Libertarians hold area meeting

Pitchers of brew and some mutton stew surrounded Bloomington residents, students and guests as they discussed the future for Libertarians in Bloomington.\nThe Monroe County Libertarian Party, represented by six small business owners and two students among others, congregated Tuesday night at the Irish Lion, 212 W. Kirkwood Ave., to discuss the party's future plans in Bloomington, throughout Indiana and in the United States. \nThe main business objective involved a public announcement of the postponement of interior party elections, which currently boasts seven elected officials in Indiana and about 600 elected Libertarians nationwide. \n"The reason why we exist is to get libertarians elected to office," said Margaret Fette, Monroe County Libertarian Party chairperson. \nIU junior Dan Shockley, who founded the College Libertarians, said the Libertarian Party needs to be more vocal about its politics within the Bloomington community to bolster support for Indiana rights and less federal intervention in state social policy.\n"I have always been interested in individual responsibility," Shockley said. "The main thing I am focused on is definitely less government intervention in everything." \nThe Libertarian Party's overall view on the role of the federal government is slightly more specific.\n"I believe that government should definitely play a large part in national defense and police and fire protection," Mette said. "We believe in government at the most fundamental level." \nMonroe County resident Rebecca Sink-Burris, vice chair of the Indiana Libertarian Party, elaborated on the Libertarian ideal of the fundamental role of government -- claiming the Patriot Act was an example of an excessive attempt at government protection. \n"The original idea of government was to protect citizens and otherwise leave them alone," Sink-Burris said. "Now the federal government is trying to protect us from ourselves, and it's gone too far." \nIn response to generalizations about the party's belief system, Sink-Burris was vocal about the true identity of her political affiliation.\n"We are the original constitutionalists," Sink-Burris said. "Part of the founding of our country was based on the individual rather than collectives, according to Jefferson and many other founding fathers. We are classic liberals."\nIn discussion of the items that Libertarians believe should be funded by government, education did not come up as an issue of concern for them.\n"What we would like to see in education is more competition," Sink-Burris said. "Indiana public schools have become more about employing adults than educating children." \nSink-Burris said that New Zealand as an excellent example of a nation where a choice of schools is given to children, and that therefore forces schools to earn public approval.\nHowever, Fette said that the party does not believe in cutting all government aid. \n"There are a whole lot of other things we can cut before social service," Fette said. "Corporate welfare is something that should definitely be cut, for starters." \nAbove all, Fette said, the party -- represented in Indiana by chair holders comprised mostly of small business owners -- believes in the responsibilities of the individual. \n"Right now government's view is very myopic; they don't look at the consequences for the individual," said Fette. "Governments are supposed to be more centered at the local and county level, and less at the state level. Right now it's completely backwards."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Michael Beal at mdbeal@indiana.edu.