We have all been stretched and forced to change our ways during the coronavirus quarantine, and over this time I noticed that more people are suddenly appreciating and practicing my own libertarian beliefs and values.

Many aspects of the Libertarian Party’s platform have been tested during this crisis, especially our core beliefs of self-responsibility and limited government. In addition, financial conservatism, property rights, and the freedoms to move, assemble and worship have all come into play these past months.

Self-responsibility and limited government are central to the Libertarian Party platform, which states that “Individuals have the freedom and responsibility to decide what risks they accept to their own health, finances, safety, or life.” Our Non-Aggression Principle (NAP) states that “no individual, group, or government may rightly initiate force against any other individual, group, or government.”

We understand the contagious nature of the coronavirus and trust the experts, who caution that it takes a community effort to protect the vulnerable. Being self-responsible includes voluntarily following guidelines of the medical professionals.

Of course, not everyone will be self-responsible. We have all seen the pictures of people congregating and violating the orders. These pictures are used when trying to prove the necessity of restrictive laws. However, what the snapshots really prove is that “mandatory orders” don’t work. There will always be a certain part of the population that rebels, and acts in unhealthy ways, regardless of the law.

By taking away our self-responsibility, the governor’s order took away important freedoms such as freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of movement. While some might argue that public safety is more important than our freedoms, the Constitution does not allow for such exceptions.

Restricting people from attending church and meetings is clearly against the First Amendment to the Constitution, and freedom of movement has been recognized as a Constitutional right since 1823, in Corfield v. Coryell.

Both freedom of movement and property rights are impacted by Governor Whitmer’s “Shelter-At-Home” order forbidding people to travel to (and take care of) their second homes. The Libertarian Party Platform addresses property rights in its platform: “the freedom to contract to obtain, retain, profit from, manage, or dispose of one’s property must also be upheld. Libertarians would free property owners from government restrictions on their rights to control and enjoy their property, as long as their choices do not harm or infringe on the rights of others.”

Our most serious concerns about freedom were predicted by economist Ludwig von Mises, in the aftermath of Prohibition. “Once the principle is admitted that it is the duty of government to protect the individual against his own foolishness, no serious objections can be advanced against further encroachments.”

The government also took away our right to make a living by arbitrarily deciding who and what is essential. While the virus is a concern, the decision to shut down the economy has a huge and long-term negative impact on mental and physical health.

For example, “suicide rates rise about 1% for every 1% increase in unemployment,” according to Aaron Reeves from Oxford University.

Domestic violence is also affected. “Trapped at home with their abusers, some domestic violence victims are already experiencing more frequent and extreme violence,” stated Katie Ray-Jones of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The economic impact was made worse by the fact that Americans are not self-responsible when it comes to saving money. In fact, 50% of Americans have less than one month of their income saved for emergencies, according to Dave Ramsey, financial guru who specializes in getting people out of debt.

“The decision to go into debt alters the course and condition of your life. You no longer own it. You are owned,” according to Ramsey.

The government does not set the example for living within its means, nor does it save money. Before the $2 trillion “Coronavirus Stimulus Package,” the US debt was $23 trillion, which is $68,400 per citizen and $183,000 per taxpayer. The Libertarian party’s platform states that “Government should not incur debt, which burdens future generations without their consent. We support the passage of a ‘Balanced Budget Amendment’ to the U.S. Constitution, provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising taxes.”

Since we believe in saving and getting rid of debt, it should not surprise anyone that Libertarians do not agree with the $32 billion in grants received by the airline industry, or the $25 million to support the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.. In fact, the Libertarian platform states that “We oppose all forms of government subsidies and bailouts to business, labor, or any other special interest. Government should not compete with private enterprise.” 

After watching our leaders bicker, waste trillions of dollars, and take away our freedoms, many voters are anxious for another option beyond the two parties. The coronavirus crisis has shown Republicans how much of our freedoms we continue to lose, while Democrats should now be disturbed and awakened by the lack of security that comes from trusting our leaders with so much power and money.

The Libertarian Party’s time has come!! Please consider joining us for a local meeting. Click here for upcoming events, or email nwmichiganlibertarians@gmail.com

As published in the Northern Express on November 9, 2019

When the time came to send our children to school in the Metro Detroit suburbs 20+ years ago, my husband and I were excited to try the sparkling new public school a mile away. It had all the shiny bells and whistles, and it was located in a highly rated district. We were confident that both of our kids would fit in and do well.

For many reasons, the experience did not go as planned. Instead, over the years, our children ended up trying a combination of public schools, private schools, and best of all, home school.

Home-schooling might not be for everyone, but it is an excellent option for many children and families. Teaching our kids at home was a great experience for us and really fit our Libertarian lifestyle and philosophy.    

In 2016, 2.3 million children were home-schooled in the United States. This number is growing at about 5 percent per year. About 50,000 children are home-schooled in Michigan.

And according to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), the choice is often a beneficial one: “The home-educated are typically above average, on measures of social, emotional, and psychological development.”

Academically, NHERI finds that home-school students consistently score 15 to 30 points above public school students on standardized academic achievement tests, regardless of their parents’ formal education or income.

While some might argue that the home-schooling community “skims from the top,” that is absolutely not true. In fact, those with children who have trouble learning in the public schools are the most attracted to homeschooling.

Well-meaning family and friends of home-schoolers often worry about “how the kids will be socialized.”  Yet research shows “home-schoolers do very well with peer interaction, self-concept, leadership skills, family cohesion, participation in community service, and self-esteem.”

The flexible nature of home-schooling allows children more time to develop both hobbies and relationships. Downstate, we belonged to a home-school group at our church, in addition to several groups for sports, music, and much more.

There are also many home-school church and social based groups throughout northern Michigan.
Friends of ours who run Flynn’s Orchard and Farm to Door Market in Mancelona find that home-schooling suits their family quite well. In addition to home school, their young children learn and apply real world skills helping their parents run their farmers market booth.

The family belongs to Purity Ring Family Theatre, which meets in Petoskey. The kids just tried out for Little House on the Prairie, to be performed in mid-April.

The flexibility that the Flynn family enjoys was a benefit for us, too. My children were motivated to finish their home-school work by lunch each day so that they could play outside, work on puzzles, music, or more. There were also many more opportunities for educational family trips and day outings.

Why did my family end up home-schooling when we initially intended to take the traditional public school route?

There were many reasons. At age 6, my normally well-behaved son was constantly getting into trouble for disrupting the class. He finished his work quickly but, like many six-year-olds, he felt the need to talk to others when he was bored. For this, the school wanted me to pursue having him labeled as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but we thought he was just a typical boy and didn’t want to put him on medication.

At the same time, several girls in my daughter’s second grade class were sexually abused by an older student on the playground. The administrators denied it, and they tried to make the parents of these girls look like lunatics.

At the time, I was on the PTO board and also a journalist. During my own investigation, I found out that the boy was found guilty of the sexual assault in criminal court, and that the school district had settled out of court for lots of money.

I was angry and appalled, so I helped write a front-page newspaper story calling on the school district to answer the questions that many parents were asking. Over the holiday break, reality set in. We realized that we could not send our children to a school where second graders were abused, and officials were dishonest about our kids’ safety.

We also realized that the public-school district administrators are accountable to no one. Of course, we had a school board, but members were encouraged to keep quiet at meetings until they attended school board classes and gained experience on the board.

Our family’s experience with the local public school was painful, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. Our daughter home-schooled for three years before attending a local Catholic school. Our son, on the other hand, home-schooled at least part time from third grade through high school. Both of them ended up with fully paid four-year college scholarships. More importantly, both of them are happy and thriving adults.

In summary, home-schooling was a great experience for our family, and more and more families are trying it all the time.

If you or your children are not happy with your local public or private school, why not home school?