a libertarian's view on the holidays

We Libertarians get a bad rap sometimes. You know, because we expect people to take care of themselves instead of having the government take care of them. Usually this gets extrapolated into us being heartless bastards who don't care about anyone but ourselves. However, that's not it. It really means that we don't think that the government should be dictating what causes our money should go to.

The Libertarians I know are some of the most generous people on the earth. We donate to charities that we think are important and get all weepy at the thought of those who are struggling (whatever they may be struggling with). It is in this spirit that I share with you The Scary Mommy Thanksgiving Project.

It's so easy for us to get caught up in our own holiday plans. Personally, this year is the first year ever I'm going to be hosting Thanksgiving, so I've got a lot on my mind. Menu-planning, house-cleaning, how-are-we-all-going-to-fit-around-this-table problems. One problem I don't have, however, is wondering how or if I can afford to buy the food to feed my family. It's honestly not an issue that ever crosses my mind, Thanksgiving or not. C and I both have decent jobs, we live in a place that's relatively low cost (NYC it is not), and we don't have a lot of horribly expensive extraneous expenses (such as medical bills) that drain our finances to the point where we have to really crunch the numbers when it comes time for grocery shopping. For that, we are fortunate. Unfortunately, that means that it doesn't often cross my mind that others are not as lucky as we are, and that makes me feel ashamed.

And so I would beseech you, if you're feeling thankful this time of year for all that you have, consider donating a little bit or a lotta bit to the Thanksgiving Project. It only takes $50 to sponsor an entire family, or you can donate as little as $1. Anything helps, and I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving.