The top three things about summers in North Carolina are barbeque, summer storms, and new UNC College Libertarian leadership. I had a great time this past year in my position as president and thank you all for the support. However, the time has come to pass the torch to those that will push beyond last year’s limitations and move forward. I have all the faith in the world that the new leadership will help to expand our organization in new and creative ways. With 2012 looming and people organizing at the grassroots more than ever, the new leadership has both the skills and the dedication to seize those opportunities and I know that they will do just that. It is with pride that I introduce the new UNC- CL Leadership Team, and allow them to tell you a little bit about themselves.
President: Alexander Lopez
Major Influences: Milton Friedman, Robert Nozick, Gordon Tullock, and John Stuart Mill
I was born in Valdez, Alaska and lived in every state on the West Coast, along with Oklahoma. I transferred to UNC my Sophomore year, and have been in love ever since. I first came to Libertarian/Classical Liberal ideas when I was around 18 years old, through Milton Friedman’s Capitalism and Freedom. After I read that book my political views were fundamentally altered. I was finally freed from the inherent contradictions I struggled to grasp with as a former Republican. The world made sense. I am currently (Summer 2011) a Koch Summer Fellow interning at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C.
I look forward to an exciting year spreading the ideas of free markets, free people, and peace.
Vice President: David Deerson
Major: History (U.S.) and Philosophy
Major Influences: Ron Paul, F.A. Hayek, Friedrich Bastiat, Frederick Douglass
I first became interested in the philosophy of liberty as a result of the Ron Paul 2008 campaign, when I finally learned that there is a word (libertarian) for people who believe people should be free, and that I wasn’t the only person in the world who was, as I self-described back then, fiscally conservative and socially liberal. Since that introduction to libertarianism, I have not stopped pursuing the knowledge of the historical, philosophical, economic, and political theories of liberty. The liberty movement is growing, and I want to make sure it’s voice is heard clear and true from the Dean Dome to Franklin Street, from Durham to DC, and beyond.
Outreach Coordinator: Andrew Smith
Major: International Studies, French
Major Influences: John Stuart Mill, Henry David Thoreau, and H.L. Mencken.
Politics has been my passion since as long as I can remember. Specifically, I am most interested
in foreign policy, political language, and political and social movements. I became a libertarian when I realized that force and coercion were behind most of the suffering in the world and that voluntary action and cooperation are the only ethically justifiable means to political ends. To that effect, I am a libertarian as it provides an anti-statist alternative to the left/right dichotomy of American politics which has severely limited decent American political discourse.
Treasurer: Brandon Pfeiffer
Major: Business
Major influences: Ron Paul, John Stossel, Michael Cannon, Gene Healy
My mom’s side of the family is all right wing Republican, while my father’s side is all moderately liberal. So while being raised with two different ideals being taught to me I decided that both sides of the argument were essentially “wrong”. The two main political parties want both to suppress and to free their constituents. Liberals want to control the free market but allow freedom of social choices, while Republicans want the opposite. This led me to question why we as a people can’t be both socially and financially free. I was talking about this with my brother, and while he didn’t agree with my views he did tell me about Ron Paul, from whom I discovered the Libertarian Party. I did some more research on Libertarian ideas and values. With just a little bit of reading I instantly found this pool of ideas to concur with most of my own.
As you can see the College Libertarians are in great hands. Once again, thank you all for the support this past year. I hope with this new leadership that the UNC-CLs continue to grow and expand and with that expansion breed education. Good Luck in the Fall.
Best,
Stephanie Davis
