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Where are all the libertarians? – Daily Montanan [1]

['More From Author', 'April', 'Russell Rowland']

Date: 2023-04-03  

Montana has a long history of people who identify as libertarian, and it is a word you still hear often in political campaigns, legislative hearings and interviews on television involving issues that address freedom.

Montana is a state where people like to be left alone to do and believe whatever they like, without interference from the government or from their neighbors. It has been that way since the fur trappers and gold miners first tromped into the region.

The definition of the word supports that basic philosophy, too, stating, “Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state’s encroachment on and violations of individual liberties.”

Although many of those who have embraced libertarian principles claim no affiliation with a political party, it’s no big secret that, in Montana, they generally align with the Republican party.

So I’m wondering where their influence is in today’s incarnation of that party? Because the current legislature in Montana appears to be way more determined to take away individual liberties than protecting them. The number of bills put forth during this session that are designed to make life uncomfortable and difficult for Montanans, especially Montanans that already feel marginalized, is alarming and should be frightening to the people of our state.

Among them are bills to make it more difficult for women to make their own decisions about their bodies, bills that ban books (House Bill 234), bills that criminalize providing health care to Montanans based on their beliefs (House Bill 303, Senate Bill 99), bills that give the State of Public Education the power to disallow classes that don’t conform to the scientific guidelines defined in the bill (Senate Bill 235), and a bill that would prevent children from attending drag show storytimes (Senate Bill 359).

So if you’re a kid in rural Montana right now, and you find yourself feeling a little bit different from your neighbors, chances are good that it’s only going to get worse. Not only is the legislature determined to make sure you feel that difference even more profoundly than you already do, but they also just shot down a bill that would have provided a psychological screening for kids in the schools (House Bill 252).

The question this raises is exactly what these legislatures are doing to make life better for Montanans. Because it seems pretty clear that their main objective is to make as many people angry as they possibly can. Their determination to “own the libs” has become so profound that they no longer care who gets hurt in the process. They certainly don’t seem to be concerned that Montana still has one of the highest suicide rates in America, and that it’s only getting worse in the age group the mental health screening bill was designed to help.

I have always been proud of the fact that our state doesn’t lean too far toward either end on the scale in extremist beliefs. Because although my rancher grandparents were hard core devotees to a certain party, and you can probably guess which one, they lived in a county that was dominated by the other party, so they always showed respect for their neighbors’ right to their own beliefs. They didn’t think their own ideas were the only ones that should be considered. That if different voices are silenced, it doesn’t make our state a better place, it makes us a state that pushes certain residents aside—or even worse, into a hole. I’m afraid that is exactly what our current legislature is determined to do. It’s not a mindset that honors its residents. It’s a mindset that crams them into a box.

And, I have a hard time believing that’s what most Montanans want.

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