better planet. We should be helping less fortunate nations get on their feet. This is what responsibilities a superpower like us need to take on.



We should also be helping our own at home. We should be spending money (lots and lots of money) on federal programs to help get more students into school and get them into meaningful jobs with career paths. We should continue to spend on healthcare and continue to have the best healthcare system in the world. We should expand our help of the poor, and the injured, and our veterans. These things are legitimate government functions. ESPECIALLY when you're the wealthiest nation on the planet. Its been statistically proven that Austerity doesn't work.  It has been inversely proven that spending on those who have a real need for it, and helping them to grow into a job, or helping them get better (whether physically or mentally) grows the economy, and our society.



As a Libertarian, I would love to see a society where the government is there to help, not to punish. How do you ensure that? Don't make so many laws.  You've been making them for 300 years congress, tone it down. If you're going to make laws, make laws that help those that need it. If you're going to repeal laws, repeal laws that indict those who have committed victimless crimes, or repeal laws that create undue expenses. There's no reason that our nation needs to spend millions and million of dollars every year on regulators for things that need no regulation. There is no need for government to regulate marriage. There is no need for government to spend millions of dollars regulating abortion on a national or state level. How can a lawmaker pretend to know more about something that a doctor will spend more than a decade studying before he's eligible to perform the operation? Why wouldn't you leave it to the professionals to decide?



As a libertarian, I love my country. I love the lawmakers that help steward the constitution into a new generation. I love Our veterans, our President, and everything that they and our Constitution represents. I am saddened by how skewed everything seems to have become. 



If there was one law I would want to see passed as a Libertarian, it would be a law that got money out of Politics. I have read the ruling on Citizens United, and I believe that in light of the constitution, it was the correct ruling. It follows the letter of the law exactly. However, this may be something that our forefathers could have never seen.   Corporations, through their immense cash reserves, wield too much power to sway congress, and the other offices in government. Its too much, and it creates a massive barrier to entry for new ideas and new candidates. If I wanted to propose any change to the constitution, it would be to remove money from politics, and let the chips fall where they may. Let the candidates fight on even ground, and let their ideas be the bedrock for their campaign, not the dollars they raise. Maybe one day we'll see that.



I've only scratched the surface here. There is of course a multitude of different opinion articles I could write, positions I could take, and so on. The point I'm trying to get across is that You know YOU better than your congressman knows you. Think about that when you're looking at new laws, and new candidates.



Until Next Time.