QOTD

April 9, 2011

"In order for an act to be a crime - there must be a victim. Anything that is voluntary and honest should be tolerated regardless of whether we agree with it. Part of the price of freedom is allowing others to be free"
- Scott Banister

Much to the disappointment of my father, I am not a Republican. Don't fret Daddy - I'm not a Dem either. Lol. I'm a Libertarian. I know, I know. You're rolling your eyes at me right now. Libertarian sounds much like "liberal" to you.
It took me years to find my place in the world of politics and parties. I did the Republican dance for a long time. It suited me much better than the Democratic ideals. When I started college and found myself enamored with my poli-sci classes, I remember being confused with it came to the history of political parties. Our textbooks claimed that the modern day Repub party was founded on a basic principle of "personal freedom" and "individual rights".
Whhhaaaat? I remember my jaw dropping. My entire life (up to that point) had been filled with "do's" and "don'ts"... related to the political arena. What personal freedoms are they speaking of?
Republicans (not to offend my Repub friends) do indeed believe in personal freedom and individual rights, so long as those you take advantage of fall in line with their conservative agenda.
I remember a saying... although I can't remember who said it... "Republicans want to be your daddy and tell you what to do, Democrats want to be your mommy and hold your hand through everything".

Can't there be a middle ground? Can't we hold people accountable for their own lives, their own actions, their own decisions... affording them the right to make those decisions (whatever they may be) regardless of damage done to them personally, not stepping in until their decision infringes directly on the rights of another?

"Your arm can only extend until it touches my nose"

So I came to my conclusion a couple of years ago.
I am a Libertarian.
Personally conservative in many things, but politically Libertarian.
In other words, while I enjoy being a traditional wife, a stay at home mother, a practicing Roman Catholic, anti spanking, anti cry-it-out, vaccinating, everything is okay in moderation Nut Job... I have none of the arrogance that would be required to successfully insinuate that anybody should be happy with the same. I have absolutely no desire for everyone to be like me. I have no delusions that my way of living is the *right way* for everyone. It's right for me... and that's good enough.