Reason.com
Enforcing Virtue
Is social stigma a threat to liberty, or is it liberty in action?
(Page 2 of 2)
Just because conservatives are quite wrong (in my opinion) to argue that young women are victimized by sexual freedom doesn't mean that only right-wing killjoys can have misgivings about prepubescent girls parading in T-shirts with vulgar messages and gyrating to music with sexually explicit lyrics. Just because I think the right is wrong to cling to a family model based on rigid gender roles doesn't mean I'm happy about the growth of single parenthood.
The Hayekian principle that "neither moral nor religious ideals are proper objects of coercion" is one most Americans will readily embrace. But if libertarians are seen as championing not simply freedom of choice but a rigidly nonjudgmental attitude toward all choices-if we are seen not simply as tolerant but as indifferent to moral questions-then many people who might be sympathetic to liberty will be pushed into the arms of the authoritarians.
Contributing Editor Cathy Young (CathyYoung63@aol.com) is the author of Ceasefire! (Free Press).
More Articles by Cathy Young
- Liberal Intolerance and the Firing of Naomi Schaefer Riley, Cathy Young, May 16, 2012
- A Pox on Both Houses in the Contraception Controversy, Cathy Young, March 12, 2012
- Islam, Free Speech, and Democracy, Cathy Young, March 3, 2012
Related Articles (Politics)
- Scott Walker Turns Up the Heat on Flawed Milwaukee Crime Stats, Ryan Ekvall & M.D. Kittle, May 25, 2012
- Separating Church and State Money, Ronald Bailey, May 24, 2012
- Is the GOP an Echo or a Choice?, Tim Cavanaugh, May 22, 2012
- Jerry Brown's Broken Budget, Steven Greenhut, May 18, 2012
- How Pat Buchanan Conquered America, Brian Doherty, May 17, 2012
Most Popular Stories
- 5 Classic Teen Sex-and-Drug Freakouts: Rainbow Parties, Butt-Chugging, And So Much More (By Which We Mean Less) (5.27)
- Government Beneficiaries and Other Fairy Tales (5.26)
- Do Organic Consumers Shop Exclusively at the Jerk Store? (5.26)
- Sharon Presley on Libertarian Feminism (5.26)
- Here Are the 15 Senators Who Voted to Stop Armed FDA Agents From Conducting Warrantless Raids on America's Farmers (Not One of Them is a Democrat) (5.24)
Reason RUPE: Public Opinion Survey
- Reason-Rupe: Wisconsinites Favor Increasing Public Union Retirement Contributions to Address Budget Deficit (5.25)
- Reason-Rupe Poll Finds Support for Public Union Reforms (5.25)
- New Poll: Obama Leads Romney In Wisconsin, But Gary Johnson Could Impact the Race (5.24)
- Wisconsin Recall: Walker Leads Barrett 50-42 Among Likely Voters (5.24)
- Reason-Rupe Poll: Walker Leads Barrett 50-42, Obama Leads Romney 46-36 (5.24)
advertisements
Get Reason E-mail Updates!
Manage your Reason e-mail list subscriptionsSite comments/questions:
Media Inquiries and Reprint Permissions:
(310) 367-6109
Editorial & Production Offices:
3415 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 400
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 391-2245
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment or disable your ability to comment for any reason at any time.
nfl jerseys|11.6.10 @ 3:12AM|#
ksrt
Sheepskin Boots Sale|11.25.10 @ 9:10AM|#
JGJJ
Ugg Boots Online Store|11.25.10 @ 9:12AM|#
VFDV
قبلة الوداع|8.11.11 @ 2:41PM|#
ThaNk u MaN
Jordan Shoes|8.12.11 @ 11:28PM|#
thanks
منتديات العراق|8.16.11 @ 8:51PM|#
thank you
http://www.iraqn.com/
http://www.v9f.net/chat