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 |  Subject: Via Anarcho-Capitalists' Forum: Libertarian values emphasize freedom above social norms  Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:37 am | |
| Erin Adams is a Libertarian from Glencoe who ran for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves as the State Chair for the Libertarian Party of Oklahoma.
Adams sums up her view of traditional American values as those listed in the U.S. constitution: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
She says her personal values are based largely on the Golden Rule.
“I think when you look at the fact that America is largely a Judeo-Christian nation, by choice, meaning not our government but our citizens tend to lean that way, you kind of fall back to that Golden Rule... ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ And I think most Americans kind of fall into that area.”
She says if she wants the freedom to do as she pleases on her own property as long as she isn’t doing measurable harm to someone else, she has to afford her neighbor the same right, even if she doesn’t like what they’re doing.
In general, Adams believes in small government that is as localized as possible and she views protecting the freedom of the individual as the best protection for people who find themselves in the minority.
Adams says she doesn’t often see those values reflected by government officials.
Instead, she sees government overreach and echoes of a tribalism that served early man well but she would hope we would have evolved beyond.
“What I tend to see is ‘Liberty for me but not thee,’” Adams said. “We see a lot of, ‘Liberty and freedom and the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness for people who look like me or people who I identify with spiritually or religiously,’ but not everybody else.”
She says her values were formed by life experiences and through travel. Her independence was encouraged by parents who guided her but let her make decisions about what she wanted out of life.
A stint in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm gave her a front-row seat to what she believes started as a just cause but ultimately became about the U.S. using overwhelming force to bend others to its will.
“As a Libertarian, I adhere strongly to the non-aggression principle … It’s challenging the cult of the omnipotent state,” she said. “And I do see government as a cult. So challenging government on all levels, where they overreach and interfere in people’s lives and take away free will.”
Adams says her opinions about accusations of sexual misconduct or harassment made against political leaders depend on what the accusation is, who is making it and the evidence presented.
She doesn’t believe that conduct that simply violates marriage vows or societal norms but isn’t criminal is cause for public concern.
“As a Libertarian, I believe that consensual sexual activities between adults are none of the state’s business,” she said.
But Adams isn't immune to being affected by a politician's personal conduct if it seems to be a reflection on their personal character or reliability. She says that sometimes she does wonder in the case of infidelity if an elected official who enters into a marriage contract and then breaks trust with their spouse would be willing to break faith with her on other matters.
http://www.stwnewspress.com/news/local_news/third-party-perspective-libertarian-values-emphasize-freedom-above-social-norms/article_ea9e52ea-5d27-5aeb-9670-28b7479e1265.html |
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