United Liberty

I’ve gotten a bit of hostility for being a libertarian. While I can only think of one person in my experience who really gave me serious crap for it, more than a few have created stereotypes in their head due to my political leanings. I must be a gun owner, a pot smoker or a well-to-do man who doesn’t want to share loot with anyone. I am not even close to being any of those.

I lean with the libertarians because of my philosophy of life, which is strongly rooted in my life experience. Throughout my public school days, I could not understand why I had to take part in activities I didn’t enjoy or succeed at, why nothing was done when kids bullied or harassed me or why some bureaucrat who had never met me decided where I would spend the majority of the day. I tend to get angriest and lash out when people box me in, keep me from choosing my own path or tell me what I cannot do. If allowed a large degree of freedom (within reason, of course) I’m fairly happy.

Wearing a t-shirt with the phrase infamously coined by  Barack Obama, “Bitter typical white person clinging to God and my guns”, conservative talk show host, Glenn Beck, once again gave Libertarian Presidential nominee, Congressman Bob Barr, a full hour on Thursday evening.  Like most of America, Glenn is unsure of who to vote for in November, but is also concerned about “throwing his vote away” if he votes third party.  Bob does an excellent job of presenting the case that voting for McCain or Obama is truly a wasted vote and that his message of smaller government, tax reform and personal liberty is what the country needs and what most voters identify with.

In this first video, Glenn asks Bob to answer the questions posed by pastor Rick Warren to McCain and Obama during the Saddleback Debate. They discuss the Russia/Georgia conflict and the finer aspects of Bob’s foreign policy stance, the current Supreme Court Justices, the definition of “rich”, and why higher taxes hurt the poorest of Americans.

Part two continues with tax reform, when military action should be used, global warming and energy independence.

Revealing his comedic genius, Libertarian Presidential Candidate, Bob Barr, made an appearance in Philadelphia at a comedy show benefiting ill children.  Quite often, Bob has been described in articles as “dry and humorless”, but just a few minutes spent in his presence proves this to be an inaccurate assessment.  Between his dimpled grin and self-depreciating jokes, I believe that “humorless” is an unfair characterization.

Judge for yourself-

Abortion rights remain one of the most controversial and emotionally-driven issues in American politics.  While the most vocal are the activists on either extreme of the spectrum, they don’t speak for the every-day citizen.

Indeed, polls consistently show that most Americans strongly dislike abortion but do not want it outlawed in the early stages of pregnancy.  A large, if vaguely defined, middle group of Americans would like to see abortion vanish, but not by legal decree.- AP News