Why I’m a Libertarian

Ok, so I’m a Libertarian. And suffice it to say I am proud of that fact. I don’t jump on bandwagons too easily nor do I ever, EVER vote for the “lesser of two evils.” Doing that just gets more evil. The comment that pierces through my eardrums like fingernails on a chalkboard is “a third-party will never win, so why would you vote for them?”

You know, some people have said there will never be a female president, or an African American elected to congress and many others say that gays and lesbians will never be able to get married.

Never?

In Oregon, where I was born, raised and currently live, we are known for our “liberal” stance on the issues. By and large, we tend to lean more left than right. This has gotten us in serious debt with a public employee retirement system in shambles, some of the heaviest tax burden in the country, (even though we are one of the only states in the nation without a sales tax), nearly the highest minimum wage which has “coincidentally” resulted in close to the highest unemployment in the US and yet with our fiscal irresponsibility for which both parties can share the blame, we still resoundingly voted in a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

As a side note, saying a woman cannot marry a woman or a man cannot marry a man has nothing to do with orientation, it is simply sexual discrimination, for the only reason one cannot marry another is due solely to their gender. That should be our argument!

A waterfall has to start with a drop of rain!

Why are people still of the notion that they cannot simultaneously have fiscal responsibility and social liberty. The government doesn’t know how to spend money because they don’t work for it, they simply demand we give it to them or we go to jail. Furthermore, we should all be able to do what we want with our lives so long as we don’t harm others directly (this includes what you want to put in your body or what you want to do with your body).

Why does the LGBT community still jump on the bandwagon of a party who has shown so little support for our freedom to marry who we wish and live the life we desire? In Oregon, there was not one single prominent Democrat ‘“ elected official or candidate ‘“ who visibly opposed Measure 36 (the marriage ban). Why did both John Kerry and John Edwards say “we believe marriage is between a man and a woman?” Why does Hilary Clinton say this as well (unless, of course she is courting votes within our community)?

I ran for office under the Libertarian Party and went to my local GLBT Chamber of Commerce seeking support. I got turned up noses and grimaces along with the adage that I could never win. I have been involved with said Chamber for years and knew most of the people involved. I was turned away by my own people because I didn’t follow the crummy lead of the Democrats. Worse yet, an unknown visitor stood up during introductions and received a rousing ovation from the audience because he announced himself as being an employee of the Oregon Democrats. REPEAT: Nobody knew who he was.

Ouch!

It appears we need to start taking the bull by the horns and going the high route for our freedom. This is why I vote third party. It is so frustrating to hear people refuse for the sake of wanting to vote for a winning ticket. When was the last time you voted for President (which is the least significant election you could vote for considering the Electoral College) and felt your vote really counted? Do you really feel represented?

Really?

No matter who wins this upcoming election, things won’t change unless and until you do. Gandhi once said, “be the change you want to see in the world.” I am making that change and hoping you do as well.

“Oh, but if we vote for a third party, we could have another Ralph Nader situation!” Spare me. Ralph Nader brought people out that wouldn’t have voted for either of the two major parties (which are slowly morphing into one, the Demoblicans or Republicrats, I can’t decide which has a better ring to it) and he received less votes in Florida ‘“ the state in question for 2000 ‘“ than did Pat Buchanan, a candidate who, for all intents and purposes, “took” votes from Bush.

Side Note: Nobody EVER “takes” votes from anyone. They earn them because our vote is our voice and we should be able to vote for whomever we choose. Don’t be a lemming and jump onto a party that has not only disrespected our rights for so long in pursuit of elections, it is simply assumed they “have us.”

Remember Ross Perot

In 1992, there was this big eared billionaire from Texas who seemed to tout fiscal responsibility and received 20% of the electorate. Ross Perot spoke for many disheartened fiscal conservatives who were angry at George Bush I and voiced their discomfort accordingly. I don’t recall a single democrat who was upset with Ross Perot’s involvement in the ‘˜92 election. I think this just may be because a man by the name of Bill Clinton from Arkansas rode in on his white horse and landed in the White House. This is significant because I, for one, strongly believe that had Perot not jumped in (and out, and in, and out and then back in) we wouldn’t have a clue of what “impact” a Clinton Presidency would have made. Others may disagree, but only for the sake of argument. It is pretty clear that voting third-party changed things and many feel it was for the better (mostly democrats).

Side Note: On September 21, 1996, Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law, stating:

1. No state need recognize a marriage between persons of the same sex, even if the marriage was concluded or recognized in another state.

2. The Federal Government may not recognize same-sex or polygamous marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.

So why keep voting for the same “lesser of evil”? Why not be a leader in voting habits and show the two party “duopoly” (as Nader put it so succinctly) who’s boss?

Side Note: Nader was not, is not and never will be a Libertarian. I disagree with almost everything the man promotes with the major exception of voting your heart, not with a party.

My political objective is for personal freedom and personal responsibility. I don’t feel this can be achieved by giving up and giving in and giving my vote to a party that neither believes in my community nor in my principles. It is time to change course and become the captain of our own ship.

This does not necessarily mean that you must vote Libertarian. If you don’t believe in limited government, if you are not a capitalist (remember, capitalism is inherently anti-bigotry) or if you don’t believe in the United States Constitution, there are other parties out there for you to vote. But most people I know want the government to be fiscally responsible (something neither Democrats nor Republicans practice these days) and socially tolerant (which we clearly do not have with either). This means that most voters don’t want to sacrifice their wallet or their privacy so as to make a statement against a party or a candidate.

Remember the “ABB Theory”?

Back in 2004 when so many people wondered how in the hell George Bush Jr. won the first election (and spare me with the voter fraud, Democrats; your party practically invented the concept! ). The ABB Theory was an acronym for “Anybody But Bush.” That got us far, didn’t it? Knowing people are only voting for a candidate because wasn’t the other guy not only gives a false sense of hope but also a gloomy vision for the future. This said theory alienates and divides, while pretending to unite against someone. Not only that, I would venture to say that the ABB Theory is the purest form of a “wasted vote.” Many people say to me, “Marc, voting Libertarian is a ‘˜wasted vote.'” First off, I have a couple of four letter words for that claim, and second, I never waste my vote unless I vote for someone that I don’t really want to win. Like a Democrat who voted for the war and against same-sex marriage. Fear-based voting is why we are in financial and social shambles. Voting for the “lesser of two evils” is the quintessential “wasted vote.”

You do realize how crazy that is, don’t you? I know, I know, Libertarians “will never win.” Right? Tell me, when was the last time you really felt like you “won” with your vote?

“Great, Sally, I just voted to increase my taxes because I wanted the possibility that I could get married someday to the person I love.” Or, better yet, “Gee, Tom, it feels great to give up my social liberties so that I can keep the money I earned!”

As a financial advisor, I constantly beseech my clientele to vote. I don’t tell them how, but I do let them know how I feel about how elected officials (more on a local level) affect everything from your job to the car you drive and the clothing you wear (and how much you pay for both). The way we as Americans are perceived in the world is predicated on our integrity ‘“ keeping our word of freedom. Prime Minister Tony Blair recently stated when announcing his resignation to the people of England that a county’s worth can be measured by the ratio of those who desire to live there compared to those desiring to leave. There is something to be said that we are still the best, but we must wake up to the fact that we are falling under our own weight. We are digging ourselves deeper and deeper into debt, alienating ourselves from the rest of the world and splintering our constitution as we once knew it. Now, you may be saying this has all occurred under the watch of the current administration, but we as a nation have been going down this path for decades now. It is not a Republican or a Democrat who got us into this mess. It is not going to be solved by replacing one bureaucrat for another, regardless of the party label. Frankly, if you took labels off the candidates’ title, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

But voting for principle is where I stand. I may not agree entirely with the Libertarians (I do believe in some pre-emptive strike as much as I believe there is a place for some government taxation). But overall, I believe in the principles of limited government through the feasibility of personal freedom and personal responsibility. We as people will help each far more effectively than can the government (which explains why we are the most generous nation on Earth). Libertarians stand for this principle. Can you honestly tell me what Republicans or Democrats stand for these days?

Didn’t think so.