Dear Noah

Oh, God, how long?
Dear Noah,

I'm not writing to Noah, of course.  He is dead.  I'm writing to any other soldier who is fighting like he was, thinking that people in the States support the war, and feeling terrible about what he is doing.  I'm writing to all the Noah's who are still out there.

Please don't misunderstand.  We are not for the war.  Certainly some people are, but many of us are not.  My family despises the war.  If there were a button we could push that would end the war immediately and bring home every American soldier overseas regardless of the consequences, we would push it without hesitation.

We don't call you heroes because we don't believe in what you are doing.  But we do love you, and we want the best for you.  We pray that the wars will cease and that you will come home.  Please don't feel hopeless and don't despair.  Please don't do yourself in like Noah did.  Most of us have terrible mistakes in our past but we all still have the chance to have a bright future.  The last century plus has left us with gigantic missing hunks out of each generation.  We do not want to lose your contribution as well.  I want my grandchildren to grow up playing peacefully with your grandchildren.  We both know that peace has a lot less to do with fighting over there and a lot more to do with simply being over here.

I would encourage you to get out at the first legal opportunity.  Apply for conscientious objector status.  Don't re-enlist.  Come home.  Withdraw as much of your support for what is going on as you legally can.  We have withdrawn our support here and will continue to work to try to spread the word that many people oppose the war, so that more will come out and oppose it.

I am so sorry for what you are going through.  God bless you and bring you home safe and sound to your families.

Another reason I'm no longer Republican

Another reason I'm proud I haven't been a Republican in a long time.  They actually make proposals like this, seriously.

Addendum: "This is shocking rhetoric," wrote Hillary Clinton. "It should be denounced by all seeking to lead this country."  And anyone seeking to "lead" this country should be denounced by all who live in this country.  Grown people don't need "leaders."  And the real term for it is "rulers."

The philosophy of liberty

This says it all:

The Philosophy of Liberty is really the best, most concise, and most understandable explanation I have seen of how to determine what is right and wrong in the realm of politics.  Any law that cannot be justified on the basis of these principles is unjust.  Any time a freedom lover, anarchist, libertarian, or voluntaryist justifies force to violate these principles, he or she is making a terrible mistake.

I've seen people in these camps (or this camp) occasionally veer off of these principles for causes that might seem "left-wing" or "right-wing" or might not seem to fit into either category.  At the same time, I've seen people who've never even seen this presentation follow these principles perfectly.  This is what libertarianism is about (and all those other groups I listed above).  This is what morality is about.  Everything else involves initiating force against people who have done nothing wrong.