Monks Jazz Club
Libertarians Are Not 'Far Right'
RECEIVED Thu., Dec. 26, 2013
Dear Editor,
As chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas, I am happy to see Richard Whittaker acknowledge our successful candidate recruiting ["Third-Party Candidates Lining Up Again," News, Dec. 20]. However, I believe Richard is in need of a political compass. Anyone who labels the Libertarian Party as “far-right” hasn’t seen the Nolan Chart or our platform. We are the party that has consistently opposed government intrusion into the bedroom, fought to end the war on drugs, defended privacy, opposed aggressive foreign policy, opposed corporate welfare, stood up for gay marriage, and supported the legalization of prostitution. These and many other issues illustrate that when it comes to civil liberties, we are the champions. If you don’t accept that, then at least acknowledge that Democrat Karen Huber is no longer a county commissioner after my campaign. Democrat Valinda Bolton is no longer in the state House, and Democrat Solomon Ortiz is no longer in Congress. Libertarians did not run in these races to put a Republican in office. As a two-time winner, I want Libertarian candidates blazing a trail toward winning campaigns. I do not expect overnight success. However, at least acknowledge that all political parties that intrude into our private lives and our wallets, be they Democrat, Republican, or other, are all equally susceptible to losing in the growing Libertarian generation.
As chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas, I am happy to see Richard Whittaker acknowledge our successful candidate recruiting ["Third-Party Candidates Lining Up Again," News, Dec. 20]. However, I believe Richard is in need of a political compass. Anyone who labels the Libertarian Party as “far-right” hasn’t seen the Nolan Chart or our platform. We are the party that has consistently opposed government intrusion into the bedroom, fought to end the war on drugs, defended privacy, opposed aggressive foreign policy, opposed corporate welfare, stood up for gay marriage, and supported the legalization of prostitution. These and many other issues illustrate that when it comes to civil liberties, we are the champions. If you don’t accept that, then at least acknowledge that Democrat Karen Huber is no longer a county commissioner after my campaign. Democrat Valinda Bolton is no longer in the state House, and Democrat Solomon Ortiz is no longer in Congress. Libertarians did not run in these races to put a Republican in office. As a two-time winner, I want Libertarian candidates blazing a trail toward winning campaigns. I do not expect overnight success. However, at least acknowledge that all political parties that intrude into our private lives and our wallets, be they Democrat, Republican, or other, are all equally susceptible to losing in the growing Libertarian generation.
Patrick Dixon
[Richard Whittaker responds: It's probably of interest to our readers to know that the Nolan Chart was a political barometer created by Libertarian Party of the United States co-founder David Nolan, and that its main objective has been to make people think that libertarianism is not a hard-line form of conservatism.]
