From the time I first began paying attention to politics, my path has varied, as everyone’s has. As a teenager my thoughts were more liberal and indeed socialist in nature, as you would expect of anyone brought up in a socialist country. Almost as soon as I moved to the US, my thoughts became more conservative. My actual voting record to date is purely conservative and libertarian. I have yet to vote for a single liberal.
During the 2012 primaries, right after I became a citizen, I was excited about Ron Paul and his message of peace and prosperity. My thoughts became very libertarian in nature. After my bitter disappointment with the GOP convention that year I became almost anarchist in my thought process, and back toward libertarianism in 2013. Recently I find myself more conservative again, as I do not always agree on the libertarian mindset. I am anti drug, and anti gay marriage, but understand where the drug war has failed, and where government should stay out of peoples bedrooms. I am pro peace, but understand that a strong English speaking nation patrolling the high seas has maintained the very prosperity we have enjoyed over the last few centuries.
It’s interesting to think about all the people you encounter on a daily bases, those who you work with, a family you marry in to, people you meet at gatherings and conventions. Just about everyone I have ever met has had some impact on my life and my thought process. That is not to say that I am easily swayed, far from it, but I am a big thinker, and I like to run down several avenues before I draw my conclusions.
Essentially I have always been pro freedom, I hate the idea of being told what to do, by anybody or any entity. I hated school for that reason, but I love to learn.
I have been very lucky in the people I have met. My wife is the most important person I have met, and her father, who inspired me to read philosophical and mythological works by people such as Joseph Campbell and Friedrich Nietzsche. I have met trustees of the Township I work in, I have met influential people such as Libertarian girl, and YouTube celebrities such as Supadupaflygirl. I have met members of the world stunt association, members of the Wild West Society, independent movie directors, and many others from all walks of life.
The life that my wife and I have forged for ourselves is already so unique. We cast off the acceptable shackles of society and cast off into the great unknown.
As for politics, and indeed anything in life, you must speak up, you must say something, you must do something. Even if you might be wrong at first. We learn by making mistakes. I have gotten in so many arguments, even with good friends on this site, because of apposing viewpoints, but every time I learn something. I learn how to argue better, to argue smarter. I learn that the way I phrase things might be off. I learn to sharpen my viewpoints, to make more sense of them. It is better to be considered a fool for a moment, than to stay quiet and be a fool for your whole life.
As I continue to forge my path, I continue to learn, I continue to pay attention to the world around me, and to others who cross my path. My path is like no other. I came to a thick forest, and began hacking at the branches, learning as I went. Now, already my path is long, it has curves in it, and it is interesting. I continue to push on, deeper and deeper, discovering more and more of life’s treasures along the way.
The freedom movement in this country is growing, and I am growing with it. This week the Tea Party turned five years old, and last year saw the rise of the libertarian movement. Conservatives are growing smarter, are growing wiser, and even liberals are starting to question their leaders actions. The world is waking up, and people are starting to walk off the beaten track.
What is your path, and where are you taking it?
Becoming American 