Recently the Libertarian Party’s candidate for President of the United States, Governor Gary Johnson, has been receiving some noticeable media attention. This is in response to a gaffe he made on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “What is Aleppo?” has been the cry from the mainstream media to further marginalize an already marginalized candidate. Some in the mainstream media have even gone as far to say these very three words should disqualify Johnson from becoming President. As if Trump nor Clinton have never said anything worse!
In my opinion this “gaffe” shows the sincerity of a presidential candidate whom delivers honesty; one whom can admit that he doesn’t know something, and more importantly, one whom can ask the questions that need to be asked. That is the characteristic of a qualified leader. But my opinion doesn’t matter, and the media will view Johnson’s statement as anything but. With a media that focuses on nothing but painting someone into a negative light, it is no wonder why they overlooked and failed to ask what is perhaps the most critical question in our lifetime in regard to American foreign policy and national security: “Why is Aleppo?”
Johnson has reiterated a number of times throughout this campaign that many of these refugee crises, regional unrest, international hostilities, terrorist attacks, etc., is the direct result of the very foreign policy our federal government espouses. Our coercive actions and interventions overseas have unintended and harmful consequences; not only on those immediately effected, but on us here at home in the way of blow back. Given that two days ago, September 11, marked the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack in our nation’s history, the result of the very failed foreign policy our government espouses; many in government whom are responsible for securing our lives and liberty, still fail to realize what jeopardizes our very way of life. But whom can really blame them? The press has been more focused on an athlete whom refuses to stand for the national anthem because he disagrees with a current social condition, instead of being concerned with asking pertinent questions to our elected leaders in regard to such important topics.
“Why is Aleppo?” is the question I have for the Johnson campaign, and I implore the Johnson campaign to not only answer it but ask it. At the present moment, the Johnson campaign and libertarians as a whole have an opportunity to bring a disastrous foreign policy into the light of the mainstream media. A chance to educate voters as to why they are seeing further encroachment on their civil liberties, and why they’re no safer today from terrorist then they were fifteen years ago. Governor Johnson has at his disposal, not only a generation of Americans (millennials) whom have an overwhelming yearning for peace and can hardly recollect a time in their lives when their nation was not at war, but now he has a national microphone.
Many voters are still bewildered as to why there is a great deal of unrest in the world… well, Johnson has the answer and his “gaffe” has provided him with an opportunity. He need now only to answer it.
* Matthew Sheldon attended Liberty University, is a business owner, investor and former correctional officer. He has been a supporter of libertarian politics, philosophy and economic ideas since 2008.
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