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Author: James Atticus Bowden
Date:  January 3, 2006

Topic category:  Other/General

Don't Call Bill O'Reilly a Libertarian

O’Reilly may not know you called him a Libertarian. He even may not care. But, the Libertarians care a lot. They are very serious about who gets to wear their club label. When I gave O’Reilly an ‘attaboy’ in my last piece about Christians pushing back for CHRISTmas, I called him a Libertarian because I know he isn’t a Conservative.

O’Reilly may be conservative on some issues, but they’re too few to make him a Conservative. I thought Libertarian fit him better than Conservative. Woe is me. I got a lot of very energetic email. The Libertarians want a retraction and an apology. Apology? Was I rude or did I hurt their feelings? I guess I’ve been a Conservative too long to be that politically sensitive. I’ve heard my political philosophy, political party and faction mischaracterized wrongly more than rightly. I’ve gotten my share of personal insults and hate mail, so I thought that came with the territory of free speech.

The Libertarians, given the email I got, are really upset that Bill O’Reilly supports the War on Drugs. Secondly, it’s his statist support for Federal funding of things not found in the Constitution. Lastly, his support of the War on Islamist Terror – specifically, the campaign in Iraq is non-Libertarian (they called O’Reilly a Neo-Con). Oh, yeah, and O’Reilly is against Homosexual Marriage. There are other smaller issues too.

Libertarians of America, I concede. Bill O’Reilly is not a Libertarian. Bill O’Reilly is just O’Reilly.

Now for the apology. I’m sorry if I wounded any American citizen who is so weak that when some dufus is given their political label, they are hurt personally. We should ‘love others as you would have them love yourself’.

Getting Bill O’Reilly’s political adjectives is a trivial matter to begin this new year writing. But, it’s serious to consider how labels have been wrong for so long – intentionally. Because words have meaning, the labels matter. The MSM spews these distortions every day.

I believe that my political labels are more accurate.

Maybe I can expand this list in the future.

Meanwhile, I solicit the help of my Libertarian buddies in local and national elections to vote Republican when the Republican is actually Conservative. The common ground for Conservatives and Libertarians is important. We both agree that the power to tax is the power to rule. Opportunity and freedom are twins. We believe in Constitutional Federal system of limited governments. We share a passion for individual liberties. Conservatives know our rights are endowed by our Creator God, the Judeo-Christian God. Some Libertarians don’t believe in the author of liberty. Makes the Libertarian label ironic indeed.

James Atticus Bowden


Biography - James Atticus Bowden

James Atticus Bowden is a military 'futurist.' His novel, Rosetta 6.2, should be published in mid-2006. A retired United States Army Infantry Officer, he is a 1972 graduate of the United States Military Academy. He earned graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University. He holds three elected Republican Party offices in Virginia.


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