Our families often make claims on our time and resources . . .

Our government makes claims on our time (we’re required to attend school; we work in order to pay taxes; we’re required to take certain vaccinations; jury duty is not optional, nor is the draft), our resources (taxes, property restrictions, traffic regulation), our intellect (once again, we work to pay taxes; we are also regulated in our professions, and certain activities prohibited, even though we may be capable of them).

We have allowed our neighbors, friends and enemies to control us to the point that we are told that we can smoke this plant (because the government subsidizes it and taxes it), and not smoke that plant unless we go to visit the man who has the government issued license (medical license), who will write us the government approved permission slip (medical marijuana recommendation). While we’re there, we can get a permission slip (prescriptions) to take the same drugs that we can buy without restrictions for our pets. If we are chronic pain sufferers, we will never be able to get enough permission slips to take care of the pain.

Other people control who we can marry, and when. Even when marrying an approved partner, at an approved age, if we want our spouse to have access to all rights as our spouse, we still must receive a governmental permission slip to marry (marriage license). Others, our gay and lesbian friends and family, can get a permission slip to marry in some states, but not in others.

Once we are married, we can reproduce without government involvement, but as soon as the child appears, it must have a government permission slip (Social Security card).

If we do not care for the child in the manner that society has deemed appropriate, or if someone even alleges that we aren’t, the child can be yanked from our care, without any proof, any notice, or even any regard for the law.

Every day we submit to someone else’s demands to do things that may not make sense.

The people of Spokane’s permission slip to buy certain types of dishwasher detergent has been revoked, but 30 miles away in Coeur d’Alene, the citizens can buy any dishwasher detergent that they desire.

Our government must approve our food, drinks, vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements. Effective, safe medicine is illegal, but huge pharmaceutical companies unleash killer drugs in the market on a regular basis.

We cannot get a governmental permission slip to buy fresh raw milk, because some people have fears that it may be contaminated with bacteria. So instead, our government has decided that we should cook and homogenize the milk until it is actually much more harmful to our health.

We cannot buy the most fabulous muffins you’ve ever tasted from Mary, who doesn’t have a commercial kitchen, and therefore can’t get cannot a governmental permission slip to sell food.

We can’t buy wine from the guy down the street who makes the best wines ever. He can’t get a permission slip to even make wine, much less sell it.

Joey next door has a great car, likes to drive, and can’t get a permission slip to drive people to where they need to go. It’s a shame, because Joey is unlikely to get any other job.

Another neighbor, Judy, has a spare room, and would like to rent it out, but can’t get the permission slip to do that because it doesn’t have a full kitchen. Judy would have a kitchen built for it, but she can’t get the permission slip to build.

The cost of regulations like this, both in actual money, and in lost opportunity, is horrific. It is essentially illegal to be poor in this country. As our economy continues to founder, these costs will become more obvious.

If the examples above lived during the great depression, they would have gone into business for themselves, and may have been able to weather the depression well. These days, they do not have those options legally.

My name is Rachel Hawkridge, and I own myself.

I am solely responsible for deciding what I put into my body, what I eat, drink, smoke or inject. Only I choose what medications I use, what vaccines I take.

No individual, collective or government has any right to me, my body, time, possessions or talents, at any time.

I reject any claims upon me, and will resist with everything I have.

I own myself. You own you.

I make the decisions in my life, you decide in yours. That is libertarianism, in a nutshell.

Libertarians do not force other people to conform to our religious beliefs, or any other superstitions about morality, health, safety, or anything else. And we allow you the same freedom to choose.