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Monday, June 7, 1999
I sent in my voters registration to change my party to independent. Many long years ago I was a republican, since most of the people I knew were republicans. When I found out about libertarians, I became a libertatian. I was a libertarian for many, many years, even running for office as a libertarian. We were mostly paper candidates to fill up the slate so people would notice us. It was very frustrating and educational. I was called several times for an interview and even did one on television. They kept asking me for 5 second bites and I couldn't do it. I kept trying to say "Well, yes (or no) but . . " and the news people did not like buts. I will always be a libertarian in my heart and soul but the fact remains that there will always be a government and we can't do whatever we like and not everyone is going to abide by a contract because they are just not all nice people. There are common goods that a government is needed for. Now you can call it a consensus or a contract, or whatever, but it is still a government and we need to guide it in the types of common goods that are handled or the way the use of the common goods is enforced and how people treat each other and how that treatment is enforced by the the government. Just as there will always be a government there will always be enforcement by the government. I tend to waffle between republican and democrat. I am fairly conservative on many issues such as being responsible for your actions, working for what you want, behaving yourself, and being prolife. I am liberal on issues such as being against the death penalty, feeling that who you screw around with is your business as long as it is between consenting adults, not using what power or money you have to screw with (or other forms of power over) people who have less power or money regardless of whether or not the other person "consented" (e.g Bill Clinton). I am a member of the ACLU, Amnesty International, the Sierra Club and the Atheist and Agnostic Prolife League. So when Clinton was first running, he seemed to be such a piece of crap (and has since done all he can to validate that view) I changed my registration to republican. I get along ok with republicans but never felt like a good republican. I wouldn't feel like a good democrat either, though, so finally I have changed to independent. I feel a bit uneasy about it as it seems like fence sitting, but while I don't quite fit in any party, on individual issues I don't sit on the fence, and that is what matters. Not that there is anything wrong with fence sitting if you have truly not made up your mind. It's better than just following one of the crowds. Just don't let your mind be made up for you.
Biked - 8 miles
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