Libertarians and Political Correctness

Political correctness is becoming the definition of 2016 as it was in 2015. Issues, and the treatment of those issues, seems to first pass a "background check" of sorts to see if it adheres to political correctness. I'm not here to tell you that political correctness is this awful concept that does any harm. It is honestly as harmless as you make it out to be, but there's always a group who takes it a step too far. Libertarians represent choice in all aspects of living, and this offers people a chance to be something that you don't like. How we handle it is what defines the need, or lack there of, for policy and societal change.





The Libertarian Belief

Libertarians believe in the idea that, as long as no harm is being done and no fear is being incited, there's no place in government to regulate free speech. When we think of the United States of America, one of the first things that comes to mind is this idea of freedom of speech. While we are protected by the first Amendment of the United States Constitution, the PC culture is adopting its own standards of what is and isn't accepted. This is causing a divide between those who have a strong stance against political correctness, and those who might take it too far. A vast majority of the nation, like Libertarians, understand that there is a happy medium that is not influenced by politics and satisfies the changing cultural norms of the 21st century. Our goal is to allow choice in day to day actions that guide our society in the right direction. Contrary to some opinions, a large majority of American people aren't blatantly racist, sexist, or prejudice. What they are, however, is at times described as institutionally biased. This is a very deep topic, but I'm going to point out a bright side to this situation that may come as a surprise.





Free Markets and Freedom of Choice Guide Society Forward

That's right, if you didn't know that then now you do. Free markets guide society in the right direction. Whether its workers' rights, bias, or any other issue that infringe people's abilities to live comfortably and happily, freedom of choice allows the average American to make a choice in the direction of our society. As I pointed out earlier, most people aren't blatantly prejudice. There is a systematic prejudice that is being fought everyday by a vast group of Americans. The issue is that you don't hear much about it, because media outlets eat up the negative for viewership. Here's the catch to all this: You can change it with daily actions. You don't have to protest, and you don't have to sign a petition. All you have to do is support those whose influence on society aligns with your ideas. When companies, such as Target, make bold statements or policies that better the inclusion of all people, they earn huge support from people and their policies become a reason for their success.





The Target Hypothetical

Now, let's make a hypothetical: Target includes gender neutral restrooms and states that their restrooms are accessible to transgender men and women. In return, they gain a huge customer base that supports their decision. Let's say Target outperforms competitors like Wal-Mart and Costco because of this. Wal-Mart and Costco now have a decision to make. They can either fight that policy in favor of a less progressive atmosphere, and continue to fall behind, or they can also adopt those policies in hopes of gaining those consumers back. Guess what? You just changed the shopping experience for transgender people. Competitors won't choose to fall behind. They have to stay in business, so they follow what works. What if they don't adopt inclusive policies and take the hit? Well, odds are they'll lose profit, be forced to close some stores, and now the inclusive store becomes the one that's in every neighborhood. Politicians have a duty to fight for what's best for the country. Keeping markets free allows for economic improvement, and puts people in a place to change the country for the better.





You'll Get Upset, No Doubt About It

Whether you like it or not, choice of speech and action is going to upset you. You're free to do whatever it is you like, and have the beliefs you desire. That's fantastic! But guess what? So is everyone else. This isn't a matter of defining a morality for the country. Politics doesn't define morality or legislate it. Step one to complete freedom of choice is understanding that it applies to everyone. Someone will disagree, say something you don't like, and that's all there is to it. You're going to be upset about it, and you just have to learn how to deal with it instead of letting it control you. Freedom of choice isn't about forcing everyone to adhere to your standards, its about societal Darwinism that filters out those who hold back society because they won't be able to keep up.





The Bottom Line

Take care of people's freedom of choice and the market's ability to regulate itself, and the nature of humanity will emerge. Humans are a loving and sociable creature. We take pride in doing good for others, and only a certain few find a purpose in doing the opposite. No matter what your belief may be, there is room to make an influence on the culture of our nation through your freedom of choice. Any form regulation on free markets and choice is a regulation on society's ability to progress. Both the Democrats and the Republicans are working hard to keep us divided. In 2016 you have the ability to bring that to an end. Help us unite the nation and let the people's voice be heard. Vote Libertarian and make an impact on our great nation.