Sometimes it seems daunting to attract people with our ‘big picture of liberty’.  After all, to the average voter, our ‘freedom first’ views on topics such as guns, economy, gay rights, the war on drugs, immigration, privacy, taxation, and other topics can be confusing.  But it boils down to this… on any of these topics, we believe your freedom comes first!

Traditionally, Democrats are supposed to be favorable to certain social freedoms and against aggressive foreign policy.  SUPPOSED to be.  Republicans are supposed to be favorable towards reducing the size of government – and being for an aggressive foreign policies, while being against certain social freedoms – but for gun rights.  Of course no government under GOP rule ever shrunk in size.  If you ask me, the hodgepodge of platform planks of the two ‘Beltway Parties’ are the most confusing.

We libertarians can boast that we believe that the tide rises and falls with the individual.  And that when you respect the rights of the individual –  to allow one to live their life as they see fit (without infringing upon the equal rights of others); to protect their own lives, family and property as they see fit; to compete in the marketplace unencumbered by regulations designed to protect well-connected lobbyists instead of consumers… THEN everyone does better.

We know that most voters care about a single issue more than others, so it makes sense for us to get our ‘toe in the door’ by addressing the concerns of these single issue group.  After all, every one of these groups have been let down by the two old parties.  The groups that we love to reach out to map to what I call “The Four G’s”.  That is Gold, Guns, Ganja and Gays:

– Gold: This includes those that question the soundness of our monetary system, expensive government programs and the economy in general.  Examples include those that dislike the Federal Reserve; Those that like to own gold; Those that embrace alternative currencies – like Bitcoin, for example;  Those that want sound fiscal policy; And those who want to minimize the bite of taxes!

– Guns:  There are no other political parties, maybe no other organizations at all, that defend your Second Amendment guaranteed rights more ardently than the Libertarian Party.  We’re a perfect fit.  We hope to see you at an upcoming gun show!

– Ganja:  I used to call this the “Grass” segment.. but then I was told that only old people call marijuana ‘grass’ anymore.  So, I changed it to Ganja.   We were the very first political party to call for a total legalization of marijuana with our very first platform created in 1972.  Although, generally speaking, we believe we should tax it and regulate it like we do jalapenos!  With that said, it’s difficult to argue with the tremendous success currently being enjoyed by states that have legalized recreational use. Overall, crime goes down, jobs are created, fewer people’s lives are ruined.

– Gays:  The Libertarian Party was the first party to call for an end to all laws restricting the voluntary association of two consenting adults – which included any laws criminalizing consensual sexual activities.  Remember, back in 1971, when the party was founded, there were still many laws making any non-heterosexual sexual activities – even in the privacy of one’s own home – a crime punishable by imprisonment.  We support the rights of every adult individual to pursue their happiness in the way they want.  You’ll frequently find an LP float in LGBT freedom parades across North Texas.

A former North Texas LP County Chair would tell a story about how he went from accepting the award for the best non-profit float in Fort Worth’s LGBT pride parade and then immediately going to his party’s booth at the Fort Worth Gun Show.

There’s an old Libertarian joke – and it’s funny because it’s true.   We are fighting for the rights of gay married couples to defend their marijuana plants with guns of their choosing that they bought with Bitcoin.   If you’re a member of any of these groups, it’s time to join the only party that is seeking to defend your rights – WITHOUT QUALIFICATION.   Please like our Facebook page and come to some of our upcoming events.   We’d like you just the way you are.

– John Spivey