I used to say the reason I am a libertarian is because I don't think peoples morals should be forced upon other people through legislation and politics, but as my political view have grown and matured, I have realized that that explanation isn't adequate. A better explanation for why I am a libertarian is that I believe in enforcing one basic and underlying idea or moral of politics. I support the idea that it is morally wrong to violate the human rights of a person who has not violated the human rights of another person. It's pretty simple, and when I say this most people will agree with me--that is, until they get into their if's, but's, & and's. "Sure, but..." "What if...?" and "What about...?" People are masters of justifying their means if the end is appealing. "Sure, mass surveillance is a violation of our human right to privacy but... national security is so important." "Sure passing laws on hate speech is a violation of freedom of speech but... I don't like it when people say mean things to me."
Another reason that I am a libertarian is because, frankly, my only other option scares me. Most people think America has two main political groups--conservatives and liberals, both with separate political ideas--but in reality, conservatives and liberals believe in enforcing the same basic political principle: the principle that the government should fix everything they think is wrong/bad. For example, liberals want to force bakers to make wedding cakes for homosexual weddings, even though it violates the bakers liberty and religious freedom, because they think people shouldn't be allowed free thought and action if they view those thoughts or actions as wrong/bad. Conservatives believe that marijuana should be illegal even though illegalizing something that doesn't violate the human rights of anyone is a violation of liberty, because they think its wrong/bad to smoke weed. It's the same basic principle: "I believe something is wrong/bad thus the government should fix/stop it regardless of weather or not it violates human right."
This is why I am a libertarian. I am a libertarian because my only other option is a government that has the freedom to violate people's rights based on what the masses view as right or wrong. That scares me, and it should scare you also. Ask yourself what happens when you are no longer part of the masses? What happens when the masses decide to violate your rights because they disagree with you? We are okay with violating the rights of the few because we are part of the many. We only have a problem when we become a part of the few. Martin Niemöller, a protestant pastor during the World War 2 era, said it best when he said:
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
