The Manifestation of A Black Libertarian

I want to thank all the editors of Hammer of Truth for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a growing blog!

My first introduction to libertarianism and the Libertarian Party was back in 1988 when I was attending Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado (I attended the same school of the famed, Matt Stone, who co-produces South Park, he graduated a year before me). I remember having a conversation with a fellow speech team member who was supporting Ron Paul and I was at the time supporting Michael Dukakis. We got to talking about drugs,taxes and the Constitution and he told me that I sound more libertarian than a Democrat.

I happen to be flipping the channels on my day off in August of 1991 and I caught a glimpse of the Libertarian National Convention on C-Span. I recall seeing Richard Boddie making a speech to the delegation. I was thinking “there’s a black guy who is a Libertarian, this Libertarian Party must be alright!” I met Doug Anderson getting signatures to get Andre Marrou on the ballot.

Right then I knew that I had found a new political home. I was very active in the LPCO from 1991-1996 and I even helped with the Coloradoans for Andre Marrou group. During that campaign I did my first GOTV (Get Out The Vote) in the county I lived in and handmade signs encouraging people in my area to vote for Andre Marrou. I know that we didn’t get many votes in my county BUT voter registration for Libertarians increased three fold! I think Andre would had done better had a big ears, billionaire, midget named Ross Perot had not entered the Presidental race. Ross Perot did however bring the federal debt and government spending into the forefront with those ridiculous infomercials.

It hasn’t been easy being a libertarian, not much easier being black and libertarian. Liberal blacks call me “Uncle Tom” because I want to empower minorities and get rid of their social programs. Conservative blacks want to test my morality and religious beliefs. I think if the Libertarian Party ever became a powerhouse in politics, minorities will flock! It’s all about maximizing our freedom and decreasing the coerciveness. It’s really not about what group should be better than others, it’s all about respecting individual rights and freedoms. Until we get to that point-we need to be more pro-active and reach out to those who will benefit-everyone. That’s the reason why I’m a libertarian.