Issue Position: What are Libertarian Values?

Issue Position

The primary principle behind Libertarian values is the "Non-Aggression Principle." This principle describes the fact that ALL government is aggression, and ALL laws are enforced with an understood threat of violence.

Most of us would never think of challenging our government on issues of taxes or even just a traffic violation. But even a traffic violation, if resisted long enough, ends at the point of a gun. If you are pulled over for not wearing a seat belt, the officer may attempt to issue you a ticket. If you refuse to accept and sign the ticket, the officer may decide to impound your car. If you refuse to exit your vehicle and allow your car to be impounded, you may well find yourself at the point of a gun. This scenario is not likely, because each of us realizes that resistance is futile and at some point, we will be forced to obey.

Each person is born with the sovereign right to their life and liberty. They also have the right to the natural product of that life and liberty, which is property. Government exists for one purpose only - to protect the life, liberty and property of individual citizens from force or fraud. The only time that force (by governement or an individual) is justified, is in the protection of life, liberty or property. In other words, if your life, liberty or property are threatened, you have the right to protect those things - with as much force as necessary. We created our government to help in that protection - not to become an aggressor against the citizens by taking our property through taxes, putting us in jail for victimless crimes, or creating laws that prohibit our peaceful pursuit of happiness.

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