'Our View' editorial draws reaction

Suburban Trends
‘Our View’ editorial draws reaction

Dear Editor:

In your "Our View" editorial ("What do Republicans and Democrats look like?") in the Sunday, Nov. 10 Suburban Trends, you mention "the need for moderates or least not the ideologically-driven to stand up and help put an end to the endless partisan bickering." Isn’t that another way of saying that political leaders of both parties should be "wishy-washy" and not stand up for any real principles or convictions?

In the 1850s would you have approved of politicians who took a "moderate" stand regarding the expansion of slavery unto the Western territories? Or if it was the early 20th century would political leaders who only took a "moderate" stand on women getting the right to vote, have met with your approval? Somehow I doubt it!

Actually, politicians of both parties by and large are the kind with no real firm beliefs and convictions. For example, the so-called "Tea Party" Republicans claim to be against "big government" but yet most of them want the government peeking into your bedroom when it comes to "social issues" like contraception or same-sex marriage. On the Liberal Democratic side, they pay only lip service to civil liberties issues. Obama is spying on Americans with the NSA as much as Bush did with his misnamed "Patriot Act," but most Liberal Democrats in Congress don’t want to go against their idol, "King Barack!"

What if there was a political group that opposed "big government" in all areas? One that wasn’t afraid to stand up for economic freedom, private property rights, a federal government limited to its constitutionally authorized functions as well as not being afraid to stand up for hot-button civil liberties issues? Issues such as medical marijuana, same-sex marriage, a woman’s right to control her own body and reproductive system – and yes, to defend another civil liberty, namely the right of private citizens to own firearms.

Well dear readers, there is such a political group, they’re called the Libertarians! In most cases the media generally engages in a news "blackout" whenever Libertarians run for office. A case in point would our recent governor’s race, Ken Kaplan was the Libertarian candidate but he wasn’t invited to the debates or interview on television was he? Even your paper neglected to print my pre-election letter about Ken Kaplan’s candidacy. (I’ll give you folks the benefit of the doubt and assume it was just an honest oversight since you were probably deluged with political endorsement type letters and my letter "got lost in the shuffle.")

Summing up, Americans don’t need "reactionary prudes on the Right" or "busybody nanny-state quasi-socialists on the Left" telling them how to live their lives or conduct their business. Isn’t being consistently pro-liberty on all issues the best of both worlds?

We Libertarians will still be here for the 2014 and 2016 elections, I promise to keep local readers posted on these races, even if the press doesn’t.

Mark Richards,

West Milford

- Originally published at Suburban Trends.