Personal Responsibility

I'm not an expert on Libertarian thought. I'm the first to admit that. Truthfully, I had never even heard of Libertarians before I met my husband. Nor did I care about politics, elections, or any of the hot debate topics of the time. I really just wanted to be left alone to live my life, homeschool, and raise my kids in peace. I was a divorced mother of 3, working my tail off to educate, raise and support myself and my children the best that I could. I wasn't on any sort of public assistance. We probably qualified, but I never applied because I believed it was my responsibility to support my kids, not the government's.

I worked crappy hours at a job I loved, and supplemented that income with my writing. Many times I lived on 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I homeschooled, and parented, my kids during the day, and worked at night when they were sleeping, and when babysitters were cheaper. It was not an easy life. But it was worth it.

Later, when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I sought out non-medical, "alternative" treatments. I wasn't happy with the options the medical establishment offered me. Modern medicine was unwilling to look at why I was having these symptoms; it was only concerned with medicating them. I wanted to understand why my body was not working properly, and learn what I could to do fix it.

I've always believed that it is my responsibility to care for myself and my family, and to support those things which I believe deserve supporting. To that end,I research products before I purchase them. I try to research where a company spends it's donation dollars. What causes, and principles does the company stand for? To me, those things are as important as the quality of the product or service that company sells. When a person spends money, they are supporting not only the product they buy, but the store they buy it from. Understanding this concept is part of being an informed consumer. I don't believe it's the government's job to regulate businesses. If people act as responsible consumers, and learn about the company they are supporting with their money, then the free market will take care of the irresponsible companies, the dishonest companies,and the badly managed companies. Government regulations can't do those things. The power of responsible buying/volunteering/donating/working  (also known as the free market) can.

I get irritated when I hear people cry out for more government regulation. No matter what the topic is, the problem can be solved by the free market. If you don't like the way company X treats a certain class of people, then don't buy their products, don't volunteer there, don't donate money to company X, or any company who contributes to company X, and certainly don't work there. Find a company that treats people they way you want to see them treated and then support that company. If enough people feel as you do then company X will cease to exist due to lack of support and the other company will thrive. If company X continues on, then maybe your "issue" with them isn't as important as you believe.

Personal responsibility covers a huge number of things. It is taking responsibility for yourself, your family, your community and  your world while understanding that the only thing you really have control over is your own actions. It's being responsible for yourself, and allowing everyone around you to be responsible for themselves, even when you disagree.

If more people practiced personal responsibility instead of trying to force their opinions on others, our world, and this country would be a much more accepting place.