Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
David M. Jones doesn’t care if you smoke pot in your house. He doesn’t care if gays marry. The banking bailout may irk him, though.
Welcome to the mind of a Libertarian.
Jones, a third-year political science student, grew up as a conservative in a time of great social change – and he embraces it. New to libertarianism, Jones is working to create a group at the University of Maine for like-minded students.
Libertarians, the third-largest political group in the United States, stand for small government and expansive personal freedoms. The party’s motto is, “Smaller Government. Lower Taxes. More Freedom.”
Jones described it as a halfway point between Democrats and Republicans.
“We can relate to both sides,” he said.
He explained that many of his peers are starting to feel the same way. Those who grew up conservative are opening to different social aspects more commonly associated with liberals.
The official Libertarian Party Web site, lp.org, describes the group as the “Party of Principle.”
“Each individual has the right to control his or her own body, action, speech and property. Government’s only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud,” it states.
“A lot of youth that grew up conservative, but don’t have that social mindset, are looking for something else,” Jones said.
He hopes the revival of the Libertarian Party on campus will help.
Although the College Libertarians are listed as a campus group, Jones has seen little to no activism from the group since he has been at UMaine.
As he spoke with other Libertarian students, they decided they should form a group to discuss the political theory and act accordingly.
The idea stemmed from his friend and fellow student, Rebekah Stetson. The group would work with the two major political parties on campus and serve as a forum for other Libertarians.
“Such a group would provide stimulating discussion and fellowship,” Stetson stated in an e-mail.
The group is still in the preliminary phases of formation. Jones has discovered that many students are unaware of the ideals of the party, and interest in the group has been split.
“What I have been able to get is a lot of good discussion,” he said.
Jones said his political beliefs put him in the minority on campus.
“It doesn’t hurt to have the other side,” he said.
“There are students on campus with a strong sense of heritage and knowledge of our forebears,” said Stetson of fellow Libertarian students.
Jones explained that he would be more inclined to work with the College Republicans, as he leans conservative, but would be willing to work with both parties on campus. He described it as a moderate-interest approach.
“It’s not a far-out mindset, but I don’t think it’s one that’s considered as often. It can bridge gaps between the two main parties,” he said.
Jones recently became a student senator and hopes this will help him understand how to get the Libertarian group off the ground. Stetson will graduate this spring, but Jones hopes the College Libertarians will make their mark on campus.
Those interested in joining the group can contact David M. Jones on FirstClass.
Bangor Daily News