“True Liberalism”

 Monterey Herald, Emailed on 12-4-2024, Not published

Although many call themselves liberal, they seem to have little in common with the liberalism of the Founding Fathers. Those John Lockean liberals supported free speech, choice, gun rights,  individual property rights, civil liberties, and economic freedom. They also agreed with John Locke that slavery was detrimental to self-liberty.

We need to return to these classical liberals, like Thomas Paine, who saw government as an intolerable “evil.”  Our founders believed that governmentalism is one of the greatest dangers that continuously plague mankind. So, why do today’s so-called liberals and Democrats instead see the powerful state as their savior and emancipator?

Lawrence Samuels