Majority of One

I'm paraphrasing this a bit, but when I was in seventh grade, our English teacher Mrs. Lutz taught us the concept of the "Majority of One". If I remember correctly, Emerson was visiting Thoreau, who was in jail for a civil disobedient act of refusing to pay a poll tax that was supporting slavery and a war with Mexico.

Emerson asked something like, "Henry, why are you here?" And Thoreau replied, "Waldo, why are you not here?"

Thoreau felt he was correct in his convictions, even if everyone else felt otherwise, (or probably more accurately, were just apathetic). He was a Majority of One.

I mailed in my early ballot yesterday. I am very comfortable with my Presidential choice. In fact, I think it may the most confident I have ever been about my choice. I wrote in the good doctor, Ron Paul.

I am confident I am right. Ron Paul will never be President, but that doesn't mean I wasted my vote. Most people are mindless sheep, casting their votes for who will better fill their wallets or have government do their bidding for them. But a vote for Ron Paul was a vote for Liberty. Our government has been manipulated far too long by the interest groups of both the Right and Left, ignoring the rights of common Americans or the Constitution that protects them.

My Majority of One does not depend on the support of others, nor on convincing others that I am correct. Instead, it is based on the simple conviction I have that the liberty of all is more important than the "security" the Republicans can give us from the "terrorists" or the "support" Democrats can give us by redistributing the wealth of others.

I had to choose between an old man that promises to keep my taxes in check or a charismatic pop star who wants America to be a better place by making us all feel more "hopeful".

Well they can keep their tax promises and feel-good sermons. From now on, I am only voting for those who actually believe the best way to keep this country great is to stick to the founders' principles of personal liberty, not the promises of politicians who will say anything to fit their constituency's desires.

We as Americans will never be great again until we get past our own self interests and change our view of what role government should have in our lives. But that is an intellectual choice, one I am not sure most people can make. Regardless, I will make my choices confidently, even if it means remaining a Majority of One.