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Self-ownership is the foundational principle of freedom. If you don’t own yourself, you simply can’t be free. If someone else owns you, then you are a slave. Owning your property, your money and your time follow from owning yourself. These items of property are things you can peacefully acquire through trade or as a result of applying yourself and investing your time. As such, you own your money and your property which you have peacefully acquired.

Legitimate governments are instituted to secure our unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As such, rights do not come from the government; they exist independent of government. Individuals voluntarily grant government the right to act as their agent to assist them in securing their rights. As an agent, the government cannot legitimately assume powers the principal does not have to delegate. Individuals have the legitimate right to control themselves. They do not have a right to control or coerce other competent adults. As such, individuals cannot legitimately use government to control others; only to protect themselves to the extent they could on their own.

Peaceful agreements between consenting adults are their own business. So long as no other person or another’s property or money is involved, whatever two or more competent adults decide to do with their bodies, money or property is their own business. Just because something is legally permitted does not mean others must approve of the agreement or hold it to be moral. Nonetheless, in a free society, free, competent adults decide for themselves how to live their lives. Moreover, just because free people are free to trade does not mean they are compelled to trade. Free people can abstain from trading with any person for any reason.

Free people are in charge of themselves. They can decide to help others in any manner, at any time, in any amount they choose. Free people are also free to choose not to help others. Many free people voluntarily choose to assist others. This is a moral question that free people are at liberty to resolve for themselves. However, no person has a legal claim to the peacefully acquired property of another person simply because of their need. In a free society, property rights are strictly respected and protected. The need of one person, however dire, does not legitimately permit that person to trespass on another’s rights.

Free market capitalism is the only economic system which is compatible with a free society. Indeed, free market capitalism is the default setting in a free society. In a free market, people are allowed to venture their capital to pursue their own interests in an effort to create wealth. People who do a good job are rewarded economically and those who don’t are punished economically. The free market of consumers determines winners and losers. A truly free market always raises standards of living in a society. The government shouldn’t intervene to help or hinder business unless force or fraud is involved. In a free society, individuals are always free to choose a socialist system and pool their resources so long as it is voluntary among the participants. No person should ever be forced to join a collective.

Self-defense is a basic human right. No person is obligated to have a weapon or to defend him or herself. However, if a peaceful competent adult chooses to have a firearm, no other person has a legitimate right to interfere. People who initiate force with firearms should be punished.

Use of reasonable and appropriate force is always legitimate in defense of one’s self or another person or property. However, the intentional initiation of force against a non-aggressor is the hallmark of criminal activity and should always be prohibited. Sometimes determining who the aggressor is in a given situation can be challenging. Nonetheless, the principle remains that intentionally initiating force against a non-aggressor is a wrong that the law should always prohibit. A free society requires that peaceful people are free from having force imposed upon them.

Being free necessitates being in charge of yourself. Prohibiting a competent adult from ingesting a substance merely because it is harmful to himself or herself is in contradiction to the mandates of a free society. Free people own themselves and are free to use or abuse their bodies in any way they choose so long as they do not endanger or trespass on the rights of others. So long as competent adults do not endanger others and continue to meet their obligations to any children they have, they should not be prohibited from ingesting any particular substance into their own bodies.

A free society requires that people determine for themselves what religion, if any, they will subscribe to and how they worship, who they worship or if they worship at all. A free society must be entirely legally tolerant of the peaceful religious or non-religious views of others. Religion is a private matter not involving government in any way. As such, the government must neither advance nor inhibit any particular religious or non-religious views. Free people are free to promote any religion publicly or to discourage it. Private property may be used as the owner sees fit to advance or discourage any particular religious view. The government must remain strictly uninvolved.

Marriage is a private matter between free and competent adults. The government should have no role whatsoever in marriage. If free and competent adults want to be married, they are free to observe or create whatever ceremony, traditions, vows or rules they see fit to employ. Free people can utilize whatever marriage contract they voluntarily agree to honor. However, just because people assert they are married, does not require anyone else to accept their assertion or to adhere to their definition. No private person or private organization is required to recognize any marriage that fails to comply with their rules and requirements.

Victimless ‘crimes’ are simply attempts to legislate morality. Moral issues are private matters that free and competent adults are entitled to consider and resolve for themselves. It is not the proper role of government to impose any particular morality on another free, competent adult. However, just because an act is legal does not mean anyone is required to accept it as moral. Indeed, people are free to attempt to try and persuade others to accept their particular moral code and discourage others from engaging in any particular act. Free people are at liberty to entirely reject the moral judgments of others and to attempt to persuade others to accept their moral judgments, so long as there is no coercion or initiation of force.

Free and uncensored speech is another hallmark of a free society. It is also a deeply rooted American principle. All speech, including offensive, unpopular, disrespectful, racist and other varieties of offensive speech should be strictly protected. Supporting the right to free speech does not mean one agrees with what is being said. It simply confirms the notion that the government has no right to censor the opinions of a free person however unpopular. However, no person has a right to trespass on another’s private property for any reason including to express an opinion. No person has a right to force others to listen to their opinions.

Free People are not required to do anything, in particular, to help advance the cause of liberty. However, being interested in helping advance the cause of freedom means that you have an interest in doing something to help promote a free society. Some people vote for pro-freedom candidates or even run for office. Other people write articles, speak to groups, donate money to pro-freedom organizations, or simply advocate for freedom with their friends and family. The Arizona Freedom Network is comprised of pro-freedom business people who are willing to act in some way, however slight, to assist in the great and worthy cause of fighting for human freedom. Freedom is worth the effort.