Libertarians Don’t Ban Things

Libertarians_Love_Freedom_sticker

Conservative, so-called “Libertarian” types love talking about being for personal responsibility and freedom, but so many seem to hate actually doing it.

  • Marijuana? Ban it!

  • Sex education? Ban it!

  • Porn? ban it!

  • 1,000 other things labeled evil? Ban them!

Please listen closely: Claims that you are for freedom and personal responsibility are inconsistent with constant attempts to ban everything. You have to pick one.

If you, as an individual, claim to be for personal freedom and Libertarian ideals, then you should be adamantly against banning most anything, as a matter of principle. On this view, it would be your position that there should naturally be LOTS of bad choices out there to make, and it being up to people to make the right ones.

In fact, if you were really into freedom you would be out there picketing for the rights to do all sorts of things that 1) you don’t do, and 2) you might not think are a good idea. That’s what freedom and personal responsibility is: the option to do things that maybe you shouldn’t.

Limiting those choices artificially by implementing bans is the exact opposite of the pro-freedom and pro-responsibility position. It’s actually the position of the nanny state, i.e. that, “we have to limit your freedom to keep you from harming yourself”.

So which are you?

Either start supporting the rights to do things that you may not condone, or stop calling yourself pro-freedom.

Related posts: