Abolishing a Two-Party System
At this point in the 2016 presidential race, there are four candidates left for the American public to choose. Hillary Clinton, former First Lady and Secretary of State, is responsible for four American deaths in Benghazi. Clinton is alleged to have classified information on her own private server, jeopardizing national security and possibly facing federal indictment. Donald Trump, an esteemed billionaire worth 4.5 billion dollars, is the front-runner for the Republican party. Trump has been repeatedly marked as a “bigot,” “racist,” “Islamophobe” and has been compared to Adolf Hitler. He spews numerous insults like those of a fifth-grader. The self proclaimed democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders, is trailing Hillary Clinton by 701 delegates while Clinton is only 670 delegates away from winning the Democratic Party’s nomination. Bernie promises to provide free public college and universal healthcare to every American. He plans to pay for these by taxing the rich more heavily than they are now and raising taxes on corporations. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas and an attorney, graduated from Princeton University in 1992 and Harvard Law School in 1995. Cruz is an advocate for the second amendment and is often called out for Islamophobic comments and traditional views.
We, as Americans, live in a society where Republicans and Democrats are both as equally hypocritical.
In general, each party has created a die-hard, almost cult-like following. Instead of voting for the candidate that best serves their interests, most people end up voting only for one side of the political spectrum. This divide in our country causes a political stalemate, not only in Washington D.C., but also in normal life.
Republicans often believe stepping on the flag or minor offenses of possession of marijuana should result in prison time. Now, in no way am I advocating for stepping on the flag or using recreational drugs, but true freedom would let the people choose for themselves. And instead of imprisoning addicts, rehabilitation can help to turn some addicts’ lives around. Republicans often share anti-LGBT views and can feel strongly about the teachings of the Bible. They usually have strong views for pro-life and anti-gay marriage.
Democrats often push for anti-gun agendas in an attempt to stop gun violence, but in doing so violate the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms. Again, the true freedom is allowing the people to choose whether they believe guns actually help their safety. These same people, when others share political views that differ from someone else’s, call those with opposing opinions bigots, Islamophobes and xenophobes. This same group is the one that marginalizes conservatives as racists that hate immigrants.
We, as Americans, live in a society where Republicans and Democrats are both as equally hypocritical. Both sides fight for “freedom,” but want to ban certain ideas or practices. Democrats often call parts of the Constitution they do not agree with outdated. Republicans often pick and choose parts of the Bible that discriminate gay people; however, these parts are coming from the Old Testament, which also says that you cannot wear two different types of fabric. These strong opposing ideas can often create a lot of tension between Republicans and Democrats.
In this election, many people feel that none of the Democratic or Republican candidates fit their needs for a president. It may be time to look into a third party candidate. One option is the Libertarian Party. Like Ron Swanson from “Parks and Recreation,” Libertarians believe in a ubiquitous freedom. They are mostly pro-LGBT and pro-capitalism as they believe in keeping the government out of the economy and people’s personal lives. Most Libertarians are pro-marijuana legalization and pro-gun as they believe in freedom of the people—even if it is not how they personally feel. Libertarians feel that the U.S. should not be the world’s police and should leave other countries alone to deal with their own problems. Government is at most a necessary evil for Libertarians.
Libertarian views are not new ideas. Ron Paul and his son, Rand Paul, are examples of Libertarian candidates. Tim Moen, a Libertarian candidate in Canada, is quoted as saying, “I want gay married couples to be able to protect their marijuana plants with guns.” Libertarianism is more of being centered and being more of a realist. At its core, Libertarianism is about following the Constitution and giving the people the power and freedom to do as they choose. After all, we live in a constitutional republic that chooses solely what the people want.
As we move further into the future, a third-party candidate may secure a presidential election. The idea of a two party system and the choice of “the lesser of two evils” must be ended. While Libertarianism is not the only third party option, it is a great example of a more centered party that can break the cycle of a two party system. But first, we must move beyond the notion of strictly two parties against each other.