Liberty Blog

What was my red pill that brought me to libertarianism? It comes from my schooling and the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks.

My libertarian journey started with the stories I heard around the camp fire while in the Boy Scouts, and more importantly from the lessons my teachers taught while in public school.

Like the Indian tribes in times long ago, my history teachers taught this nation’s history like tales handed down through generations. Our state of Pennsylvania is rich with history, especially during our nation’s founding. Philadelphia served as the country’s first capital before the ratification of the Constitution. I would become an admirer of George Washington and how he led the colonies during our fight with the British. Of all the presidents, he’s my favorite.

Washington’s actions during the war and especially his win at the Battle of Trenton in the dead of winter right up to his role in the drafting of our Constitution was always something I admired. What impressed me the most, though, was the fact that he did not want to be president. He only took the role because he was the unanimous choice among his peers.

Let me just say I think of Washington as a major bad ass. He had collected more than 200 swords, each representing a time he spent in service to the King, Virginia, and eventually the United States. He understood that as the first president, he would set precedents that would be followed for years to come, including the tradition of the executive serving no more than two terms. Only Franklin Roosevelt broke that tradition, which brought the 22nd amendment to finally establish the two-term limit as law.

I think that the level of brilliance in those who helped found the United States’ founding was unlike any before seen in world history. In my life, I do my best to live up to those examples those men set for us. Understanding this was part of my red pill.

However, I completely swallowed the red pill soon after 9/11. I had just got into the Pennsylvania Youth Apprenticeship Program (PYAP) program at North Montco Technical Career Center. I had a teacher there who worked on the Limerick nuclear power plant that gave me doubts about the official explanation about how the two towers fell. He made me wonder how two buildings designed to withstand the force of a fully fueled 747 could fall like they did that day. Given the greed of our government, I’ve wondered ever since.

From that point on I sought truth over the illusion being fed to us all and knew things had to change. I ran for president as a libertarian to bring that change. Even without winning in the endeavor, I found my candidacy to be a success in my eyes.

Libertarianism to me means freedom to be what you want and to think for yourself. I will be no slave nor sheep, I’m not built for that. I will continue to be me Erik Chase Gerhardt a free American who will fight till we all are free to be free as long as no one’s rights or freedom are challenged or taken. That is the world I will fight for.

I hope you all will go with me on my next challenge running for the US Senate in 2022. In this I will seek truth and justice for all, and of course defend and spread liberty to all that will listen.

Erik Gerhart is a member of the Montgomery County Libertarian Committee and is running for US Senate in 2022. The views expressed in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect those of the Montgomery County Libertarian Committee.