Hello, my name is Amanda and I’m a libertarian.
As a third party, libertarians are often ignored (at best) or maligned (at worst). Stereotypes run amok from the gun-toting nationalist to the obese ponytailed academician, clutching their free trade espresso and spouting how Peter Kropotkin’s vision of libertarian anarchy is the only way to right the country’s course.
The general population of libertarians, myself included, are somewhat in the middle. As many of you know I started my civic life as a Republican (I worked the ’92 convention and am the proud child of two Goldwater volunteers), but like many became disenfranchised as the party become more evangelical in its doctrine. My mother, a nurse at Planned Parenthood, taught me to believe strongly in a woman’s right to choose. I started recycling in 1988, long before city-run services offered curbside service. I couldn’t care less if you want to smoke pot, hire a hooker, or marry someone of the same sex. Why is it my business?
At the same time, spending wantonly makes me nervous as does enabling sloth. My mother was born of an immigrant who fled war with the clothes on his back and my paternal great-grandmother was widowed and left to raise 14 children alone – during the Great Depression. They worked their way from literally nothing, without the benefit of government subsidies or programs and emerged stronger from the experience. People – families – banded together, brought together by faith, vision, purpose and hope. If my family could do this, why couldn’t others?
Admittedly, these seemingly conflicted political ideologies were a weird crossroads and in the late 90's I set out to find out of there were others of my ilk. I can’t remember when, or how, I found the libertarian party but their platform was one that I finally felt comfortable with. Libertarians believe, at their core, in a "mutual respect for rights." They are deeply supportive of the concept of individual liberty as a precondition for moral and stable societies. However, as the party principles state, "We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal right of others to live in whatever manner they choose." It’s personal liberty, the ability of people to choose without government thinking they know better. I do what’s right for me and as long as I’m not infringing on your rights, I’d appreciate you leaving me the hell alone.
To this end, Libertarians want to reduce the size of government. As such, I don’t support health care reform. Should there be an option for people desirous of coverage? Sure – it’s a person’s right, if they wish, to pursue good health be that through seeing a doctor or eating carrots. But I don’t support the current plan. It’s a behemoth. I’m a bright girl and I don’t see a level of detail that makes me comfortable (three bullet points about protecting consumers, making provisions for the uninsured and reigning in costs aren’t sufficient, on a PowerPoint slide or before the halls of Congress). I don’t want to pass something just for the sake of passing something.
The congressman who shouted out during the President’s speech last night was out of line and an embarrassment to his nation, Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Vulcan or otherwise. But his frustration was stems from a perceived mob mentality where those who don’t agree with the administration feel isolated and bullied. Whether or not that feeling is justified I don’t know. I can both sides and am simultaneously encouraged by the interest in our political process and disheartened by the playground-style atmosphere such conversations often take on. Logging on to Facebook is hard when people are trying to shame you into supporting something you don't and using your comment threads to say how much they disagree.
I guess my point is this. Just because I don’t support the President – don’t link to Obama or update my status with my hope for a public option – on the issue of health care reform, doesn’t make me a bad person. I love my friends, I respect their opinion and hope they respect mine. It’s kind of the libertarian thing to do.
