Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Matt Waters visits Liberty University

Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Matt Waters spoke to Liberty University students Wednesday evening, Sept. 19, about individual liberty.

The Virginia native and father of five began with the fact that America is set apart from other countries because it was founded on the idea of individual liberty.

“We’re not known in America for our products,” Waters said. “But what separates us … is an idea — individual liberty. It separates the men from the boys.”

Waters explained that when he and his wife visited Europe, they could immediately see a difference from the U.S. They got the sense that the state ran everything, from transportation to post offices, and they noticed how much people in European countries rely on the state to meet their needs.

Waters believes that the biggest difference between Republicans and Libertarians is how each party views the idea of individual liberty.

“Conservatives shy away from seeing the Declaration of Independence and its limited scope of government as our first law,” Waters said. “They don’t see the Declaration necessarily as the first law in America. They start with the Constitution.”

Waters said that many limiting policies, including Social Security and foreign policy, were built on fear. But Waters said that as a Christian, he knows that perfect love casts out fear, and he believes individual liberty offers a greater freedom.

The founding fathers believed Americans could take care of themselves without the government, through personal responsibility.

“We have to be grown up and take responsibility for our lives,” Waters said. “If you want to ride a motorcycle down the street without a helmet, and you fall off and go to the hospital, don’t make me pay your bill.”