Christine Smith’s Blog

What Have You Done for Liberty Today?

Approximately every few weeks I receive an inquiry from a libertarian who feels discouraged about the way the country is heading and asking what groups, organizations or activities I would recommend to support and volunteer with that will promote true liberty.

I am so very encouraged when I hear from such individuals! I think for every person who writes, there are many more out there sincerely eager to work for liberty, but sometimes they just don’t know what avenues to pursue which would be most effective. This means there’s much potential for liberty work yet to be done and many willing to do it!

When it comes to organizations, it need not be a group that identifies itself with being “libertarian” or “liberty” to actually be so. Think about it. As libertarians, we focus upon personal responsibility which often means trying hard to keep or repeal government intervention into areas which should be served with private means not “public.” Thus many humanitarian, charitable, and religious groups which directly help those in need using private donations and volunteer work are doing things consistent with libertarian principle.

It is through privately funded and supported organizations which help people, such as homeless shelters, child mentoring programs, young mothers needing help, clean-up groups, food pantries, animal welfare, or any number of other causes which offer plenty of opportunities for the libertarian to practice what they preach. Think outside the box - most work done in this nation which we could call “libertarian” probably is done by organizations that may never even think of themselves as “libertarian.”

One of the main arguments I’ve heard in rebuttal to my opposition to welfare is that “There’s not enough people to care,” implying that government should force people to help those who have less less through taxation so all those government programs can do the job people otherwise will not do. Well, I don’t buy it!

And though I believe such argument to be bogus, I will say that even if (and that’s a mighty big “if”) what they fearfully state were so, it still does not justify forcing people to give what they have earned for themselves. Giving must always be freely done (though much giving is done in this society for less than altruistic reasons, still it is given), and when freely given whether from goodwill or other reasons, good is achieved and it’s accomplished purely through libertarian principle in practice.

If you believe there should be no government assistance to “good causes” then consider being consistent by helping what believe in. Volunteer for local privately funded organizations which are doing work you appreciate. Remember what you privately do which makes someone or something better off than it was before is putting your belief into practice. That is libertarian.

Every community (city, county, state, even one’s local neighborhood organizations for property owners at times) is constantly being faced with proposals for increased taxation, legislation limiting personal freedom, or other measures which you as a libertarian may oppose. For example, even if a proposed tax will not affect you directly, get involved in fighting it. If you examine a proposal, and determine it to be wrongful, focus upon all the positives of not having it pass, identify the negatives should it pass, and if it falls into an area which should be and would be better served by private support - show how it is so.

One of the best examples I’ve seen of such work is the Houston Property Rights Association. Creativity, armed with the facts, has brought them much success and there’s much to be learned from their battles. They do the research and then they communicate it through flyers, community meetings, business cards (used as mini-billboards - an effective, convenient means of communicating ideas and can be given out freely), and by making a name for themselves by readily communicating with media on issues affecting private property. They are bold!

Those principles of communication are what you, as an individual libertarian, can do right where you are right now. Often there’s no group to join, but you can make a mighty difference by being bold in communicating your libertarian approach. Write letters to the editor, call in to local and national talk shows, learn enough about a particular subject and offer to appear on local talk shows or offer to speak on a particular topic at local community groups. Bring up the real solutions to all those crises amongst your friends when talking.

In any situation where your internal libertarian voice is activated because of what you’re seeing or hearing, express it! Don’t just talk to yourself about how wrong something is or how false what you are hearing is, talk to others. Don’t be afraid of what others think; don’t be afraid of ridicule. Issues of individual liberty, personal responsibility, private property, free markets and economy, are being discussed all the time. Express the truth.

Never doubt the power you as one individual libertarian possess. Your voice might be the lone voice at first, but make it heard…and watch others join. That is the power of ideas! Ideas do nothing as long as they only remain inside you - share them - make them known to the world. This, I believe, is the key to extricating this nation from its current morass.

Thirdly, finding organizations which are comprised of true libertarians and are committed to truly working for liberty is a natural desire and supporting them can make powerful work possible. Joining forces with others who share your principles is not only encouraging, but joining forces can be highly effective. A good libertarian organization can do things through the support of many libertarians that no one person can individually do. I trust the Future of Freedom Foundation because of their years of consistent commitment to true libertarian principle. They do great work! I also appreciate the work of The Independent Institute.

Educate yourself. Read, read, read! And listen to good libertarian speakers! You can learn much from listening to others who speak well. Then do it yourself. As my father often told me as I was growing up, “Practice is the price of proficiency.”

Link your work to your libertarian philosophy whenever possible. That might mean sharing how what you’re doing exemplifies your belief that libertarianism works (and fill in the blank with whatever issue it is). It can also mean writing a letter to the editor sharing about something you did or joined with others in your community to accomplish ending with the point that this is how charity should operate versus government doing it. (Note: Whenever it is a situation where I actually use the word “libertarian” to describe my political position, I always quickly also let people know I am not a member of the LP because in my opinion the political party using that word is “libertarian” in name only and I would not waste my time and money with hypocrites, I then proceed to focus on the issue at hand).

You may be the only libertarian another person meets, hears or reads. You might even reach many in one moment.

Be creative, and most importantly, be courageous. Don’t be inhibited. Live your life, what you say and do, without regard to what anyone else thinks.

To be libertarian in a society as ours should be looked at enthusiastically because there’s so many opportunities to share and to make a difference. Let your light shine. Because one light dispels the darkness…and it has a beautiful way of kindling other lights.

Never hide your libertarianism from anyone. Speak it and work it. Don’t doubt your efficacy, just do it and trust. By your example and work, by mine, and through all others who truly love liberty, this nation will one day be free. I believe that.

Ask yourself, “What have I done for liberty today?” If there’s no answer, you can change it right now.