Rights don't depend on politicians

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for November 25, 2020)

If there is one message I'd most like to share with you during these times-- and for this Thanksgiving-- it's that your rights don't depend on the opinions of politicians.

Whatever mandates are issued, whatever legislation is imposed, your natural human rights remain completely unchanged. Having a right simply means no one can have a right to stop you.

Did you have the right to earn money last year? You still do.

Did you have the right to run your business last year? You have the same right today. And, no, this right doesn't depend on a business license, either.

Did you have the right to gather with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving last year? You still have the right to do so. 

Nothing a politician says can ever change any of this.

While politicians have the power to violate your rights, they don't have the power to alter your rights with legislation or mandates. Not even a little.

Your rights remain exactly the same no matter what politicians claim.

Rights can either be respected or violated. There's no third option. To regulate, limit, ration, license, or criminalize a right is to violate it. The person who violates a right for any reason is the bad guy, without exception, no matter what excuse they use. Nothing justifies violating human rights.

The freedom to exercise your rights is liberty. No one has the right to violate anyone's liberty. This right doesn't exist and can't be created.

Liberty is not whatever politicians say it is or wish you would believe. Liberty is simply freedom tempered with responsibility. Politicians don't even get the option of defining your responsibility.

It's your life; your rights; your liberty. Take it back. Say "Enough" and mean it.

Some people will be angry with me because they imagine I minimize the opinions of experts. I can't stop you from listening to supposed experts, nor from believing them. Listen to them all you want. They still have no right to impose their opinions on you with threats of government violence. If you help them violate the natural rights of your friends and neighbors, you are as bad as they are.

I'll assume you'd never do this. You care about the rights of others and will support them as they live in liberty, even when they go against politicians' wishes.

Aren't you thankful your rights don't depend on recognition by politicians? I certainly am. Happy Thanksgiving!

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(Just a side note-- this column is my 10th-anniversary column for the paper. Here was the first one from November 26, 2010.)

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Voluntary money

If you have unwanted Bitcoin lying around somewhere, or if you find any under the couch cushions and don't know what to do with it, send it to me. I'll appreciate it and give it a good home. And if you let me know it's from you, I'll thank you with genuine gratitude.

Also, if you want to buy anything from me, and wish to pay in Bitcoin instead of dollars, let me know and we can work something out.

Wallet address: 3NjMCwFFTajPvDmBxCfR3VkKfxSpYx3pDp

Back about 5 years ago-- maybe a bit more-- I had a FB friend who argued against Bitcoin with every other post or so. It was almost an obsession with him. He said it was stupid to buy it, and even had problems with those-- like me-- who never bought it, but only held it and used it. He compared it with a mental illness.

I didn't understand his opposition to Bitcoin. I still don't.

I tried to tell him no one was being forced to use (or buy) Bitcoin, and that I had spent Bitcoin on some tangible things that I would still have if Bitcoin crashed into worthlessness. Which even I thought might happen at any time.

Bitcoin was the only topic I ever found where we disagreed even a little. Neither of us would budge, though.

His argument was that, like the FRN, Bitcoin was based on nothing physical-- it's only worth anything as long as enough people believe it's worth something. He wasn't wrong. I agreed with him then and I still do. But if I find a bag full of FRNs I'm not going to burn them because they are no longer backed by silver or gold. As long as some people will accept them in trade I can still use them. And if something happens and Bitcoin becomes worthless tomorrow, I lost nothing. And there's a non-zero chance it could grow in value enough to actually help me.

It's also fun to watch and I'm not emotionally dependent on it doing well. To me, it's more like a game. I'm not a gambler, so I don't feel the need to take risky chances. I wouldn't mortgage my house to buy Bitcoin, but I also am not going to disparage what seems to be working. Especially since it is non-coercive and 100% voluntary. I like voluntary money.

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Thank you for helping support KentforLiberty.com

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Check out my prepper community on locals!