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Liberty Point
by Brian Irving (libertarian)
About The Author
Yankee by birth, Southerner by choice … American by the grace of God.
I was born in The Bronx, New York on January 2, 1949, the day before my mother’s birthday. Our family moved to North Massapequa on Long Island in the early 50s, where I grew up.
I've beenintereested in politics all my life. As a teen, I wasinvolved with the TeenAge Republicans (TARs) and a fervent Barry Goldwater supporter. That was my first introduction to libertarianism, although I don't recall every hearing the word. I also enjoyed science fiction, including Robert Heinlein. But again, I do not recall him as a libertarian.
So you might say I've been a closet libertarian all my life.
After graduating high school in 1967, I joined the U.S. Air Force and served 12 years as an enlisted man, mostly in the public affairs field. During my first assignment to the Philippines, I met and married by wife of 40 years, Maria Elisa (Lisa) Quiambao.
In 1980, I was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant and served as a public affairs officer at bases in Italy, the United Kingdom and Florida, and North Carolina, where I spent five years at Pope AFB in Fayetteville.
When I retired in 1992 after 25 years service, my wife and I choose to move back to Fayetteville and North Carolina. I decided to devote my “second career” to work in the non-profit field and to being a freelance writer. My jobs included working as communications director for the United Way of Cumberland County and as an administrative assistant for Catholic Social Ministries, and later St. Ann Catholic Church.
I also began my political career in Fayetteville, helping form a Libertarian Party chapter and running as the Libertarian candidate for Cumberland County commissioner (twice) and NC Senate District 21. I also ran twice for the non-partisan Fayetteville city council and was appointed to two terms on the Fayetteville City Planning Commission from July 2000 to July 2004, including two years a chair.
Lisa and I decided to move to Wake County in 2006 to be near our two married children, Annalisa and Daniel, and our six grandchildren. We live in Cary.
While serving my second tour at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, I earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies from the University of the Philippines. Later, I received a master’s degree in public administration from Webster University and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University (New Orleans).
Currently, I’m the state Libertarian Party communications director.
TANSTAAFL About The Column
This column is about practical and principled politics for libertarian. Libertarians can engage in practical politics without compromising our principles — and we should — because just by doing so, we can change the debate, impact the political process far greater than our numbers might otherwise allow, educate people about our ideas, and advance the cause of liberty.
Presidential candidates should read the job description
Published: November 5, 2011
The power and duties of the office of President of the United States, especially the duty to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed" must be understood in the context of the oath of office.
Why I Am Not Running for President
Published: October 29, 2011
The virtually unchecked and unlimited power bestowed on the President of the United States is a disgrace and dishonor to the Founding Fathers.
The sun never sets on the U.S. military
Published: October 22, 2011
In the 19th and 20th centuries British colonialists and imperialists proudly proclaimed, "The sun never sets on the British Empire." Today we can sadly say that the sun never sets on the U.S. military.
Dr. Mary Ruwart endorses Lee Wrights for president
Published: October 21, 2011
Lee Wrights is a principled, knowledgeable libertarian who presents our message in a compelling yet uncompromising manner.
War breeds war. Peace breeds prosperity.
Published: October 15, 2011
The world needs the goods and services Americans can potentially produce more than it needs some planetary protection from evil that America can't possibly provide.
Republicans don't support all the troops
Published: October 8, 2011
Gay soldier booed and commander-in-chief aspirants remain silent
Nothing good grows at the Department of Agriculture
Published: October 1, 2011
USDA is one monumental giveaway scheme, a labyrinth of policies and plans designed to take money from productive people and give it to individuals who either cannot or will not produce.
No Child Left Behind is leaving all children behind
Published: September 24, 2011
The No Child Left Behind bungle is another situation where a government-run public education system doesn't get a passing grade, at any level.
Waste and fraud pervade wartime contracting
Published: September 17, 2011
"War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few." (James Madison)
Ten years of fear is enough
Published: September 7, 2011
Our supposed rulers want us to be afraid, to be victims, because people who are afraid are easier to manage, eager to hear someone tell them they will be taken care of, and more willing to comply with government edicts without question.
U.S. Constitution Day Resolution
Published: August 29, 2011
"Every word of a constitution is the difference between power and freedom."- James Madison
Decriminalizing drugs will save lives and money
Published: August 24, 2011
There is no question that decriminalizing drugs will not only save lives, it will save money.
The most destructive war in American history
Published: August 15, 2011
We can stop all the foreign wars in which the United States is mired, bring all the troops home, and yet we will still be raining death and destruction on the American people if we continue the War on Drugs at home.
Communist Party chair endorses voting for 'lesser of two evils'
Published: August 7, 2011
So sadly lost in all the political prancing of partisan posturing is the fact that, great or small, voting for evil begets evil. Always has always will. As long as we continue to vote for the lesser of two evils, evil "always" wins.
Voting for the lesser of two evils
Published: August 3, 2011
However you want to justify or rationalize it, when you vote for the "lesser of two evils" you're not just betraying your principles but also abandoning all hope of ever having a government that respects and defends liberty and freedom.
The manufacture and manipulation of fear
Published: July 23, 2011
Fear is such a strong emotion and so easy to arouse that it is, deplorably, one of the most powerful weapons in a politician's arsenal.
The Wasted Vote Lie
Published: July 12, 2011
Th Wasted Vote Lie is a deliberate, carefully crafted fable concocted and perpetrated by the Democratic and Republican duopoly to maintain their stranglehold on power.
Wrights joins call to end to U.S. militarism
Published: July 6, 2011
The wars in which the United States is currently engagedin ... are harming U.S. national and economic security, degrading the standing of the United States in the world community, fueling hatred abroad for Americans and undermining the rule of law.
Reviving the Spirit of '76
Published: July 2, 2011
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson
Don't raise the debt ceiling, stop the spending.
Published: June 27, 2011
The spectacle of the Republican and Democratic leaders in Washington D.C. purportedly struggling over the seemingly monumental issue of raising the debt ceiling illustrates just how far out of touch the president and Congressional leaders are with th
Group rights are a dangerious illusion
Published: June 13, 2011
Two people, 200 people, 2 million people, even the world's populations combined do not have more rights than one person.
N.C. House passes bill to lower ballot access barriers
Published: June 8, 2011
Bipartisan measure supported by broad coalition of groups from across the political spectrum.
Patriot Act renewal gives terrorists another victory
Published: June 1, 2011
Terrorism does indeed pose a greater threat to freedom and liberty today than at any time in history, before or after Sept. 11, 2001. But the threat isn't caused by any plan or action of any foreign terrorist. The greatest threat posed by terror
Illegal immigrants are nullifying a bad law
Published: May 23, 2011
Frank Zappa once said that we were a nation of laws, badly written and randomly enforced. Our immigration laws are a perfect example of that principle in action.
The most dangerous man in the world
Published: May 11, 2011
Not since the days of the Persian emperor Darius has any human being held such absolute and total power over life and death.
The killing of Osama bin Laden
Published: May 3, 2011
Rather than using a trial to prove to the world that Bin Laden was guilty of the acts the United States accused him of, and that the U.S. was justified in the actions taken in retaliation, the president took upon himself the authority of judge, jury
Another president blindly taking us "knee deep in the big muddy"
Published: April 27, 2011
Once again, an American president is going "knee deep in the big muddy" without having any idea of the consequences of his actions.
Wrights to seek Libertarian presidential nomination
Published: April 16, 2011
The race for the Libertarian Presidential nomination must not be about personalities, not about radicals and reformers, but rather about principles -- the basic, core principles all libertarians believe in
Stop the war on dying cancer patients
Published: April 13, 2011
Stopping all war is not just something we need to do in the Middle East. It is something we need just as badly here at home. Each year, government bureaucracy kills thousand of Americans by denying them the right to obtain potentially life-saving medical treatments and drugs.
Military tribunals are an affront to the Constitution
Published: April 6, 2011
Military tribunals are an affront to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the legacy of our national heritage.
Lies, damn lies and presidential statements
Published: March 31, 2011
Everything about the U.S. and NATO attack on Libya has been based on lies, deceit and distortions.
Obama takes the Nobel Peace Prize to war
Published: March 28, 2011
"Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal."- Martin Luther King, Jr., 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner
President Obama contradicts Sen.Obama again
Published: March 25, 2011
N.C. Libertarians join in condemnation of U.S. attack on Libya.
Bombs fall on the evil and the innocent
Published: March 22, 2011
"War is violence at large scale, conducted by imperfect people using imperfect weapons on the basis of limited information. There's nothing humanitarian about that. Innocents and non-combatants will be killed." --Thomas L. Knapp
Any US attack on Libya would be unconstitutional and despicable
Published: March 19, 2011
For an American president to initiate an attack on a nation that does not threaten us is despicable enough, but to justify such aggression by citing a United Nations resolution sets a dangerous precedent that threatens our very sovereignty.
N.C. Supreme Court upholds restrictive ballot access law
Published: March 16, 2011
Court "not persuaded" that ballot access is a fundamental right, and rules it is not an absolute right.
'Nosy neighbor' foreign policy creates enemies
Published: March 15, 2011
When former President George W. Bush canceled a trip to Geneva for a charity fundraiser because he feared being arrested for war crimes, it was a shame and a blot on our nation.
Defending the Constitution means not enforcing unconstitutional laws
Published: March 6, 2011
Who we love is none of the government's the government's business
Opposing war doesn't make you a pacifist
Published: February 27, 2011
One of the most misunderstood principles of libertarianism is the non-aggression principle. The misconception starts when we use the phrase "initiation of force." People tend to focus on the last word and ignore or forget the first.
War is not the answer
Published: February 16, 2011
"What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?" (Gandhi)
NC bill would lower election barriers for third parties, unaffiliated candidates
Published: February 7, 2011
Trans-partisan coalition of alternative political parties and electoral reform groups join to Free the Vote.
Who rules Egypt is none of our business
Published: February 7, 2011
The question about who is to rule Egypt is not a question that can or should be decided by anyone in Washington DC. It is a question to be decided by the Egyptians alone.
Wrights takes 'stop all war' message to Arizona
Published: January 31, 2011
People are ready to listen to a presidential candidate who is committed to proclaiming the message to stop all war
The state of the union is still a state of war
Published: January 28, 2011
Libertarian writer and political activist R. Lee Wrights who is considering seeking the 2012 Libertarian presidential nomination, wrote this op ed in response to President Obama's State of the Union address.
N.C. Libertarians withdraw from LNC region
Published: January 25, 2011
North Carolina and Texas dissatisfied with Region 1 representation
War is not moral
Published: January 25, 2011
Every American who has ever worn a uniform should be offended and outraged by the claim by former President George H.W. Bush that the 1991 Iraq war was morally justified.
Blame Arizona shooting on the shooter
Published: January 13, 2011
We shouldn't let grief, or political agendas, obscure the fundamental truth that the real culprit in this tragedy is the individual who pulled the trigger.
N.C. Libertarians condemn FBI raids on anti-war activists
Published: January 3, 2011
State party calls actions a "fishing expedition" to intimidate war opponents
Wright's resolutions for 2011 - a declaration of peace
Published: December 31, 2010
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." (Benjamin Franklin)
Christmas present to the troops - bring them home
Published: December 24, 2010
"They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again." (Isaiah 2:4)
Reaction to WikiLeaks threatens liberty
Published: December 16, 2010
"Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." (John 3:19)
Wrights pledges 'wise and frugal' principled campaign
Published: December 6, 2010
The Libertarian message in 2012 must be a loud, clear and unequivocal call to stop all war
Rangel censure another incredible Congressional sham
Published: December 4, 2010
U.S. House first censures, then applauds New York Democrat
Airport security theater is a bad play for liberty
Published: November 30, 2010
Rather than employing proven security methods, the TSA has engaged in a war on the rights of Americans.
David Nolan: The Soul of the Libertarian Party
Published: November 23, 2010
R. Lee Wrights, a potential candidate for the 2012 Libertarian presidential nomination, released this statement on the death of party co-founder David Nolan.
Stop the spending
Published: November 21, 2010
"The truth is we cannot even begin to reduce our debt by slowing spending, lowering spending or even cutting spending. We must stop the spending." -- R. Lee Wrights
One million Americans voted Libertarian
Published: November 9, 2010
R. Lee Wrights says the most significant impact of the election is the continued growth of the Libertarian Party.
U.S. Senate hopeful asked the hard questions
Published: November 5, 2010
Libertarian Mike Beitler said his goal in North Carolina Senate race was to let the voters know there's an alternative to the bloated, outdated two-party system.
Win or lose, Libertarian candidates make a difference
Published: October 31, 2010
North Carolina's Libertarian candidates know they have made in difference in the 2010 election
Anti-war liberals should vote Libertarian
Published: October 29, 2010
Potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights says anyone opposed to war has a clear choice in this election.
Wars consume our most precious resource
Published: October 12, 2010
Potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights decries cost of wars to the lives of our young people.
Afghan war will cost another $60 billion
Published: September 27, 2010
And it will last another ten years, said potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights.
NC Supreme Court hears arguments in ballot access case
Published: September 9, 2010
Libertarian-Green challenge to state's restrictive laws may bring a landmark decision
Don't just turn the page, close the book on Iraq war
Published: September 2, 2010
R. Lee Wrights, a potential Libertarian presidential candidate, says the U.S. should close the book on the Iraq war -- and all wars.
True cost of war
Published: August 30, 2010
Potential Libertarian presidential candidate R. Lee Wrights says true cost of war is more than just a staggering $1 trillion
U.S. court upholds another restrictive ballot access laws
Published: August 27, 2010
Federal judge says North Carolina's petition signature requirement for independent U.S. House candidates is constitutional.
NY mosque issue hijacked for political expediency
Published: August 20, 2010
Mike Beitler, Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina said he had hoped common sense would prevail in the debate.
This Republican governor actually said 'no' to big government
Published: August 18, 2010
Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson vetoed 75 bills and said 'no' to increase spending and government growth
Judge may rule soon in NC ballot access case
Published: August 14, 2010
Lawsuit challenges signature requirements for independent U.S. House candidate
NC ends discrimination in political party financing fund
Published: August 7, 2010
The state Libertarian Party is now legally entitled to participate in the state’s political parties financing fund.
N.C. Supreme Court to hear Libertarian-Green challenge to state's restrictive ballot access laws
Published: July 28, 2010
State's top court will decide fate of five-year old challenge to second most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation.
NC Attorney General wants your DNA
Published: June 10, 2010
NC General Assembly considering bill to force DNA sample from people arrested for felonies.
Repeal of 'don t ask, don't tell' policy is a civil rights issue
Published: June 8, 2010
NC Libertarian candidates endorse repeal of policy to allow gays to serve openly in the military.
What does it mean to be a 'nation of immigrants?'
Published: May 7, 2010
Not only are those who do not learn from history doomed to repeat it, they also miss an opportunity to learn who they really are.
Immigrants used as scapegoats for problems caused by big government
Published: April 28, 2010
LP executive director says "Don't blame the immigrants."
NC company goes green -- with taxpayer money
Published: April 21, 2010
Celgard gets more than $52 million from the federal and local governments.
NC city fights for right to hold non-partisan elections
Published: April 14, 2010
Kinston, NC citizens suing U.S. Justice Department for overturning a referendum approving non-partisan city council elections.
NC Libertarians offer prescription for 'big government' disease
Published: April 13, 2010
There is a disease spreading in North Carolina and the country and health care reform is not the cure but one of the symptoms, the chair of the North Carolina Libertarian Party told delegates gathered for the party’s annual state convention in Burlington April 10.
Removing N.C. ballot access restrictions an issue that transcends political differences
Published: March 18, 2010
The five-year struggle of the Libertarian and Green parties to strike down the states highly restrictive ballot access laws has drawn allies from across the political spectrum.
Historic ballot access lawsuit reaches N.C. Supreme Court
Published: March 15, 2010
A coalition of civil rights and public policy advocacy groups from across the political spectrum has joined the North Carolina Libertarian and Green parties in their lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state's election laws.
Without Power, There Can Be No Corruption
Published: November 9, 2009
NC Libertarians stay on ballot
Published: November 5, 2008
Historic first for North Carolina - "third" party retains ballot status by vote
Munger closing campaign with back roads tour
Published: November 1, 2008
Libertarian gubernatorial Candidate Mike Munger is closing his campaign with an "Old Fashioned, Hand-Shaking, Back Roads and Small Towns Tour" of North Carolina.
Cole: Waddling Debt is a Duck
Published: September 22, 2008
Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, Chris Cole, pledges "No more bailouts!"
Munger Responds to NC Education Forum 'Debate'
Published: September 19, 2008
NC Education: Everybody's Business -- except those who challenge the status quo.
The Liberty Agenda for North Carolina
Published: September 15, 2008
Libertarians in General Assembly will end forced annexation and corporate welfare and restore free elections.
The Tree of Liberty Needs Watering
Published: July 10, 2008
Read the part of the Declaration of Independence politicians don't want you to read.
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