I originally wrote this after Interviewing Lon Cecil, the Libertarian canadite for the United States house of Representatives in North Carolina on Oct. 28 . He was one of the most interesting people I ever interviewed, and this was a very enjoyable article for me to write. I hope you enjoy reading
Freedom Lives through Lon Cecil
Politics can be a nasty game for anyone who chooses to become a part of it. What makes it harder to play in this game today is if you not a part of one of the two main parties. Well, Lon Cecil is one of the few Politicians today who runs with an honest campaign for a contender who probably isn’t going to achieve victory. Then why would someone spend the last few months campaigning and advertising on what is most likely is an impossible victory. Well, for Lon Cecil and many other Libertarian Canadians in the U. S. today, their passion in their political, social, and moral ideology is too strong for them to not become a new voice in
American politics.
The Libertarian Party of the United States is currently the third largest party in the United States. The platform of the party is libertarianism, which favors strong civil rights, a unregulated capitalistic market system, and nonintervention in foreign policy that freedom of trade and travel to any foreign country. There are currently 250,000 thousands in 30 states who are registered with the party. While taking that ideology to heart, Lon Cecil wishes to be the next one elected under his party banner into office.
Lon Cecil was born in 1946 to a working class family in Ada Oklahoma. Like many other Americans who were coming of age in the 1960’s, he spent two years fighting for his country in Vietnam. “It had a lot of influence on me personally. I was not a volunteer, I was drafted in 1969. It was off to boot camp, then training. For me Vietnam was an eye opening experience”, said Cecil about his tour in Vietnam.
After finish is tour overseas, he graduated with an engineering degree from Oklahoma State University in 1972. The majority of his life was concentrated in his career which he helped small and large business develops consumer electronics. While in the work force he used his creativity to innovate many different types of electronics. “I developed a wireless home alarm system in the 1970’s. I develop a device to help people start a small inventory stock. That they sued as a bar cord reader. I have a patent. Some of the other develop were sprit horns. They were manufactured in the United Stated. All American made. It was pure manufacturing economy.”
Sadly though, in 2009, his wife died after 37 years of marriage. “It changed a lot of things around my life. I don’t have children. Now the family is down to me and the three dogs.” Living through the tragedy of his wife death, Lon then decided to run for the North Carolina in district 12.
The majority Lon’s platform stems are based on the fact that America is designed to be a self-sufficient nation. Anyone living in America can succeed in this country if they have the perseverance and sheer will power to do so. For Lon, individual responsibility is a key motivation behind is reasons for running. “I was first and for most interested in individual responsibility. You pretty much think you should take care of yourself and your family. Relining on the state for things is irreverent. We want to minimize government. Minimize government taxes. We hate large amounts of government intervention,” said Cecil. Cecil campaign platform is a complex one then is Democrat or Republican counterparts. He thinks that high taxes and government intervention are two things are country needs to get rid of. “We are spending money that our grandchildren are going to have to pay off,” said Cecil. He is for the reform of many drug laws in America right now. “We look at the drug laws as establish control,” said Cecil. Cecil feels the current drug war we are in concerns a lot of federal resources. It gives other countries support there economy. He feels that if medical marijuana were legalized, it would be a great source of tax revenue. “It would comply dry out the illegal market in the United States, said Cecil.
He also supports the closing of the borders of the United States to help control illegal immigration. He is also against the Patriot Act, which was put into effect during the Bush Administration. “Get rid of it completely. It is a great intrusion of our personal freedoms,” said Cecil. And not only does he support ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he wishes that the U.S military bring home the troops that are currently station in Japan, Germany, and Korea.
Cecil is currently running against Congressman Mel Watt, which is a hardcore Democrat. He has been the incumbent representative for the last 18 years in district 12. “He has done a very effective job for voting for every tax in the last 18 months,” said Cecil. Cecil feels that the people of North Carolina want to see the bush tax cuts increase. He also thinks that many feel the health care bill that Watt supported was the wrong direction that the United States is taking. “It is very good plan to bankrupt way to bankrupt up us,” said Cecil. The republican candidate that Cecil is running against is presently Greg Dority.
It honestly does it take a great amount of effort for a part of a third party system in America. We currently live in a two party system in which the chance for a third party victory is at a strong statistical disadvantage. Currently in almost every election the clear cut winner is either a Democrats or a Republican. And many times a third party often not even recognized. Cecil struggles with that disadvantage in his current election. “We have just been ignored. Libertarian, greens, conservatives, and any of the other party”, said Cecil. While becoming a strong third party is a difficult task for Libertarians, it is something the ones who agree with the ideology think that it is necessary to do put up with. “It’s difficult. It’s frustrated. It’s in many ways it’s discriminating,” said Cecil. Hopefully in time, Cecil feels that this taboo against a third party will be reversed.
Lon Cecil’s campaign is proves that libertarian party is a grass roots movement. It’s small in size, and many times their cannonades only run so that the major parties can change their statues on issues slightly.
The Libertarian Party was formed in the United States in late 1971 because of the controversy surrounded by the Vietnam War as well as the plea to get American monetary system back on the gold standard. In the last 40 years though, the party continued to grow. And by 2009, 146 libertarians were holding elected offices throughout the United States. Individuals like Lon Cecil want to continue the dream of the Libertarian philosophy by presently running for office in late 2010. Only time will tell though, how Cecil and others will change the United States of America.
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