There’s Nothing More Libertarian than Celebrating the End of Slavery

Libertarians believe in liberty, naturally, and oppose anything that might impede it in any way.

It’s hard to imagine anything that could be the enemy of liberty more than slavery. Human bondage. The peculiar institution.

Owning people.

But who cares what I think. Let’s hear about it from the most important political libertarian of our time, former Congressman Ron Paul.

“I am pleased to support H. Con. Res. 155, legislation commemorating a monumental day in the history of liberty, Juneteenth Independence Day,” Rep. Paul said on the House floor on June 19th, 2007.

“Juneteenth marks the events of June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, TX, learned that they were at last free men and women,” Paul explained. “The slaves of Galveston were the last group of slaves to learn of the end of slavery.”

“Thus, Juneteenth represents the end of slavery in America,” Paul noted.

“I hope all Americans will take the time to commemorate Juneteenth,” the congressman added.

The champion of the Constitution then hammered home why Juneteenth is important.

“Friends of human liberty should celebrate the end of slavery in any country,” Paul declared. “The end of American slavery is particularly worthy of recognition since there are few more blatant violations of America’s founding principles, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, than slavery.”

Indeed. It’s hard to imagine anything worse.

Paul then explained why Juneteenth hits home for him in particular.

“I am particularly pleased to join the recognition of Juneteenth because I have the privilege of representing Galveston,” he noted.

Paul’s 2007 Juneteenth remarks came about one month after his May 15 spat that year with Rudy Guiliani over the origins of 9/11 during a Republican presidential debate. That exchange was the spark that lit the Ron Paul Revolution and took Dr. Paul from being relatively unknown nationally to becoming a libertarian rock star throughout the 2008 and 2012 election cycles.

But even as his star rose and so many young people flocked to his campaign, Ron Paul was always about principle first. It’s why so many were attracted to him and his ideas.

Including the principle of opposing slavery and celebrating its demise in the United States.

On Juneteenth, that year and any year, “Friends of human liberty” really should “celebrate the end of slavery in any country.”

So he does. So do we at BASEDPolitics.As anyone who loves liberty should.

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