Falsely Called Freedom Part 3: Libertarian “Freedom of Choice” as Costly Racism

One of Libertarianism’s key ideas is ‘freedom of choice’.  School choice in particular reveals that this idea is rooted in the ideal of keeping races separate and controlling who gains the benefit of the states tax revenues.  This came to the fore in the issue of Brown vs. the Board of Education which declared that schools that are separate but equal, were not in fact equal.  While conservatives argued that this ruling was Federal over-reach, basing their argument in priority of states’ rights, the Libertarians of the Virginia School argued instead public schools were an infringement on freedom of choice and should be abolished altogether.  Wealthy white libertarians established their own network of ‘religious’ private schools and academies which they could keep segregated.  They began a system of “school vouchers” that transferred monies out of the public school system to go send students to the school of their choice.  When it came time to integrate the restaurants and shops around their home base of UVA, one of their leading lights said, “freedom of association must also be freedom to not associate.”  In the case of Brown, we are rarely told that most Virginians wanted desegregation or a least believed that the Federal Government was within their rights to require it.  In this case, “Freedom of Choice” was maintained through voter suppression.  It was a freedom of choice dictated by the minority, created by removing the input of the majority.