Enough is Enough

so ive been taking alot of heat lately about being a libertarian. for those of you who dont know, libertarians believe in a small, limited government and more individual freedom. these words may sound a bit cliche and hackneyed, but they hold great meaning to me. so enough is enough. i am going to explain who i am, my philosophical beliefs, morals, and principles that i stand by to the death. here is part 1:

sadly, when people find out i am a libertarian, they look away, or with pity, followed by 10 or more seconds of awkward silence, as if they should feel sorry for me. and suddenly i am no longer me. i am the guy that didnt vote for the first african american president. i am the guy who didnt vote for the man who would tax the rich and help the poor. i am the guy who didnt vote for change.

first of all, i am not racist, sexist, or any kind of prejudice. i dont believe a persons race, sex, religion, class, or gender has any effect on their capabilities as a productive member of society whatsoever. i also dont believe that a group should get special advantages because of afore mentioned traits, or any reason for that matter. let me explain this very clearly. if you want special treatment because you are not white, or not male, or not heterosexual, you have given your power to the system. you have just said, "i cannot do this on my own, i need help." i think people need to reconsider the traits and characteristics that define them as a human being, such as hard working, trustworthy, and dependable, rather than hispanic, female, or homosexual. there is nothing wrong in being proud of these traits, but to define oneself by them shows a lack of self confidence in ones abilities. equality in a society does not include having to feel guilty for being white, or being male, or being heterosexual, because you have no control over your circumstances of birth.

im sorry, and i may sound evil for saying this, but true equality cannot exist in a society. the hard fact is, there are winners and losers in life. proof is everywhere, from economics to education to biological natural selection. proponents of social equality, more commonly known as socialists, must realize that if someone decides to make everyone equal, there is an immediate imbalance of power once again, because they, deciding who gets what and how much, is now in charge and can take as much as they give. socialists do not understand that greed is an inherent quality of humans, it has existed as long as we have been around on earth. it is the peoples choice to give the greed and the power to a handful of people in the government.

and i may be crazy, but doesnt it seem like a paradox that the majority of people who voted for obama were for more social equality? i mean, they obviously dig his universal healthcare plan, and his promises of no new taxes for the lower-middle classes. he was the last hope for america. victory was won, he is now our leader, and is doing the best he can. this is what most obama-voters believe in. however, any social studies professor will tell you that social change does not come from one individual leader. the montgomery bus boycott would never have worked without the effort of millions of organizers and boycotters. the civil rights movement did not only belong to mlk jr and rosa parks, but to the unsung heroes and heroines of the poor, black communities. the civil war was not won by lincoln, but by the millions who died on the battlefield. nearly every social change happens thanks to people, not one person. so why do these people striving for social equality put all their faith in one man, as if he has all the answers? im not saying his policies will or will not work, i dont believe being black makes him more or less capable a president, im not even remarking on any of his political beliefs, im merely asking, doesnt it seem like a paradox to believe one person can bring equality to a nation when social change stems from grassroots?

it seems to me that the more we trust one person, or one government, the more trouble we get into. we trusted bush to do the right thing after 9/11. recall that his approval rating in the months following the tragedy was nearly 90%. the overwhelming majority of americans trusted bush, even elected him to a second term, and who we now call one of the worst presidents in our nations history. those who voted for obama did so for one of two reasons: 1). they did not want another republican in office, a misconception that the members of your party define who you are, or 2). they trusted that obama would bring change to america. so much trust in one person scares me, no matter the person, or the issue. we are adults america, there are no such things as superheroes.

in summary of part 1 of my series on liberty, i have come forward and claimed that there can never be social equality, that americans should redefine how they percieve themselves, and that obama is not the savior of america. i welcome whatever blowback or hate mail i recieve from this blog, note, whatever you want to call it. i will do my best to keep an open mind about your position and defend my own. so there it is, i have stated my beliefs, without criticizing anybody or mentioning politics in any aspect, and i think i have done so honestly and respectfully. thanks for reading.

Matt Perez
VP-SCSU Libertarians Club