Unruly boys
Who will not grow up
Must be taken in hand
Unruly girls
Who will not settle down
They must be taken in hand

A crack on the head
Is what you get for not asking
And a crack on the head
Is what you get for asking

--The Smiths, "Barbarism Begins at Home"

When we talk about the state, we are really talking about authority, which is nothing more or less than the power that one person has over another. When children are young, each family operates as a kind of "mini state."

--Stefan Molyneux, "Man, Family and State"

The winter holidays provide opportunities not only for celebration, but to bond and renew commitments with family members.

Sadly, ‘tis also the season when existing conflicts between parents and children can become more pronounced, often preceding acts of domestic violence.

More and more libertarians are exploring the ideological implications of traditional parenting practices on existing institutions.

For example, what is the source of man’s authoritarian and inhumane treatment of his fellow man?

It may all start with the family.

Prominent libertarian thinkers on psychology and relationships include self-esteem guru/psychotherapist Dr. Nathaniel Branden and psychiatrist/scholar Thomas S. Szasz.

Other libertarian thinking and position statements on children’s rights have been advanced by individualist feminist Wendy McElroy, economist Murray Rothbard, Dr. Mary Ruwart, and a majority of attendees to the Libertarian Party’s past national conventions.

Building upon their legacy is the Taking Children Seriously movement, and Freedomain Radio host Stefan Molyneux, who often integrates his theory of the family – influenced not only by Branden but also childhood expert Alice Miller -- into his thought-provoking and entertaining podcasts.

Indeed, on the homepage of her web site Miller offers a similar perspective on the origins of state-sponsored violence:

Humiliations, spankings and beatings, slaps in the face, betrayal, sexual exploitation, derision, neglect, etc. are all forms of mistreatment, because they injure the integrity and dignity of a child, even if their consequences are not visible right away. However, as adults, most abused children will suffer, and let others suffer, from these injuries. This dynamic of violence can deform some victims into hangmen who take revenge even on whole nations and become willing executors to dictators as unutterably appalling as Hitler and other cruel leaders.

Complicating the picture is the statist view of children not only as the property of the state, but as a justification to forcibly extract wealth from its citizens to support its agents' interventions when a child’s natural parents or other guardians allegedly neglect the state’s asset.

As a result, statists perpetuate aggression through the creation of so-called "child protective services" bureaucracies … and a lengthening list of parents both victimized by CPS agents and organizing to restore the sanctity of their homes.

Young people caught in the middle may become more informed about their rights through organizations like The FreeChild Project and the National Youth Rights Association.

But freeing oneself from the cycle of violence requires the time and resources to engage in introspection. Consider making these things a gift from you to you.

Wishing you honesty, courage, gentleness, strength, integrity, depth, and passion this holiday season, I am

Yours in liberty,

Rob Latham, Chairman
Libertarian Party of Utah