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Libertarian activism doesn't have to be over the top. You don't have to run for president, harangue a crowd, or splatter the internet with an endless stream of blogs and tweets and Facebook messages.
Libertarian activism can be simple and local and still effectively make its point.
That point is, and should always be, that people working together voluntarily will always outperform the coercion of governments.
Here are some examples of local libertarian activism in North Texas.
Free Lunch? The only legitimate free lunch is the one that people buy with the money they've earned and then donate to charity. Government welfare food is the most expensive food of all because it's stolen in the form of taxes and feeds an army of free-loading bureaucrats and unionized civil servants.
(Free-Market Food Drive photo courtesy Justin)
Individual activism
Justin Oliver, Katy Hamilton and her brother Lee Hamilton spent a few hours last Saturday collecting food donations for Union Gospel Mission.
"The remarkable thing about this charity," Oliver points out, "is it proudly operates without any government funding." And they've been feeding and helping homeless families and individuals for the past 130 years.
For just two and a half hours of work the trio collected about 175 cans and boxes of non-perishable food valued at $250.
Think what more people with more time could have accomplished.
This wasn't a "libertarian" activity per se but the kind of voluntary charity that libertarians prize as the only legitimate alternative to government's coercive "welfare" programs.
Single-issue activism
Justin and Katy and friends also take on the cause of the Fully Informed Jury Association whose mission is to educate people about the true rights and responsibilities of jurors. This is another activity that isn't explicitly labeled "libertarian" but is embraced by people across the broad spectrum of the freedom movement, including libertarians who believe in a constitutional republic and a severely limited government.
You'll be welcomed at their upcoming FIJA Literature Distribution on August 23 in downtown Ft. Worth at the Tarrant County Justice Center.
Hosted Activism
The Tree of Liberty Blood Drive is not a Libertarian Party event but it is hosted by the LP's North Texas Regional Director Amie Parsons. "The message I want to convey to people is that we live our principles," says Amie. The PANG premise (People Are Not Good) won't fly "when people see us rolling up our sleeves and showing people that we can take care of ourselves."
And if LP candidates show up and pass out campaign literature? "It would be good reading material while getting blood drawn."
There will be no government-mandated bloodletting at this event.
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