Is liberty important to you?

It must be for many Americans because members of the political class claim that they must to lie to you, enslave you, and steal from you to allegedly protect your liberty.

But are these false prophets of freedom delivering on their promises? Here's one way to check.

First, define what "freedom" and "liberty" mean to you. It doesn't mean the same thing to everybody.

Consider the difference between "positive rights" and "negative rights." Some consider freedom to mean the positive right to use the state to acquire a benefit. Others consider freedom to mean the negative right to be free of coerced duty.

Second, examine how some conservatives call for government enforcement of "traditional moral values," while using the rhetoric of freedom and liberty. Other conservatives justify foreign aggression and domestic spying by the United States government ... in the name of protecting "liberty, property, and privacy." Yet other conservatives invoke freedom to justify government assistance to benefit certain industries and organizations.

Third, consider how a popular Hollywood portrayal of modern liberalism, fictional Senator Laine Hanson's speech in "The Contender," views freedom. Her character literally worships government, crediting it as the source "of every freedom we hold dear." Similarly, consider the "seven freedoms" championed by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, which are a hodgepodge of both positive and negative rights.

Fourth, take 10 minutes to watch the animated feature "The Philosophy of Liberty" (Flash Player required).

(Want more? There's always John Stuart Mill's essay "On Liberty.")

Finally, given your understanding of freedom, examine whether the actions -- not mere words -- of incumbent politicians are making you more free or less free.

If liberty is important to you, demand it; not only from members of the political class and others, but from yourself.

By living more freely and accepting more personal responsibility (RealPlayer format/mp3 format) in 2006, you not only work to fulfill the request of the authors of "The Philosophy of Liberty" -- by not asking politicians to aggress in your name, or tolerating those who do -- you create a better world for everyone.

With high hopes for you in the New Year, I am

Yours in liberty,

Rob Latham, Chair

Libertarian Party of Utah