From: jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu (jason 'Think!' steiner)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.marrou
Subject: Re: Libertarians & Abortion (was: Please let Marrou debate!)
Date: 12 Oct 92 21:34:41 GMT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

sconley@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M Conley) writes:
> >sconley@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Stephen M Conley) writes:
> >> ...since I'm *militantly* pro-choice and I think we look WEAK
> >> for not having a position on this issue.  I think all our
> >> candidates in Ohio are pro-choice, though.
> >
> >hmmm. one of the things that attracted me to the Libertarian party 
> >in the first place was the number of *non* militant pro-abortion 
> >types. -you- may think we look weak, but there are quite a few of 
> >us who rather like that the Libertarian party includes people with 
> >a wide variety of opinions who work together anyway.
> 
> Let's look at it differently, then:
> "Hmmm.  One of the things that attracted me to the Libertarian 
> party in the first place was the number of *non* militant anti-
> censorship types. -You- may think we look weak, but there are quite 
> a few of us who rather like that the Libertarian party includes 
> people with a wide variety of opinions who work together anyway."

i congratulate you on a fine use of irony, but it fails to make
the point unless you equate "non militant good thing supporter" with
"bad". i don't really care for militant much-of-anything. sure, if it 
came right down to it, i'd be in the streets with a shotgun & 
plastique. but i find that many times an issue can be solved more easily 
with simple respect and rational discussion.

on an issue like abortion, where people are divided nearly 50-50,
calm and reasoned discussion is much more conducive to solutions
than slinging epithets around.

> >> Every political party has its kooks.  Anti-choice Libertarians 
> >> are amoung ours.
> 
> [by 'kooks' I meant people inconsistent with party philosophy, such 
> [as LaRouche Democrats]

point taken. i know very few people that agree 100% with -any- party's
political platform. there are a lot of "kooks" out there. and it
may be argued that pro-lifers are -more- in line with _l_ibertarian
philosophy, if not _L_ibertarian philosophy.

> >the same may be said about yourself. the goal of personal
> >responsibility and privelege is bigger than that of abortion.
> >you'd be a fool to turn down the support of other people who are
> >working toward that goal just because they wish to extend life and
> >liberty to a group you don't.
> 
> "The same may be said about yourself. The goal of personal
> responsibility and privelege is bigger than that of animal rights.
> You'd be a fool to turn down the support of other people who are
> working toward a goal just because they wish to extend life and 
> liberty to a group you don't."

couldn't have said it better. :^) -the- distinguishing feature (for
me anyway) of the Libertarian Party is the emphasis on returning
power and responsibility to the people. only that kind of society
has any hope of solving problems without having the solutions
dictated to us by pressure groups, the media, big government
or anyone else who says "You don't know how to think, let us
do it for you."

> ATTENTION, EVERYONE!  *This* is why you must have a consistent, 
> rational philosophy before you take up politics!  Every 
> inconsistency is a crack in the foundation of our political 
> movement and can lead to failure.

no, what leads to failure is making a political movement as
exclusive as possible. we're working in a democratic-republic,
where things are decided by a majority, and you're not going
to get tha majority if you exclude half of the population out
of hand.

> Steve Conley
> sconley@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Punk [censored] Libertarian in Leather from OHIO!

Jason Steiner
jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu
Hippy [censored] Libertarian in Long Hair from OHIO!

--
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`,`   "...my fellow neuronaughts were all linked up, plugged in, speed-   `,`
`,`  crazed, and increasing the bandwith of love." - carlsoje@umn.mr.edu  `,`
`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,` jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu ,`,`,`