Wendy McElroy on The Art of Being Free

"I want to live freedom," says legendary author and libertarian activist Wendy McElroy, "I don't want to just rail against the government.

McElroy's latest book is The Art of Being Free: Politics Versus the Everyman and Woman. In an interview with Nick Gillespie from last summer's FreedomFest, McElroy stresses the need for libertarians to work against the rise of the state in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. But she also argues that, like Henry David Thoreau, individuals should get on with the business of living."

McElroy blogs regularly at Laissez Faire Books' group blog. Check that out here and her personal website here.

Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by around 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians a year. Reason TV spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks. For an ever-growing playlist, go here now.

About 4 minutes. Camera by Tracy Oppenheimer and Alex Manning; edited by Manning.

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[Stikibits]

You're out of touch with all science and research on firearms from multiple universities around the globe.

Get a grip on reality and check science and research.

The Firearm and Injury Center at Penn

uphs. upenn. edu/ficap

[P Mason]

So how's all that gun banning working out for Chicago? if bans work why doesn't chicago have the lowest murder rates?

Mexico bans guns and they have a higher murder rate than the US.

[P Mason]

The swiss are 9 million people all with the same language, heritage, history, religion and beliefs. Yeah pretty easy to manage a society when everyone is the same.

How do you explain switzerland that has a large firearm ownership and low gun murders. Or Canada being 70 times the murder rate of chile or japan?

[P Mason]

Actually no it does not. Depends on who you compare it to. For example Canada has 70 times the gun murder rate of chile or japan.

The only places in the US awash with gun deaths are places like chicago, detroit, new york, DC where guns are banned.

[Stikibits]

Why is the US awash in gun deaths and maiming?

1) The United States has a very high rate of firearm death

hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearm­s-research/overall

[Stikibits]

Harvard Injury Control Research Center > Firearms Research

hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearm­s-research

[Stikibits]

The Swiss are educated and understand the science and research of firearms in society.

The Swiss aren't living the delusions put forward by US gun-nuts, or Swiss society would be suffering the same gun deaths as the US.

The reality is completely different to the delusions foisted by gun-nuts.

[Stikibits]

I'm capable of reason and I'm easily swayed by reason, science and research.

Do you have any to support your absurd notions?

[P Mason]

What I find humorous about guys like Stikibits is they are so much more worried about people promoting liberty than governments that oppress their own people. A Wendy McElroy is soooo much more threatening than a Stalin or Mao.