Libertarian Policies and Platforms (Series)
What is a "political platform"?It's an official statement of values, principles, and policies. It serves to inform voters of a party's (or candidate's) positions and to differentiate it from its competitors. Essentially, a platform outlines the key goals and stances that a party (or candidate) supports. These are usually designed to appeal to the general public with the ultimate purpose of garnering support and votes on complex topics or issues. When you hear about a party's (or candidate's) platform, it's essentially their roadmap for governance and the basis on which they seek public support.
Self-Ownership
You own your body and mind; no external power has the right to force you into the service of "society" or "mankind", or any other individual or group for any purpose, however noble.
Second Amendment and Gun Control
There is (generally) no one who will dispute the right you have to defend yourself and your family. When you get right down to the "flint and powder" of it, the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is about self-defense.
Public Education (K-12)
The size of Texas also means that we have multiple areas with very dense populations and even more areas with very sparse populations. These two factors present unique and daunting challenges to public education throughout our great state.
- School Choice and Vouchers
- School Safety
- Education in American Politics
- Schools Are Not "Education"
- Subjects That Should Be Taught in American Schools
Healthcare vs Health Care
During the 2020 election cycle, there were a large number of discussions about healthcare. Many of these arose from a position espoused by the Democratic side of the aisle; that health care is a right, not a privilege. I anticipate a similar reaction in 2024.
Abortion
I believe that every person has (and should always have) the right to make decisions for themselves even if we disagree with those decisions. This belief extends to the current debate about the legality of abortion in Texas.
Immigration
If Americans want immigrants to enter the United States through legal channels, then the immigration laws and their reforms should make those legal channels fair, reasonable, and more accessible to immigrants.
LGBTQ+ Issues
Feel free to use all of the initials you want to use to identify your particular choice of lifestyle, none of it changes my presumption that you are a person and that you (hopefully) have a brain.
Vice and Morality Laws
We should not try to force other people to think or feel the way that we do about a subject, and we certainly should not be trying to do so through law. As Texans, we should be setting an example for the rest of the country.
- Prohibition Laws Never Work
- Decriminalizing Cannabis (and Other Drugs)
- Repeal "Criminal Possession" Laws
The Unsheltered
There is a marked difference between the "homeless" and the "unsheltered." Here's a bold statement that I have yet to hear anyone dispute: The Unsheltered are the ONLY societal group for whom laws are specifically written to persecute rather than protect.
Veterans Issues
Every year, millions of Americans swear an oath "to protect the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic". Then, when they return home, they are subjected to (arguably) the worst health care in this country, and they are - more often than not - treated worse than second-class citizens.
Autism Advocacy
It's easy to see that a person in a wheelchair has a physical impairment and may require some help or support. As a neurological condition, the influence of Asperger's Syndrome and other autistic conditions are often invisible to the rest of the world.