Eric Ferguson Illinois

Hi, Eric Ferguson here, Illinois Libertarian. I ran for Illinois State Representative (District 85) in 2002. I received a little more than 20% of the vote. I ran in 2008 for US Congress but was removed from the ballot. I'm not giving up and fully intend to run for office again. The challenge of course is getting on the ballot. Illinois has among the most difficult ballot access requirements for anyone not in one of the "power" parties.
I like to think of myself as an intellectual, purist, and responsible. I have a sensible approach to libertarianism. Libertarians are often viewed as extreme. In reality most libertarians are very sensible and realistic. Libertarianism can seem extreme when compared to the establishment of the Republicrats. The best I can hope for is to present the facts in a clear and concise manner. With any luck somebody will learn the establishment is trying to hurt them, and succeeding. People argue over conservative versus liberal. This battle was created to take the attention away from the fact that no matter who is in charge we get the same results. It's called divide and conquer. As long as half the people support one and the rest support the other they are guaranteed to remain in power. The two "power" parties are actually one party with two halves. They invent issues that affect only small portions of the population and build them up to major headlines. This is to distract you from what's really important. With Republicrat control we ALWAYS get:

increased spending increased debt less personal and financial freedom rotten foreign policy

Ask yourself if you feel safer today than you did 5 years ago. More free? School better? Taxes lower? all taxes, income, property, sale, sin? Now go back 10 years, 20, 30... things are not better, they're worse. We certainly have less personal freedom than ever. We're blinded because our standard of living is the best it's ever been, HDTV, DVD players, iPods, dish washers, Taco Bell, central air-conditioning, heated 8-way power seats, etc. Don't confuse standard of living with freedom. Our government is the most expensive and most intrusive that it's ever been. And almost all Federal laws are unconstitutional. Most of us have no idea, we don't have a thorough understanding of the Constitution or freedom.
All too often people think libertarians are anarchists. Some DO present themselves that way. And libertarianism can be compared to anarchism. Libertarianism may start there, but this isn't and never will be utopia. We support a completely free market, yet respect a government justice system and national defense. There are things that government can do for its residents. The U.S. Constitution was drawn specifically for those purposes. Government is charged with two duties, protecting the rights of the individual and protecting the sovereignty of the nation, nothing more. Anarchists (anarcho-capitalists) believe that is best left up the residents as well, and there is some validity to the idea. The Constitution was made amendable purposely because the framers had no idea what the future would hold. However, they never intended for a Code of Federal Regulations and a separate United States Code, each containing tens of thousands of laws, many of which violate or attempt to "work around" the Constitution.
I find that most people agree with most of what libertarianism has to offer. But there's always an issue or two that drives them away, because they are so set in their ways or believe in the falsehoods of a given subject. I want to try and change that. With freedom comes excess. But we should not be afraid of freedom, it is our best friend. There is no such thing as too much freedom. There is however such a thing as too little responsibility. Libertarians believe we are all to be held responsible for our actions, including our government. Government which governs best governs least.
There's more at my official website:
ERIC FERGUSON.ORG "This were a dictatorship it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator" - laughing, George W. Bush D R U G W A R F A C T S . O R G
SKEPTIC SOCIETY
"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."
- Benjamin Franklin