For those who have come to know me and my politics, I am a person caught between a few different worlds politically.

I self identify as a Libertarian, and that would be a fair summation of my philosophy, albeit an overly simplistic one. I am a Libertarian not because I see perfection in the party, but because I see it as the party most given to the kinds of reforms I feel are necessary.

I have no home in the Democratic Party because they've forgotten the poor they claim to champion, and because they've made it very uncomfortable for a person with conservative Christian ideals to remain within the party. You can't be pro life, anti gun control, and anti-entitlements and gain any kind of traction whatsoever within the party on a national level. Sure you may win a few local elections but you won't go far within the party.

I have no home in the Republican Party because I feel the Republican response to September 11 has been borderline treasonous, because I feel the Republicans are out of touch with the majority of Americans, and because of the political influence the conservative Christian church exerts over national policy. While I am a conservative Christian, that is a view I hold in my private worship, and not a sword I choose to yield in my political endeavours.

And because I've found more "politically homeless" than not, I feel it's necessary to put together a set of ideas that represent practical solutions rather than an increasing nanny state. In the past I have called it "do-it-yourself liberalism", but I like the phrase "grassroots progressivism" because it expresses my principles more adequately. I believe that issues such as the environment, poverty, homelessness, and health care should not be ignored, but can and should be addressed in a way that ultimately enourages independence rather than dependency.

I will be writing several articles on these topics over the coming weeks. They're still in the research stage at the moment, but these are ideas that I am building with the intention of taking them to the Libertarian National Convention next year. I'm hoping to build support for these ideas so that when I present them I have some level of authority in doing so.

Although I am a Libertarian, these ideas are not. It is my intent that people of all political persuasions will give them due consideration and take them to their own parties and, in doing so, make our nation stronger.