I consider myself a Christian libertarian. I think government, especially the federal government should be severely limited in its scope and power. That would mean not advancing the liberal agenda as well as not advancing the so-called social conservative agenda. The federal government has no business regulating marriage, nor does it have any business telling a private businessman he has to bake a cake for a couple of perverts.
Cops and schools and many other things should be locally funded and controlled.
I must respectfully differ with anyone, including the esteemed Mr. Robinson, who thinks most cops, especially in larger urban areas, will not enforce unconstitutional laws at this point. And, by the way, in my sadly misspent youth, thirty years ago, I worked in law enforcement.
There are some Big L Libertarians who do fit your “liberaltarian” label. But I think social conservatives need to stop focusing on using the power of the federal government and federal legislation to enforce a “Christian” agenda. My copy of the Great Commission calls us to go into all the world and make disciples (of individuals) of all nations, teaching them to observe the commandments of Christ. If you want a Christian nation, as I do, you have to have Christian individuals.
As far as Ferguson goes, forgive me if I withhold judgment until the facts come out. After all, I think of the cops who shot up the wrong pickup in the Dorner case, of the cop who gunned down 13-year-old Andy Lopez because he was walking along the road with a toy gun and didn’t drop it fast enough, of the cops who shot a woman holding a cordless drill they mistook for an Uzi, of the dogs shot at the wrong house, of the no-knock warrants for non-violent criminals, of a baby burned and scarred by a flash-bang grenade thrown in its crib.
I think if this country is ever going to return to righteousness and freedom, small ‘l’ libertarians are going to have to be part of the conservative coalition. Right now, “conservatives” have nothing to conserve. The country I grew up in is gone, baby. Now it’s rollback and restoration, or you are merely “conserving” fascism and a budding police state.
I would agree with you there. I think living in Texas might lead one to think that cops everywhere are like Texas LEOs. They are not. Any grouping, be it cops, politicians, bureaucrats, business men, etc…..are MORE CONSERVATIVE in Texas than the national average. To think most cops are good because most Texas cops are good is to miss what is going on in some areas that are not at all like Texas.
I wish the national average were more like the Texas average, for conservatism, among any group. It would be a better nation. But it's NOT.
“Christian” libertarian is impossible, libertarianism is about being a part of a movement at war against social conservatism.
I do think and believe that the region in which one lives gives one an opinion of what the political and Police structure is for that given local. Know I’ve been lucky in where am living and the attitude of the Police has been above board. From your opinion, would say you have not been as lucky.
If I understand Manc's posts correctly, just for merely criticizing the police in these instances, makes us cop haters. To say nothing of those who beat a homeless man to death or the child that was shot dead by the policewoman for having a remote controller in his hand when he answered a knock on the door. Again, if I understand Manc correctly as long as the police do those things it is o.k. and we should keep our mouths shut.