Harry Browne's
stand on
Family Values
Overview
The Constitution gives the federal government no authority to tell us how to live
our lives. However, the politicians insist upon governing every aspect of our existence.
Democratic and Republican politicians believe Americans are dysfunctional children
who need government to act as their parents. Both parties seek to impose their values
and recognize no limits on their authority.
Who Should Decide Such Questions?
If you ask the government to impose morality, you are asking that moral questions
be decided by those with the most political power. This means that people like Teddy
Kennedy and Newt Gingrich will dictate personal morality to you.
When you choose a political solution as your means for restoring virtue to society,
you must then wait until the majority becomes virtuous enough to vote for the right
policies. But granting everyone personal freedom would get the job done much faster
-- by giving people an incentive to be upright. A free market rewards virtue and punishes
irresponsibility, while government does just the opposite.
I respect your right to choose and act on your own values, to work with other families
and your community to achieve the goals you set for yourselves. Americans have always
been able to solve problems on their own, without government interference.
The Quotable Harry Browne: on Family Values
"The best thing we can do for family values is to repeal the income tax. Then families
will have the resources they need to implement their own values -- and not those of
the politicians."
"With the income tax gone, families will no longer be forced to have two breadwinners
by necessity. Children will be raised better, family values will predominate, and
crime will diminish. If your local school indoctrinates your child with values that
are alien to you, you'll have the money to buy a private education."
"By continuing to preach family values, conservative politicians keep you on the hook
-- even though they're doing nothing to actually promote such values or free you from
government oppression."
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