On December 31, 1995, Bill Watterson brought his legendary comic Calvin and Hobbes to an end with a simple, four-frame drawing with only Calvin, Hobbes, a sled, and a world covered in snow. Hobbes says that the world looks "brand new, like a big, white sheet of paper to draw on." Calvin celebrates the new year and the "fresh, clean start" it brings. He lauds the day full of possibilities. Then he closes with the iconic line, "It's a magical world, Hobbes, old buddy… Let's go exploring."

We talk so much about the cause of Liberty. We debate trade-offs with different approaches to furthering Liberty and compare the effectiveness of various strategies to grow Liberty. We work, with no expectation of personal return, to bring about this thing called Liberty.

To me, Liberty is not a destination. Rather, it's a journey, a magical world of possibilities inviting us to go exploring. We have the great privilege of embarking on this odyssey together. The relentless pursuit of Liberty, defending those who are least able to defend themselves from the tyranny of wanton state overreach, with the companionship of other Liberty-minded individuals, these are rewards themselves.

The only requirement is not to hurt others. Not only is this not a high bar, it is also intrinsically rewarding, as we use our energy to improve things around us, and the whole world benefits. Imagine if the resources that we have poured into making bigger and more weapons of war were instead dedicated to developing a truly clean and abundant source of energy. Or if we let the economy grow organically through our participation instead of taking people's money when they earn it, when they spend it, when they live in their house, when they own their car, when they start a business, when they hire someone, and when they die. Or the innovation potential if industry was allowed to thrive rather than being crushed under the weight of absurd regulation enforced by a stifling bureaucratic apparatus which ironically is sustained with the squandering of the money that was taken from us.

Certainly, Libertarian philosophies can get nuanced and complex, but our basic worldview is simple. You have the right to make decisions about what is best for you. Don't hurt others. There is a magical world in front of all of us, and I am in awe at the possibilities when we come together.

Happy New Year. Let’s go exploring.

-Joe Garcia, LPNC Chair