Carlos is a junior at Arizona State University, a leader of the ASU Students For Liberty, and an SFL Campus Coordinator. You can give Carlosand other students like him the resources to learn about liberty and promote the message of liberty on campus by making a tax-deductible donation to Students For Liberty this holiday season at www.givethegiftofliberty.org.  This is Carlos’ story:

Carlos with John Stossel at the 2012 International SFL Conference.

My introduction to liberty and the principles of a free society was a gradual process. What sets me apart from most students is that I was born and partly raised in a country where the ideas of liberty are not revered. It was in Mexico, a country that suffers from excessive levels of government corruption and control, that I experienced one of the major events in my life that led me to find credibility in the value of limited government and free markets. My stepfather, an American citizen, and my mother opened a successful real estate company in Puerto Vallarta. My family had worked hard for many years and was doing well financially. I still remember the day that federal agents arrived at our house and told my dad that because he was an American citizen, the Mexican government had the authority to take 40 percent of his business profit. If he refused they would deport him to the US. This event would be the first of my experiences that showed me how immoral and corrupt the government becomes as people give up their freedoms and give it more power.

Arriving to the United States gave me a new view of the world. Americans live completely different lives compared to my country’s culture, in almost every aspect. People in America are prosperous and free to live their lives with a sense of no limits. It was a shock for me to see this because in my country, most citizens lived in poverty and asked permission to do even the most private of things, from starting a business to what streets they could walk on. America represented opportunity and freedom for my family.

As I grew up in the US, I became fascinated with the political system. I wanted to study and learn everything I could about the American form of government and philosophy. After some time I felt uneasy about my alignment with either major political party. I began to realize the fundamental problem with both parties: as liberals try to take more economic freedom away, conservatives try to take our civil liberties. The problem is that both parties, even with all their ‘differences’ considered, are in the end joined as big government parties. I was completely lost or as some like to call it: politically homeless.

One day, I was walking through a local book store, and found a copy of Anthem by Ayn Rand. I opened the book to read just a couple pages; about an hour and a half later I was done with the whole book. I was immediately dragged into the story and astounded by the message that this piece had successfully presented to me. The idea of individualism and true freedom began to fill my understanding of the world and formed a strong philosophical foundation for my belief in a free society. As I questioned and challenged the conventional belief of a functioning government, I kept discovering the work of great champions of freedom. Major influences in my introduction to libertarianism included Ayn Rand, Thomas Paine, Barry Goldwater, and Judge Andrew Napolitano. I see these people as true patriots that lead the charge against tyranny over man.

As a college freshman I wanted to learn more and spread the message of liberty on my college campus. As I found out, the hard part was finding students and organizations that shared my views and wanted to act. After many failed attempts to make a liberty group on my own, I found Students For Liberty. I felt right at home from the beginning. The Arizona Regional Conference was the first major SFL event I attended. There were amazing speakers that presented and taught complex issues like economics and philosophy. What made my experience unforgettable was the number of people that shared my views and wanted to spread these ideas. Students For Liberty brought all of these people together and inspired me towards student activism.

I was actively involved in the Arizona State University SFL group through the school year and quickly became acquainted with organizations and students that were passionate and dedicated to spread liberty. The year after that, I became a Campus Coordinator. Our impact in Arizona and the west coast is growing exponentially, reaching students and turning them into active student leaders.

Students For Liberty does what no other think tank, student, or political organization ever did for college students. We provide resources, skills, and motivation in order for students to successfully spread the ideas of liberty as well as educate others in order to impact college campuses and communities across the world. This work is essential and makes great strides towards achieving a free society. Please consider giving the gift of liberty this holiday season at www.givethegiftofliberty.org.