From: adams@mari.acc-admin.stolaf.edu (Brynach ap Adda)
Subject: Libertarians, guns, etc. 
Organization: Acorn Eaters Anonymous 
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 01:04:44 GMT

In article <fSom0PR@quack.sac.ca.us> pharvey@quack.sac.ca.us (Paul Harvey) writes:
><deleted: nice brief summary on how we have lost our bill of rights,
>primarily due to the war on drugs, the cia, nsa, nsc and federal bureau
>of [non]criminal investigations.>
>
>True, true, sad but true and only the tip of the iceberg. But someday
>the mass of poorly educated citizens will wake up and realize what has
>been lost, it is only a matter of time before the citizens once again
>claim their rights, as they have done in the past. The fight for rights
>is never over. Oh and by the way, you might consider voting
>Libertarian.

I hate to give in to thge urge to respond to this, but...

I personally have serious problems with Libertarianism. I remember watching
a few PBS interviews with some of the lesser-known candidates in the 1988
race. I was singularly impressed with Lenora Fulani of the New Alliance Party,
which is, I suppose, another one of these tyrannical crypto-socialist groups
trying to foister its repressive agenda on all of us. Then the Libertarian
guy - what the hell is his name? doesn't matter, I guess - came on, and they
started asking him good hard questions about welfare, social security, 
health benefits, and such, because he of course (and someone please correct
me if I'm misrepresenting his position here) wanted to basically axe all of
it. They asked him about the very poor, and those who might die without
assistance. His response? "These are services, and you get them by paying
for them. That's what makes this country great, the ability to purchase
what you want and pay for it." 

Asshole. I suppose the ability to choose between forty different 
breakfast cereals at Safeway just has him creaming in his jeans, too.
I'm glad I have a few friends. None of them are rich, but if Libertarians
ever get strong enough, I'll need all of them. Let's just hope I don't
ever get seriously ill, either; I don't think we could pay for it, and
this guy and his friends sure aren't gonna.

Before I continue foaming at the mouth, let me explain the relevance of this
to Paganism, as I see it. The Celtic cultures I claim heritage of were
strongly clan-based. They had an aristocracy, a warrior class from which
their holy people and musicians also came. They also had a class of free
farmers and a class of bondsmen. I don't want to make any apology for
slavery as an institution, but it is worth pointing out that there were 
rules as to how slaves might be treated, and there was the opportunity
to buy one's freedom or be ransomed by another. Upward mobility existed
between the farmers and the warriors as well. There was privilege, and
doubtless abuse of privilege as well, but there was also the recognition
that all elements of the society were necessary. I doubt they would have
withheld the basic necessities of life to anyone, simply because "you
have to pay for these things."

Libertarianism might seem like a really neat idea to me if I had a lot
of money and didn't want to share it. But in a traditional tribal society   
I would be shunned or publicly shamed if I were so mean as to cut loose
my clan ties and give up on the rest of society. Look, I've worked all
through college. I've paid taxes. I certainly don't approve of all the
uses to which my money is put, and I've contemplated becoming a tax
resister and sending the money to charities instead. But I'm not going
to let my desire to control capital, possess weapons designed to kill
people or even practice my religion in peace (not that I think the 
Libertarians could do more to ensure religious freedom than, say, the
Democrats) translate into support for a party that says government has no
business helping anyone. What the hell is it supposed to be for?
What the hell are *we* supposed to be for?

Maybe Libertarians really are very generous people. Maybe they just
can't stand the idea of their money being used to buy food for people
who might be racist, religiously intolerant, rude, boring, bad-smelling
or devoid of good taste, just because they're people and people 
deserve to be treated well. Or maybe they have so little faith in
the ability of governments to provide services with any efficiency
at all that they think we ought to stop trying, and let private
efforts replace these governmental functions.

But damn, I'd take some convincing on that latter option. 
  
One small word on the gun issue being discussed on alt.pagan. (No, it's 
not "fuck", though that did come to mind. :) I really appreciate everyone's 
words on the merits and shortcomings of keeping a handgun vs. other forms
of home defense, including the good old pump-action shotgun. I do, however,
notice a trend of omission in the thread. The reason I support gun control
is not to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, or make life easier for
the cops (not that I wish them any worse than they're getting). I'm worried
about your average every-day racist homophobic "Christian" Amerikan 
citizen, who feels that I, a long-haired bearded bisexual Pagan man, am
inherently a threat to safety and decency. People like me often have a
little pre-emptive "home defense" visited upon them just for being in the
wrong place and not hiding who they are. Like others here, I resent being
forced to arm myself, just because those who would hurt me are allowed
all the weapons they need to make sure I'm afraid of them.
 
Brynach Brawdfran ap Adda       (Sam Adams)   adams@mari.acc-admin.stolaf.edu

"I am the Wheel, I am the Turning..."    - Brian Eno and John Cale
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