April 2008

Small College Libertarian Group Makes Big Impact

By Justin Logan

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Just over six months ago there was no College Libertarian Group at Truman State University. The year before I thought I could further my political goals through the College Democrats or College Republicans depending on the issue. After going to a couple meetings I found that both groups were ineffective and they rejected my alternative beliefs. They are full of people who like to talk about issues and maybe even vote, but will never spend time to further their causes. I wanted to form an organization that would make some real changes and give Libertarians a place to belong.

After we started the group, my friend and I decided to get the word out. Over the next couple weeks we became a very visual organization. We had banners, flyers, e-mails, facebook messages, letters to the editor, campus newspaper interviews, and campus radio appearances. Within a month we had over ten active members and thirty members on facebook. We were just as large as the other political organizations, but they only go to meetings while we go out and make a difference. Through this whole process, we have also educated people around campus about what it means to be a Libertarian and as a result a lot of Truman students and faculty have found that they too are Libertarians. While we advertised the group, we contacted the Missouri LP and other campus groups around Missouri, and found a few projects to keep the group interesting and fun.

Steve Layton and Derek Glass inform a student about eminent
domain abuse and how his signature helps the cause!

The Missouri Citizen’s for Property Rights’ petition to end eminent domain abuse seemed like a great choice. Everyone signed up to be petitioners and by going out about once a week we were able to collect about five hundred pairs of signatures on campus so far. Everyone was very supportive of the issue and it helped get our group’s name out there. Every pair of signatures a group gets saves four dollars for the MOCPR and gets us that much closer to ending the abuse that the government wields against upstanding property owners.

Ron Paul’s campaign also got people excited and we did a lot to further his cause in Kirksville. We formed a ‘Students for Ron Paul’ sub-group and membership in our Libertarian group has since climbed. We then went door to door in the community, hosted informational tables, made phone calls, reminded people to vote and voted for Ron Paul. When the votes were totaled Adair County came in with 8.4%, which was more than double the state average and the precincts we canvassed were higher than the average of the county. On campus Ron Paul came in second with 22% of the vote.

We also got to know each other at election watching parties, which really brought the group together for a common cause. The parties we’ve had and the social events we’re planning keep things fun. I’ve actually met some of my best friends through this group and I would recommend other students to make groups like this, even if it’s only to find friends that you can talk politics with. It’s encouraging to find that you’re not the only Libertarian on campus and that not everyone blindly follows the other parties.

It’s not all fun and games though; eventually we have to start working again. The next event will be on March 27th at 8pm. The College Libertarians and Republicans have gotten Ward Connerly to come to Truman and speak out against racial preferences in government. We will also be collecting signatures for the Missouri Civil Rights Initiative to end racial discrimination and reverse discrimination in the state government. In addition we will have promotions and a quota based Affirmative Action Bake Sale to raise awareness about the issues.

The rest of the semester will see a tax debate and information week, an election BBQ, and a strong Ron Paul Caucus involvement. We’ll also start collecting signatures for the 18 to drink petition. This next fall we will host a foreign policy speaker from the Cato Institute and show Team America. All the events will help educate people about the stances Libertarians have and on the kind of people we try to be. Starting at the college level is important to make sure that people at least know who we are and what we stand for. It would be a shame if people went all their lives without knowing about the alternatives, and that’s exactly what we aim to fix.

After this whole experience, all I know is that if I hadn’t of started the organization six months ago we wouldn’t be where we are today. Most people on Truman’s campus would never know what a Libertarian was. They wouldn’t have signed our petitions and they wouldn’t be exposed to speakers like Ward Connerly. All it took was a little time to fill out a form and to round up some supporters. I know you can do the same at your school, or have a similar organization for your community. They don’t take that much time to run, but they have a lasting affect on the area. If you’re looking for something to do to further the Libertarian cause, think about starting a local group at your school or community. It’ll make a big difference and might even be a little fun.