Margaret "Maggie" Helveston

I believe that every person has the inherent right to live his/her/their life in any way they may choose limited only by the obligation to refrain from interfering with any other person’s right to do the same. In other words, “don’t hurt people and don’t take their stuff.” This is a reasonable approach to folks getting along with each other and is particularly important when it comes to government. Government is a force and its power should be limited and confined to only the most essential functions. We can talk about what those may be and the extent to which they may be needed or desirable, but I think most folks will admit that, at this point, there is plenty of room to reduce the reach of government into our pocketbooks, into our bedrooms and into the affairs of other nations. Within the state, taxation, legislation and regulation are all areas ripe for limitation, so that people are freer to flourish, experiment and find happiness as they may conceive of it, respecting the rights of others to do the same.