We're no crackpots, just misunderstood

We're no crackpots, just misunderstood

by Benjamin Woosley • 10/10/03

Letter to the editor Your editorial, "Free from reality," exemplifies why we libertarian Free-Staters are going to such drastic measures to be heard.

Like every American, I would like my views fairly considered in the political discussion, but sadly, with millions of libertarians spread so thinly across the nation, this has not happened in more than 100 years. By moving to New Hampshire, libertarians will boost their perceived credibility and add a new dimension to the political discussion there. It is yet to be seen if we Free-Staters will be able to effect appreciable change on the political landscape of New Hampshire, but every one of us will contribute to our communities to the best of our abilities. We'll also do our best to educate those Granite Staters who disagree with our views, many of whom don't have a full understanding of libertarianism. There is clearly a need for such a defense, as a respectable publication would not dare publish such falsehoods unless its readership was unaware that such characterizations are downright slanderous and patently false. Even the most superficial understanding of libertarianism demands the understanding that forced slavery is fundamentally wrong. The basic premise of libertarianism is that each individual should be free to do as he or she pleases so long as he or she does not harm others. Your editorial attempts to link the libertarians with the Republican Party. While we are glad Gov. Benson has been so welcoming to the Free-Staters, libertarians are no more closely associated with Republicans than Democrats. While it's true that in the recent past, Republicans have been more libertarian than Democrats, generally, libertarians agree with Democrats on about half the issues. You suggest libertarians are equivalent to anti-fluoridationists, Utopians and other "crackpots." In truth, the Libertarian Party is the largest and most successful third party. Plenty of well-known and respectable people have been linked to libertarianism, including David Letterman, Clint Eastwood, Drew Carey, Dennis Miller and John Stossel. Crackpots indeed. BENJAMIN WOOSLEY Austin, Texas

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