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These ads featuring Dru Heaton and Scott Stewart were created to promote the Pima County Libertarian Party.
Why I Support the Libertarian Candidate
Opinion and analysis of Dru Heaton
published June 15, 2024 in the Arizona Daily Star
Sunshine Libertarians. In a historic election, the 2024 Libertarian National Committee (LNC) Convention delegates chose Chase Oliver as our presidential candidate. This nomination triggered a cascade of opposition both within the party and without – some I anticipated, but some I did not. As I write this, I have received word that the Montana state affiliate has denounced Mr. Oliver entirely, and I hear other Libertarians throwing their influence to candidates outside of our party.
Immediately after Mr. Oliver’s nomination, an avalance of images along with regurgitated phrases vibrated the social media airwaves and misrepresented his positions by positing he is for government mask and vaccine mandates and ‘transing’ kids. Judge for yourself. Watch the LNC presidential debate @LibertarianParty on YouTube.
Mr. Oliver wore a COVID mask. I rarely meet anyone who, beginning on day one of the pandemic response, refused to mask, as I did. If someone chooses to wear a mask now for whatever reason, it is none of my business. Mr. Oliver states his case clearly, “(P)eople want to make decisions for themselves and not be shamed that they made a decision differently than their neighbor. You can make whatever decision you want in your life. I will never ever, ever allow the government to make that decision for you.” Libertarian.
Mr. Oliver suggested people get the COVID-19 vaccine. I rarely meet anyone who is completely unvaccinated – including those, like myself, who advocate for informed medical and health consent. Additionally, not everyone who rejects the COVID-19 vaccines rejects all other vaccines, as I do. While I am convinced that all vaccines have some type of permanent or lasting negative effect, I respect the right of individuals and parents to make medical and health choices for themselves and their children. I understand the current outrage some of you have about these government mandates, but where were you when it did not affect you, your employment, or your business? Where were you when these same policies discriminated against already injured adults and children … for decades? Mr. Oliver correctly states, “One-size-fits-all healthcare is not Libertarian” and “I don’t trust government medicine … I would get rid of the FDA, NIH, and the CDC. We do not need these government agencies conrolling our lives.” Libertarian.
Mr. Oliver supports parents who seek gender-affirming care for their children. He has stated, “I’ve always had the position that surgery is for 18 and older … I’m not in support of ‘transing’ kids. I support parents meeting with their doctor to determine the best healthcare decisions for their kids on a case-by-case basis … (U)ltimately, a doctor should not be required by government nor an insurance company or any kind of mandate to violate their oath or their desire to help and heal, period.” “I don’t want to tell you how to raise your kids, and I don’t want to tell other parents how to raise their kids because that’s not my job. My job is to reduce the size and scope of government and the abuses that exist.” Libertarian.
The test of one’s Libertarian commitment to principle is precisely the active defense of those with whom you disagree. It is especially true in the act of supporting the liberty of someone. Not. Like. You. And that is why, despite our religious and cultural differences – the differences of our social and medical choices – Mr. Oliver and I seek shelter in the same party of principle – united in the only political movement against an omnipotent state that seeks to criminalize individuals for exercising their individual rights. Regarding masks, vaccines, or health decisions for ourselves and our children, the question is, “Who decides?” Presidential candidate Chase Oliver and I promote the Libertarian solution: “Not the state!”
Introducing the Pima County Libertarians’ New Leader
Opinion and analysis of Jonathan Hoffman
published March 5, 2021 in the Arizona Daily Star
Much has been happening in party politics as of late. The Arizona Republicans reelected Kelli Ward who narrowly defeated Sergio Arellano. Closer to home, Shelley Kais now heads up the Pima County Republicans, and Dru Heaton was elected to lead the Pima County Libertarians. Pima County Democrats had their election in December.
I know that we Libertarians are not taken seriously or considered newsworthy by many, but the party has been around since the early 1970s, and has permanent ballot status in the state of Arizona. I say “we” because I have been a registered Libertarian since 1980.
I thought it might be interesting to put down the popcorn and tune out the war between Republicans and Democrats for a moment and see what a local Libertarian had to say. So, I contacted Heaton and arranged to meet her for coffee and an informal interview. The interview quickly morphed into a couple of Libertarians conversing.
I asked if she had any specific plans for Tucson and Pima County. Being newly elected, she is wisely starting with raising awareness of Libertarian principles through a variety of messaging avenues, then building from there. She has already issued some press releases.
Heaton said she is working with other activists in the party toward that end, saying, “One of the reasons people do not know what the Libertarian message is is that Libertarians are not speaking it often enough or loudly enough. That is something we are trying to change.”
Here is a sample from one of her press releases: “I know this will come as a shock to some, but science is not truth. Science is not an appeal to authority. Science is the process of testing a hypothesis. Science is not consensus. No advancement in science or civilization has been made without challenging consensus.”
We talked about the merits of running candidates in local elections. There was a time when the local party believed that electing Libertarians was the way to go. Having been involved in a couple of those efforts, I can say that that ain’t happening in Tucson, though running candidates does offer people an alternative to the two major parties and provides an opportunity to offer Libertarian perspectives on local issues.
We both made the observation that the structure of Tucson elections makes it extremely difficult to elect Republicans, much less Libertarians. The Tucson City Council elections, for example, involve primary elections by ward, but the general election is citywide.
In that way, the Democrats tend to win all the City Council races since they have a significant registration advantage citywide which helps Democrats win in otherwise Republican wards.
Heaton, who has lived in Tucson since 1997, told me about attending a Libertarian meeting at which a guy said that we Libertarians like to smoke pot. Heaton disagreed saying, “I’m a Libertarian, and I have never had any form of drugs, and I don’t drink alcohol or coffee. What we have in common, the one thing we should absolutely agree on, is that we don’t want the government running our lives.”
I pointed out that arguing with each other is what we Libertarians do best. That resulted in the biggest mutual laugh of the day.
I think that Dru Heaton possesses the smarts, knowledge, energy and humility to be an asset to the Pima County Libertarians, and to our community in whatever else she may pursue.
