I was actually having as nice a day as is ever possible in a fascist police state when I happened to notice the headline:
"Bob Barr To Run For President As Libertarian"
That’s just what we need, folks.
I’m done. I’ve finally had enough. I’ve been careful and cautious
since I’ve been living in Kansas, which can otherwise be described as
"Fundie Paradise." Pagans don’t have martyrs, just idiots who should
have known better than to shoot off their mouths when they did. But I
am through now. Bring on your burning crosses. I am out of the closet.
I am an honest-to-Goddess Witch, a Wiccan. I admit that I am not your
typical fluffy bunny Pagan. I dress like an ordinary human being,
usually carry a Kimber .45 that I actually know how to use, and I am
technically savvy. The version of the Rede I was taught – and try to
practice – has a specific exemption to the "harm none" statement:
"Lest in thy self defense it be . . ." – and I take that very much to
heart. I have no interest in Goth clothing or makeup. I rarely see a
reason to mention my religion in my mundane day-to-day life.
Politically, I describe myself as a libertarian and a rabid Second
Amendment advocate. So you would think I would be a member of the
Libertarian Party, wouldn’t you?
You would be wrong.
It is quite true that I once was a card carrying member of that party.
It is also true that I once believed that the Libertarian Party was the
last, best hope for a troubled America. It is true that I saw – and
still see – a powerful parallel between the Wiccan "harm none" and the
libertarian non-iniation of force. However, since your typical LP
member has difficulty organizing a search for his very own butt with
both hands, a lensatic compass and a recent topographical map, I have
given up on those folks in utter disgust. And now, a savvy politician
like Bob Barr actually believes he has a real shot at the LP
nomination? That’s ominous indeed for my former party!
Barr has been out of the U.S. House of Representatives for a few
years. Does the average American even remember who he is, let alone
what he stands for? Whatever it is, it isn’t libertarianism! His home
state is Georgia, and he became expert at pandering to the most
ignorant and bigoted of his constituents.
Barr claims to be an advocate for civil rights and constitutional law. He is anything but that!
Let me tell you about a couple of the honors that Representative Barr earned during his tenure in Washington.
People for the American Way awarded Bob Barr the Equinine Posterior
Achievment Award in 1999. Some of the remarks of their President,
Carole Shields, are quoted below:
"The Equine Posterior Achievement Award is given to a ‘leader’ whose
abilities to misrepresent an issue and pander to our baser instincts
have reached ridiculous levels . . . A number of Washington politicians
competed for the award, but Barr was flank and shoulders below the
competition. He has tried to subvert the U.S. Constitution and the will
of the American people. He has misused his political power to attack
women, minorities and gays . . . He is, in other words, a genuine
horse’s patootie."
Also in 1999, the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance awarded
Representative Bob Barr the Burning Times award. As Canadians, their
decision could not have been made on the basis of political
partisanship. When asked for their reasoning, they gave the following
reasons:
1. "Violation of the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution which prohibits the promotion of one religion over
any other.
2. "Advocating the creation of a three-tiered system of religions in the Armed Forces:
a. A preferred status for Christianity, which he implies is the religion of George Washington;
b. Presumably a lower class status for most other world religions, like Judaism and Islam,
c. The active suppression of the religious rights of Wiccans.
3. "Lack of respect for religious diversity.
4. "Spreading misinformation and hatred about Wicca and Humanism by
suggesting that they are responsible for youth violence in the U.S..
5. "Inability to separate his own personal religious beliefs from his
political responsibility to represent all citizens, including Wiccans
and other Neopagans.
6. "Relegation of Wiccans to second-class citizenship in the armed
forces and in the rest of America, to be stripped of religious freedoms
of speech, belief and assembly."
How can a man who clearly does not believe in the First Amendment possibly be an advocate of Constitutional freedoms?
He can’t. Bob Barr is simply not a libertarian. He is a conservative.
I apologize for bursting another bubble of misconception about my
faith, but I am not a psychic. Nevertheless, I would still like to
make a handful of predictions if Rep. Barr should win the LP
nomination, and against all odds, the Presidency – and I stand firmly
by these predictions.
1. If Barr wins the nomination alone, it will be the end of the
Libertarian Party as we know it. Former allies of the party, including
myself, would actively turn against it.
2. President Barr would not abolish the Federal Reserve or restore a precious metal standard to our currency.
3. President Barr would not respect constitutional rights as he has promised.
4. President Barr might possibly lower taxes, but he would not abolish the I.R.S. or the federal income tax.
5. President Barr would actively work to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
6. President Barr would not end the expensive and failed drug war.
7. President Barr would not end the war on terror used to attack our civil rights here at home and destroy our way of life.
In other words, it would be more of the same, with only a slightly
different flavor. We are sliding into a dark age of religious
intolerance and cruelty. Barr in the White House would only accelerate
that decline.
Tell the Libertarian Party how you feel about this!
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