Homeschooling a Hot Trend Says the Front Page of USA Today
Give Our Children the Same Choice as Sotomayor
By Wayne Allyn Root, 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee
Friday's USA Today newspaper front page featured a story on a hot trend in education: Homeschooling. As a father of four homeschooled children and the first homeschool dad in
modern political history on a Presidential ticket, I believe I am in a unique position to champion this trend. In 2008 I was the Libertarian Party´s vice presidential nominee. It is my goal to be the Libertarian Presidential candidate in 2012 and a major plank in my platform is the support of school choice, parental freedom and more competition for our failing public schools. In my new book, "The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts!" I describe how school choice and homeschooling can turn around America´s failing education system.
The USA Today article reported that Americans who homeschool are predominately white, wealthy and religious. That may be the demographic makeup of most homeschool parents, but that certainly isn't why we choose homeschooling. We do it because it is effective. Plain and simple, it works! Like all homeschool parents, my wife Debra and I want to provide our children with the best. Unlike the current political bureaucracy and liberal education establishment, I believe it is vitally important for government to give that same opportunity to every child.
Education is perhaps the most important economic issue of our time. Our children are the future of America and the U.S. economy. And like virtually every political, economic, or social issue in this country, freedom is the answer to creating a better future. The freedom to live the American Dream is all about getting a good education. And getting a good education is all about parents having the freedom (and tax dollars) to choose the best education for their children. Once again, the Libertarian solution is freedom, choice and competition.
School choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st century. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate borrowed that line but sadly, on the campaign trail, only gave it lip service. Even more sadly, like most Democrats who can afford it, President Obama is a total hypocrite on the issue. He sends his two children to the best and most expensive private school that money can buy (the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC), but opposes vouchers and therefore, school choice for those who can´t afford it. Obama condemns minority children in D.C. to an inferior education compared to his precious daughters Sasha and Malia.
The reason, of course is pure politics. The powerful education lobby gives Obama and other politicians millions of dollars in order to convince them to turn their back on America's youth. This acceptance of “Judas Gold” condemns generation after generation of American children
to a failed education. As an example, in Washington D.C. the drop out rate among minority children is 50%, as it is in urban school districts across the country. I wonder what the dropout rate is at Sidwell Friends School? A poor education condemns these minority kids to a lifetime of failure and futility- something Sasha and Malia will never have to worry about.
Regardless of what the politicians and education establishment try to tell you - the solution is not difficult. It is called choice- school choice for all parents! It's funny how liberals don't fight or protest for that kind of choice.
It is not government's job (or right) to limit educational choices or opportunities for our children. It is not the government's right to take our tax monies (primarily property taxes) and then limit our right to use our share for whatever educational choice a parent deems best for their child. That is the very definition of taxation without representation. The choice of the best education for any child belongs solely with that child's parents. To be blunt, the federal
government has no right to be in the education business- education is never mentioned in the Constitution. Education was intended to be funded and run at the state and local level by our Founding Fathers.
Here's the message that politicians need to hear loudly and clearly- it doesn't take a village or a federal government bureaucrat to raise a child- it takes a mother and father who care.
My wife Debra and I have chosen homeschooling as the best choice of education for our children. That doesn't mean that I want to force homeschooling down everyone's throat, nor anyone's throat for that matter. Homeschooling is simply one educational choice that every parent should consider. Choice is an integral part of any free society.
Parents obviously agree. Government does not. A recent poll in my home state of Nevada proves that parents are crying out for education reform. Nevada parents were asked, if they could afford it, where would they choose to send their children to be educated- public, private, parochial, charter or home-school? 89% of Nevada parents choose alternative forms of education other than public school. Yes, I said 89 percent. Liberal government bureaucrats and teachers union leaders must be worried sick about those poll results and, no wonder, home-schooling is appealing and growing across the USA.
To illustrate the remarkable talent, creativity, and intelligence of home-school children, I offer Exhibit A: my 17-year-old daughter Dakota Root. She is beautiful; well mannered; disciplined; articulate and poised way beyond her years; treats adults with respect; maintains a straight A+ average in her studies; scores in the 99th percentile of every national test she takes; devours as many as a dozen books a month (because she wants to, not because she has to); has achieved a black belt in martial arts; and is a world-class fencer who has participated in
Junior Olympics, Fencing Nationals, and World Cup events internationally. And at the ripe old age of 16, she gave my nomination speech for President of the United States in front of a packed convention hall of Libertarian Party delegates from across the country, and broadcast live on national television on C-Span. I invite you to watch her speech. Please keep in mind that you are watching 16 year old give a political speech on national television:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Por7cV8TE
Or for a media photo/feature about Dakota, go to:
http://www.cyberspacers.com/cyberkids
I will admit that when my wife, Debra, first suggested home-schooling for Dakota, I was skeptical. Skeptical, but unlike government bureaucrats, I was not willing to limit choice. I kept an open mind and agreed with Debra to give it a try. After all these years, I can now report that it has been the best choice we've ever made. At the age of 17, Dakota can out-talk, out-think, and out-debate most every college student and adult that I know. The result is a young lady mature far beyond her years. Home-schooling has made the difference.
As I write this commentary, Dakota just received her S.A.T. (college entrance exam) scores. She not only scored at the very top percentile of students across the country, but scored perfect 800 scores in both writing and reading.
So now we come to the most important part of the story. Why are alternative education and home-school success stories like Dakota's not covered by the mainstream media? The media rarely covers homeschooling at all. When they do, the stories tend to take a negative slant. Why does the media bend over backward to smear homeschooling? Why, like the California judge who recently tried to criminalize it, do close-minded bigots want to outlaw homeschooling?
Is it possible that the success of alternative education threatens the liberal establishment? Is it possible that a positive story like Dakota Root threatens the funding of teachers unions? Is it possible that teachers unions believe that if more U.S. citizens are exposed to the success of home-schooling, parents might be emboldened to take their children out of failing public schools? Perhaps the media isn't looking very hard for proof that home-schooling works. Perhaps they're afraid that stating the truth would hurt their liberal friends in the education union. Perhaps they're going out of their way to distort the picture.
And, it's not just homeschooling that is ignored and maligned by the media, it is any alternative to failing public schools. A good example right now is Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. We hear much about Ms. Sotomayor being a true American success story- the child of immigrant parents raised in a housing project in the South Bronx. The one detail, of course, that is ignored by the media is that a major reason she was able to succeed was that she attended Catholic school. Studies prove that minority students in Catholic schools often fare far better in testing than minorities at public schools. Shouldn't all children have the same opportunity as Ms. Sotomayor? Without her mother's sacrifice and ability to choose, Ms. Sotomayor would very likely be just another unknown victim of the failed public school system.
Please understand that my support of school choice is not an attack on teachers. The world is full of good, honest, caring, bright, passionate teachers. All of my daughter Dakota's homeschool tutors are retired public school teachers (from New York). The problem is not the teachers- it's the teachers union and the overpaid bureaucrats (who never pick up a book, erase a blackboard, or teach a lesson). The same union mentality that fatally damaged the American auto business, has failed our children.
The well-known failures of our public school system have nothing to do with a lack of money. If money was the answer, Washington D.C. (which spends the most money per student in the USA) would be a huge success story. It is not. The fact is that Catholic schools and private schools across the USA spend far less, and pay their teachers far less, yet they produce far superior results to public schools. Public education is the only profession where the more they fail, the more money we give them. And, we have shuffled it to them in bucketfuls. It is insanity- throwing good money after bad- especially, when the solution is so simple: freedom, choice, and competition. Dissolve the Department of Education; start offering competition and choice (with school vouchers) to parents; and start firing poorly performing teachers- then watch public schools dramatically improve.
Home-schooling and the personal attention it offers has certainly brought out the best in my daughter Dakota. Her life is not about the silly things typical teenagers devote their lives to- shopping, gossiping, sleeping, drinking, smoking, drugs, watching American Idol, and so on. She is a disciplined, mature young woman whose life is dedicated to achievement, success, and the acquisition of knowledge- not the kind defined by “state certified” teachers, but rather the kind defined by her free-thinking mind.
Dakota has narrowed her college choices to the Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Penn; as well as Stanford, Duke and Northwestern. She is quite an exceptional and hopeful example of the future of our great country. She makes her father very proud. And I'll bet she can run rings around close-minded bigots, like the California judge who recently tried to criminalize home-schooling without ever meeting a diverse cross section of home-schooled students. I suggest unleashing Dakota Root on the U.S. Supreme Court (if that's where the home-schooling debate winds up). I guarantee soon thereafter that home-schooling will be the law of the land!
I hope that telling Dakota's story might do some good for other thoughtful, caring parents considering educational alternatives to public school. Homeschooling is no longer an isolated fringe idea, but rather a popular mainstream trend. In the end the answer to why homeschooling works is pretty simple: a vast, faceless bureaucracy can never teach a child more effectively than his or her own parents.
The solution to the educational crisis must be increasing parental freedom; expanding educational choices; moving education spending to the state level; offering parents school vouchers; firing poorly performing teachers; and encouraging competition to the current public school system. In the end it's clear that a village doesn't raise a child. But even worse than a village is the damage done by a teachers union. It's a terrible thing to destroy Detroit, or an automaker like GM. But it's a mortal sin to destroy a precious child's future.
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. His new book will be released by John Wiley & Sons this July entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts!” The book is available for pre-sale at Amazon.com. For more of Wayne's views, commentaries, or to watch his many media interviews, please visit his web site at: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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( 3.6 / 2060 )GUESTS INCLUDE FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND LIBERTERIAN HERO DR. RON PAUL
ROOT GUESTS ON GLENN BECK, JUDGE NAPOLITANO and “FOX & FRIENDS” LIVE IN NEW YORK
New York, NY-Thursday May 28, 2009--2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root will guest host on the nationally-syndicated "Jerry Doyle Show" airing from 3 PM to 6 PM EST/Noon to 3 PM PST on Friday May 28, 2009. The show is one of the highest-rated radio talk shows in America, with several million listeners per week. Root's guests will include former Libertarian (1988) and Republican (2008) Presidential candidate Dr. Ron Paul, a United States Congressman (R-Texas). Root will host live from New York.
Root makes regular appearances on the "Jerry Doyle Show,” as well as many national TV and radio shows. He will appear on Friday morning at 7:15 AM EST on “FOX & Friends” the national morning show on FOX News Channel. In a busy media day on Wednesday, Root was also a guest on “The Glenn Beck Program” and “Freedom Watch” with Judge Andrew Napolitano on FOX News Channel, along with 3 national radio shows- The Mancow Show, The Lars Larsen Show and the Jerry Doyle Show.
Root is the author of seven books. His latest is “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts!” to be released by Wiley & Sons in July. It is available for presale right now at Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url ... 9&y=18
Jerry Doyle calls himself "an independent conservative." Doyle has made the rare transition from actor and TV star of the hit sci-fi series “Babylon 5” to national radio talk host reaching millions of listeners from coast to coast. The show airs on Talk Radio Network. To find the station nearest you, go to:
http://www.jerrydoyle.com/stationfinder
To listen to Wayne Root as guest host on Friday through live streaming anywhere in the country, go to:
http://streamingradioguide.com/radio-show.php?show=252
For more information on Wayne Allyn Root, please visit:
www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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( 3 / 814 )Obama’s Radical Leftist Union Agenda Not Winning Converts
America is Still a Center Right Nation
But GOP Loses Ground- More Voters See Themselves as Independents Than Ever Before
Root Sees Opening for Libertarian Candidates
By Wayne Allyn Root, 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee
A new detailed political and “American values” poll by Pew Research Center should give both Democrats and Republicans sleepless nights. Despite the election of a charismatic newcomer as President, very little has changed since the election- except for the fact that more Americans than ever call themselves independents. This detailed 160 page political poll gives Libertarians (like me) reasons to cheer, and look forward to 2012.
It’s no wonder that neither major party is winning converts. On one hand we have Obama’s radical leftist pro-union agenda turning off millions of right wing, center right, and moderate Americans- the majority of voters. Obama’s agenda is to ask everyone in America to sacrifice except union members- employees of auto unions, government employee unions, and teacher unions are given cost of living raises, step-up raises, more job security, bigger pensions, and in the case of the auto unions, unexpected gifts wrapped in pretty bows- majority ownership of entire car companies! How wonderful.
While millions of us in the private sector lose our jobs and businesses, Obama thinks the solution to our economic crisis is to hire millions of new government union employees- and give them raises. Obama agenda includes giving away over $125 Billion of taxpayer money to states to make sure that government employees union members don’t get laid off- and get their raises. Obama has even gone so far as to demand that the state of California scrap planned layoffs and cuts in salaries of government employees, or he threatens to cancel billions of dollars in government bailout money earmarked for the state. If Obama was a businessman, his actions would be classified as extortion.
It’s taken me a long time, but I think I’ve finally figured out why Obama has such a radical pro-union agenda. He’s got the record of his hero Abraham Lincoln confused. He must think that when Lincoln “saved the union,” he meant the auto union, teachers union and government employees union. So much for a moderate political agenda to win over center-right and independent voters.
Then on the other side of the aisle, we have the incompetent, pathetic, and hypocritical GOP. They wonder why they have zero respect or credibility from voters. Could it be because Republicans rant and rave about the irresponsible and unsustainable spending of Obama, but provide no solutions of their own? Could it be because most Republicans voted for the same bailout as Obama (with Bush in charge)? Could it be because the Big 3 automakers bailout began under Bush? Could it be because whenever Republicans are in charge, they spend recklessly and irresponsibly- just like Democrats.
The results according to Pew Research are startling.
First despite Obama’s personal popularity, there has been no leftward shift by voters on issues like the role of government. Nor has there been a voter I.D. shift to the Democratic Party. While the ranks of GOP voters is the lowest since Watergate, these ex-Republicans have not moved to the party of Obama. The number of voters calling themselves independents is the highest in modern political history.
These independents- like most Libertarians- tend to be conservative on economic issues. They are pro-business, pro-free markets and support capitalism. A majority of Americans still believe that “government regulation does more harm than good.” A startling 76% of Americans report that “the strength of this country today is mostly based on the success of American business.”
Good news for my Libertarian Party comes in this impressive independent surge. A remarkable 36% of Americans today describe themselves as independents, the highest total since Ross Perot’s candidacy in 1992. Those independents moved RIGHT over the past two years on economic issues, even as Obama was elected President promising to “redistribute the wealth.” Independents skewer rightward on issues such as the size of government, expansion of entitlements, and in opposition to affirmative action. These are all Libertarian issues. Interestingly on the social side, these same independents skewer leftward on issues such as religion and gay rights. This again plays right into the hands of Libertarian candidates. And on the issue of foreign policy and national security, while voters are not fans of the Iraq war, a majority still believes in “peace through military strength”- again a moderate Libertarian opinion.
Even more importantly, for a candidate like me who identifies himself as conservative Libertarian, conservative independents outnumber liberal independents by 2 to 1. Overall this is still a very much center right nation with American voters identifying as conservative versus liberal by a count of 37% to 19%. This is all good news for a Libertarian Presidential candidate in 2012.
All things considered, any independent third party, but more specifically the Libertarian Party, should be excited about their prospects as more and more voters realize that Republicans and Democrats are big and bigger, dumb and dumber.
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. His new book will be released by John Wiley & Sons this July entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.” The book is available for pre-sale at Amazon.com. For more of Wayne’s views, commentaries, or to watch his many media interviews, please visit his web site at: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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( 3 / 721 )Tax and Spend Propositions Go Down in Flames Despite Out-Spending Opponents 10 to 1
The People That Pay All the Taxes and Create All the Jobs Are in Revolt.
The model for America: NEVADA where the state constitution bans income taxes.
By Wayne Allyn Root, 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee
Whatever revolution that starts in California, always spreads to the nation. In arguably the most liberal state in America, California taxpayers sent a message to the nation on Tuesday: “We’ve Had Enough and We’re Not Going to Take It Anymore!” California voters shocked the political establishment by rejecting a slew of propositions meant to save California from a massive, unsustainable $15 to $23 billion-dollar budget deficit, by taxing and spending some more. All the tax and spend propositions went down to a resounding defeat, despite a $30 million spending campaign. Perhaps these big government proponents should have instead saved the $30 million and applied it to the deficit. The results were remarkable considering that proponents of “tax and spend” out-spent the opposition by 10 to 1.
Even more telling, the only proposition that passed will ban salary increases for politicians if the state is running a general fund deficit. The results prove that California is once again at the epicenter of a seismic tax revolution. With voter turnout low, the results also prove what I’ve been predicting for months now- the only people who care about taxes are the 20% of taxpayers who pay them all. That is the group that will rise up in revolt. Since California starts most of the trends in this country, and leads the nation in taxes, I think it is safe to say that the sleeping giant has awakened.
As the author of the new book, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts! I’ve seen this political revolution brewing for 2 years now. It came to a head with the election of Barack Obama, the king of “tax and spend.” The straw that broke the camel’s back was Obama’s response to the worst financial crisis of our generation: massive spending programs; multi-trillion dollar bailouts; handouts disguised as “tax cuts”; and record-setting waste and pork disguised as “economic stimulus.” Guess where all that money came from? The taxpayers. But not just any taxpayers- it came from one special group. The top 20% of American taxpayers who pay virtually all the taxes and create all the jobs. Obama’s plans are killing the proverbial “golden goose.” Obama’s tax and spend plans are a declaration of war on the private sector, small business owners and the investor class. Obama’s plans will wipe out the upper middle class of America- the heart and soul of our taxpayers, job creators and investor class.
California’s taxpayers have spoken loud and clear. The Obama national tax and spend plan is a carbon copy of the California plan the voters just rejected in a landslide. California has not gone bankrupt by mistake. The record is clear: California leads the nation in government spending; education spending; spending on illegal aliens; spending on entitlements and handouts; and spending on government employees. California has the highest paid teachers in all of America, yet its education system is among the worst. California student test scores are the 2nd lowest in the nation, and dropout rates are among the country’s highest. What has all this spending produced? California has built the biggest deficit in the nation and the lowest bond ratings among 50 states. All that tax and spend has clearly led to BANKRUPTCY.
Yet California leads the nation in taxes too. California proves the lie of Obama’s plans: You can’t spend your way out of bankruptcy. You can’t tax to death the only people that pay all the taxes and create all the jobs- in the middle of a depression. You can’t burden our economy with irresponsible and unsustainable levels of debt. You can’t enslave our children and grandchildren to big government and big taxes for generations to come.
I believe a seismic political revolution has begun. The private sector, upper middle class taxpayers, and small business owners- the groups that can and will lead this revolution- have woken from a giant slumber. The honeymoon is over for Obama. For Schwarzenegger, a political career is over. “The Governator” destroyed a potentially brilliant political career by listening to his out-of-touch liberal Kennedy-clan wife. The man preached the politics of Reagan, but practiced the politics of McGovern and Obama. California’s results prove that Obama’s policies are a prescription for disaster.
The answer is obvious. Tax less and spend less. Stop punishing the successful taxpayers, business builders, financial risk-takers and job creators. Reward those key members of society. Stop expanding government. Stop hiring government employees. Stop paying government employees more than those that toil in the private sector. The model for America is the centerpiece of my new book, “The Conscience of a Libertarian.” The model is my adopted home state of Nevada. It is no coincidence that in the past decade Nevada has gained over one million new residents and countless new businesses, while our neighbor California has lost over one million taxpayers. The citizens are voting with their feet (and their assets). They are escaping from high tax California and moving in droves to low tax Nevada.
Yes the good news is that the political and tax revolution has begun. But for those of us who pay all the taxes, the hard work has just begun. There is a long battle in front of us. It is a battle we must win- for the sake of our children and grandchildren. We either take our country back, or lose it forever.
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. His new book will be released by John Wiley & Sons this July entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.” The book is available for pre-sale at Amazon.com. For more of Wayne’s views, commentaries, or to watch his many media interviews, please visit his web site at: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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( 3 / 480 )The Little Issue of Free Speech
Let Obama Speak Says "the Anti-Obama."
And Let Miss California Speak Too.
By Wayne Allyn Root, 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee
To anyone who has ever read my commentaries, it is clear I'm not a Barack Obama fan. To the contrary, I am the Anti-Obama. I stand in opposition to virtually everything my old Marxist college classmate does and says. I have pointed out that he is distracting America with Tonight Show appearances; March Madness picks; Town Hall meetings; appearances at his adorable little daughter's soccer games; private moments holding hands during romantic walks with his wife Michelle (that just happen to be staged right in front of the White House Press Corp); and introducing his cute new puppy Bo to the American people. All the while Obama fools America with these nonstop “Weapons of Mass Distraction” he just happens to be bankrupting the U.S. economy with unsustainable levels of spending; orchestrating the destruction of capitalism (by firing executives; hiring and firing Boards; determining executive compensation; and worst of all- handing Chrysler to the unsecured auto unions over the secured bondholders); and wiping out America's upper middle class and small businesses with massive tax hikes and socialist levels of redistribution of wealth. Certainly no one can accuse me of being soft on Obama.
But what happened at the University of Notre Dame this weekend was nonetheless dangerous to the values of America. Catholic conservatives protested President Obama being invited to speak at the Notre Dame graduation ceremonies (as well as receiving an honorary law degree). Have we abandoned the concept of free speech? If you don't like what someone has to say, then debate him. Demand equal time for opposing viewpoints. Demand diversity in graduation speakers. Go on television and explain why Obama is wrong. Mobilize Catholics to defeat him in 2012. Make your case to the American people. Make him a one-term pariah like Jimmy Carter. But the one thing you should not do in a free society is ban him from speaking because you disagree with his views. Censorship goes against the values of America. Love him or hate him, you should be willing to allow the President of the United States a microphone at Notre Dame. You should be proud of your university's willingness to air diverse viewpoints. Allowing Obama to speak at Notre Dame is the very essence of what America is about.
The problem we have in America is that many of us have lost perspective. The demand for censorship occurs more often (by far) from the left. But the Notre Dame protests prove it is spreading to all sides of the political aisle. Take the incident only a few weeks ago when Miss California simply responded to a question at the Miss USA Pageant, and declared her support for marriage between a man and a woman. The radical left didn't like her answer so they set out to destroy her. They tried to censor, slander and vilify her in such a vicious “slash and burn” fashion- with the goal that no one would ever dare publicly oppose gay marriage again. Liberal activists and bloggers called her a Nazi. You mean a viewpoint that you disagree with makes the other person comparable to a Nazi? Are liberal activists aware that Nazi's enslaved, tortured and murdered over 6 million Jews? Last I checked Miss California never enslaved, tortured or murdered anyone- nor did she endorse those actions. She was simply expressing her political opinion.
Whether you agree or disagree with the opinion of Miss California is beside the point. Free speech is allowed in this country. She had every right to give her opinion. Heck, she was asked her opinion by the Miss USA judge. You mean we have gotten to a point in America that when we ask a question, we already know the answer and we'll ruin the career of anyone who gives a different answer than expected?
Should everyone respond from now on by lying and simply saying whatever the audience they are speaking in front of wants to hear? Should every pageant contestant now feign support for gay marriage to make judges, sponsors, hairdressers, fashion designers, and makeup artists associated with the pageant happy? Should Obama give speeches at Catholic universities claiming to be pro life and anti-stem cell research? Would that make everyone happy if we all just lied to match the opinions of every audience? Has anyone heard of diversity of thought? Has anyone heard of free speech?
When the left tries to censor beauty pageant contestants; when leftist universities try to censor conservative or Libertarian opinions (which happens every day); when England bans conservative U.S. talk show host Michael Savage from entering their country; or when conservative pro-life Catholics try to censor the voice of the President of the United States- it's all a defeat for the values that we hold dear. We fought a revolution against the mighty British Empire to insure free speech and the right of all Americans to be heard. To insure that Miss California could defend traditional marriage and President Obama could defend his socialist views too. You don't have to like the views; you don't even have to respect them. But you have to be willing to let your opponent express their views in a free society.
I'm proud to be a Libertarian. I believe strongly in free markets and free speech. I may oppose what Obama stands for with every ounce of my soul. I may despise what Obama is doing to my country, my economy and my bank account. But I'd be willing to die to defend his right to speak freely. In America we let everyone speak. Live free or die. Let's not lose sight of the fact that that's precisely what makes America great.
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. His new book will be released by John Wiley & Sons this July entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.” The book is available for pre-sale at Amazon.com. For more of Wayne’s views, commentaries, or to watch his many media interviews, please visit his web site at: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
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