PLATFORM
1. As Independents, we seek liberty; in which all
individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to
sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.
2. We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential
precondition for a free and prosperous world, and that only through freedom can
peace and prosperity be realized.
3. We hold that all individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion
over their own lives, and have the right to live in whatever manner
they choose, so long as they do not forcibly interfere with the equal
right of others to live in whatever manner they choose.
4. Individuals should be free to make choices for themselves and to accept
responsibility for the consequences of the choices they make. No
individual, group, or government may initiate force against any other
individual, group, or government. Our support of an individual's right
to make choices in life does not mean that we necessarily approve or
disapprove of those choices.
5. We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship,
regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor
the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that
do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which
either aid or attack any religion.
6. Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have
no impact on the rights of individuals by government.
7. Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue, we believe that government should be
kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their
conscientious consideration.
8.
Government exists to protect the rights of every individual including
life, liberty and property. We assert the common-law right of juries to
judge not only the facts but also the justice of the law.
9. We affirm the right to keep and bear arms, and
oppose the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights of
self-defense. We oppose all laws at any level of government requiring
registration of, or restricting, the ownership, manufacture, or
transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition.
10. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect
property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in
which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to
redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a
free society.
11. Property rights are entitled to the same protection as all other human
rights. The owners of property have the full right to control, use,
dispose of, or in any manner enjoy, their property without
interference, until and unless the exercise of their control infringes
the valid rights of others.
12. We support a clean and healthy environment and sensible use of our
natural resources. Private landowners and conservation groups have a
vested interest in maintaining natural resources. Free markets and property rights stimulate the technological
innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment
and ecosystems. We realize that our planet's climate is constantly
changing, but environmental advocates and social pressure are the most
effective means of changing public behavior.
13. All persons are entitled to keep the fruits of their labor. We call for
the repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue
Service and all federal programs and services not required under the
U.S. Constitution. We oppose any legal requirements forcing employers
to serve as tax collectors. Government should not incur debt, which
burdens future generations without their consent. We support the
passage of a "Balanced Budget Amendment" to the U.S. Constitution,
provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting
expenditures, and not by raising taxes.
14. We support the right of free persons to associate or not associate in
labor unions, and an employer should have the right to recognize or
refuse to recognize a union.
15. Schools should be managed locally to achieve greater accountability.
16.The protection of individual rights is the only proper purpose of
government. Government is constitutionally limited so as to prevent the
infringement of individual rights by the government itself.
17.
We support the maintenance of a sufficient military to defend the
United States against aggression.. We condemn the use of force, and
especially the use of terrorism,
against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by
governments or by political or revolutionary groups.
18. We support control over the entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a threat to security, health or property.
19. We oppose laws that effectively exclude alternative candidates and
parties, deny ballot access, gerrymander districts, or deny the voters
their right to consider all legitimate alternatives.
20. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of individual
liberty, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it
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