Texas Libertarians stand for peace, prosperity, and personal freedom
We live in an increasingly polarized political world. It seems like every day, the so-called Right and Left are drifting farther apart in their policy and ideology on every topic from the economy to healthcare to the basic freedom of speech and thought. And as the war of words continues to heat up, both sides insist there is no middle ground. Both sides are trying to convince us that there is no room for collaborative, results-oriented negotiation.
Well, as independent-minded Texans, you do have another choice. There is a party and a slate of candidates in statewide and local elections who believe in the classical liberal positions of personal freedom, civil liberties, and separation of church and state, while also supporting more conservative stances on economic freedom, parental rights, and less taxes. However, they also differentiate themselves from the legacy parties with unique proposals, such as ending the War on Drugs and creating peace through trade and diplomacy.
The premise of our philosophy is that we’d all have better lives if we left each other alone.
The Libertarian Party is the fastest-growing political party in the United States. Despite constant attempts by state governments across the country to keep third-party and independent options off the ballot, Libertarian Party candidates have garnered millions of votes in recent years. And in the Lone Star State, the Libertarian Party of Texas is your best selection for Peace, Prosperity, and Freedom.
“The premise of our philosophy is that we’d all have better lives if we left each other alone,” says Andrew Amelang, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas. “We want to get people off the online doom scroll and away from hating people they don’t know, people they’ve been told to hate from our social media and cable news silos. The time we spend fighting takes away from the time we spend in the pursuit of our own happiness.”
So, what does that philosophy mean in practice? Unfortunately, we live in an age where misinformation is rampant in every medium, from print to television to online—especially on our social media. We wanted to dispel any misconceptions voters might have and lay out exactly what the Libertarian Party of Texas stands for on a variety of key issues. That way, when you walk into the voting booth, you can make the decision that is best for you, your family, and your country.
Make no mistake, our Bill of Rights is under assault—especially the First Amendment.
The Libertarian Party of Texas is steadfast in upholding the ideal that government should neither interfere with, nor discriminate on the basis of, personal conscience including religion, speech, creativity, or political activity. In other words, we believe citizens should be free to express themselves openly in a free market of ideas. The best response to any idea, good or bad, is responding with better ideas—censorship is never the answer.
More importantly, freedom of thought is essential to any free society. We don’t think anyone should be allowed to force their own beliefs on others through governmental suppression or support.
And when it comes to the Second Amendment, we fervently support the right of individuals to own, possess, make, trade, and carry arms. This is crucial for defense of self and of property, consistent with the principle of non-aggression and the true spirit of the Second Amendment itself.
The U.S. Constitution
Just as we believe that government should not restrict speech, expression, thought, or the right to self-defense, we also want legislation to stay out of other aspects of our personal lives. We hold that the only legitimate purpose of government is to safeguard our rights and our property—and it should never threaten those things it was established to protect.
In terms of property, Libertarians generally oppose all property taxes, as they violate our private property rights. After all, if you’re always paying taxes on something, you never truly own it. You’re just renting and are at constant risk of losing it if you don’t pay the tax.
So, what of the essential services those taxes fund? We advocate for voluntary, user-based systems or other non-coercive means to fund those services. For instance, when it comes to education, we believe the responsibility should remain with the parents, who should be able to choose from a free market of private options that can provide the best possible solutions at any level of the student’s ability and the family’s amount of financial support.
Our stance on privacy also extends to bodily autonomy. Libertarians believe that individuals should have the right to make choices about their own bodies without any government interference. This includes:
Personal Privacy
Andrew Amelang
Party Chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas
Medical Freedom
Legalized Cannabis
Personal Relationships
We oppose any mandates or restrictions on treatments, vaccines, or reproductive rights.
We advocate for the legalization of cannabis and other personal
drug choices. We view prohibition as an infringement on personal freedom and
something that only empowers lawless gangs and cartels.
Libertarians support the right of consenting adults to form any
voluntary relationship without state regulation.
Ballot Access
Perhaps more important than how you choose to vote is your ability to cast your ballot, have your voice heard, and be able to participate in your government. The Libertarian Party of Texas strongly pushes for equal access to the ballot—and not just for voters.
Unfortunately, our electoral system is controlled by the two dominant legacy parties. Third parties and independent candidates are often shut out of the system through various technicalities of election law. We vehemently oppose any law that makes it harder for these candidates to appear on the ballot, viewing this is a form of voter suppression.
A significant part of the electorate has asked for more options—we support opening the process to more voices and more choices.
We all have different backgrounds and experiences that shape our political beliefs. We know that true Texans believe in the right to express those views and, more importantly, have broader representation and more choices when election time rolls around. Whatever your stance on the issues, just know that in the Lone Star State, you have an alternative in the Libertarian Party of Texas.
“Globalism puts the power in the hands of the plutocracy, and they pit us against each other,” says Amelang. “We want to get our country off this trajectory toward conflict. With peace comes prosperity.”
For more information about the Libertarian Party of Texas, go to
www.lptexas.org.
Our Stance on Key Issues
First Amendment — Freedom of speech and thought
LPTexas upholds the ideal that government should not interfere nor discriminate in matters of personal conscience, such as religion, speech, creativity, or political activity.
We encourage citizens to practice their freedom of speech liberally in an open marketplace of ideas. Likewise, freedom of thought and belief is essential to a free society. No one may force their own beliefs on others through use of government power or support.
Freedom of thought, speech, and association necessarily entails that we tolerate the speech of others we disagree with. The appropriate response to bad ideas is to ignore them or rebut them with better ideas; censorship is not the answer.
First Amendment
Second Amendment — Right to Keep and Bear Arms
LPTexas supports the unalienable right of individuals to purchase, possess, manufacture, trade, own, and carry arms, including body armor, for the defense of person and property in a manner consistent with the Non-Aggression Principle and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
‘Gun control’ laws don’t stop crime, they primarily interfere with the right of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves from crime. We encourage individuals to be prepared to defend themselves from crime rather than relying on the good intentions of others. “When minutes count, the police are only hours away.” “An armed society is a polite society.”
Second Amendment
Privacy
Bodily Autonomy
Property Tax
Ballot Access
Privacy
LPTexas believes in an inherent right to privacy. As such, we oppose any legislation that restricts an individual’s ownership and use of property or conduct of consenting adults. We also oppose any requirement to register property with a government entity as a condition of ownership except where it is reasonably necessary to document the holder of a clear title to said property. We hold that the only legitimate purpose of government is to protect our rights and property; it should never become a threat to the very things it was established to protect.
We also oppose the ubiquitous surveillance of individuals that are not suspected of a specific crime.
Bodily Autonomy
Libertarians strongly uphold the principle of bodily autonomy, believing that individuals have the right to make personal choices about their own bodies without government interference. This extends to medical decisions, where they oppose mandates or restrictions on treatments, vaccines, or reproductive rights. We advocate for the legalization of cannabis and other personal drug choices, viewing prohibition as an infringement on personal freedom. In relationships, Libertarians support the right of consenting adults to form any voluntary relationship without state regulation. Overall, we emphasize personal responsibility and freedom from coercion.
Prohibition also empowers lawless gangs and cartels to provide what the government has suppressed; ending prohibition would end the so-called ‘war on drugs’ altogether. Adults should be able to make their own choices regarding what to put into their body and what not to; parents should make those decisions for their minor children. The government should not make those decisions for anyone.
Property Tax
Libertarians generally oppose property taxes, viewing them as a violation of private property rights. We believe that individuals should fully own their property without being subject to ongoing government fees or the risk of losing their property for non-payment. Instead, advocate for voluntary, user-based systems or other non-coercive means to fund essential services.
The perpetual property tax regime means effectively and logically that we never actually own our property free and clear–we just rent it from the government. Related to the property tax regime is the government indoctrination system, which depends on the property tax regime for funding. We believe that the property tax regime should be eliminated, that responsibility for the education of children should remain with their parents, and that a free market of competing solutions will provide the best possible education for children at any level of ability and financial support.
Ballot Access
The Libertarian Party of Texas strongly advocates for equal ballot access, opposing laws that make it difficult for third parties and independent candidates to appear on the ballot. We view these restrictions as a form of voter suppression that limits voter choice and undermines democracy. The party supports reforms that make the electoral process more accessible and fair for all political groups, ensuring that every voter has a full range of options.
For years a significant majority of the electorate (ranging from 2/3 to 4/5 in recent polls) has asked for more choices on the ballot. Unfortunately, the electoral system is controlled by the two dominant legacy parties, and third parties and independent candidates are shut out of the system through various technicalities of election law. We support opening the process to more voices and more choices.
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