Michael – Michael has been a teacher most of his life across a wide range of subjects from swimming and boating, to environmental science and writing, to mathematics and data evaluation. His unwavering belief in the value of individual freedom effected his adoption of libertarianism as a political philosophy in his early twenties. He was always something of an autodidact, and his approach to libertarianism was no different, as he consumed the philosophies of free market economics and liberty, as well as the writings of the U.S. Founders.
Knowledge is valuable; however, experience is something more. It was experience that really drove home the value of personal and economic liberty. Standing atop one of the 45 hills in Valparaíso with his brother, drinking a liter of Escudo and watching the sunset over the Bay and the Pacific Ocean beyond was one of those moments. The previous night, or more accurately very early that morning on a beach in Viña del Mar, one of the Chileños said, “If the cops come, we’re all tourists.” It’s hard not to ponder the value of liberty in a country barely 15 years removed from the dictatorship of Pinochet, where tourists still have more freedom than its citizens. It was, however, easy to see the resilience of the people and their desire for greater freedom.
Another of those moments was years later amidst the economic crisis in Greece. He looked out from his balcony, at what had once been a nice hotel in Athens, over a city in turmoil. Amazingly, looking out over the hills of Athens, all seemed calm; but the streets below were a different story. You know you’re in the wrong part of town when the cabbie refuses to get out of the car and squeals away without his tip in a country in the throes of economic collapse. Years of government social spending and “job creation” left a once-beautiful neighborhood to the drug dealers and prostitutes after the economic downturn, and Greece had received its second bailout earlier that year. The black market often provides the closest example of free enterprise as The West pushes towards socialism and the same kind of central planning that leads to economic crisis.
Finally, witnessing the steady erosion of personal liberties back home in the U.S., Michael was spurred to action after the overwhelming bipartisan support of the USA Freedom Act in 2015, which reinstated the provisions of the Patriot Act and was even more dismissive of natural rights. In his words, the response from legislators to his letters was, ‘We’re really not concerned about what you think your rights are, nor are we concerned with the limitations on our power codified in The Constitution.’
Sometimes we feel the impact of our experiences immediately, like a crushing weight; sometimes the burden is seen in reflection and not felt as sharply. While the experience is personal, the information is universal; and Michael believes a lack of understanding of history leads to failed policy and loss of liberty. He now seeks every opportunity to promote the knowledge that led to his ideology and to instill in others the desire to learn more. With the success of the internet and its growth as an independent media outlet, he has never had a greater opportunity to reach others; and it is to this end that The Liberty Mic was formed.
Liberty Larry – Liberty Larry’s path to libertarianism was protracted but direct. From the time he started elementary school, he perceived an unfairness with the observation that children had a list of restrictions that didn’t apply to the adults. He struggled with the feeling that he was caged up all day, just being told what to do; and he struggled with the feeling that he was not in possession of his own life.
He could not remember a time when he did not believe that people should be free to do as they please, as long as they didn’t hurt anyone else along the way. Very early, he also recognized that along with freedom comes the personal responsibility necessary for independence. If you are free to do as you please, you must also accept the consequences for your actions. So the underlying principles of liberty – freedom of choice, personal responsibility, and the morality required to exercise them – have always come naturally to him.
Then he recognized when he left school and started leading his own life as an independent adult that he was not as free as he had expected. The summer after their high school graduation, Liberty Larry and his closest friends were returning to their homes in Alabama from the Florida Panhandle, where it was legal to purchase tobacco products at the age of 18. (The legal age is 19 in Alabama.) The two cars were riding side-by-side on a state highway, when they were pulled over for racing, though they were traveling at the speed limit of 35 miles per hour. They were forced to exit their vehicles for a search of their cars and their persons. The teenagers were released; but their legally-purchased cigarettes were confiscated, even though they’d been permitted to use them during the two hours of harassment standing on the side of the road.
This experience created a stark example of the danger created by a state monopoly on force. If not before, he has since challenged the power of the state and entreated others to face the inevitable proclivity of government to grow, accumulate, subdue and oppress. He continues to appeal to others to remember why The Constitution’s framers shed the burden of an over-reaching, dictatorial government for a Republic based upon the liberty of the individual.
For more than a decade, Liberty Larry has managed multiple stores for a major retail company. He started in an entry level position, making minimum wage, when he was in high school. Through hard work and dedication, he rapidly advanced through the organization, despite the lack of a college education. As a Store Manager, Liberty Larry has been determined to help others grow with the company; and he has made it his responsibility to encourage others to enhance their value.
He is married with two children, where he continues his struggle against the state. He fights tirelessly to instill the virtues and morality of liberty and personal responsibility in his girls against the indoctrination of a state-sponsored education.