If You See Something, DO Something

This article was featured in our weekly newsletter, the Liberator Online. To receive it in your inbox, sign up here. The Department of Homeland Security’s “If you see something, say something” campaign has become the unofficial slogan of post-9/11 America. It’s been the butt of jokes by libertarians since its launch, and DHS re-launched the effort with new videos earlier this year. This campaign is the epitome of Big Government “solutions.” It reinforces the idea that we should outsource responsibility to them, rather than looking out for ourselves. As libertarians, we understand that the price of individual liberty is the personal responsibility that comes with it. While this slogan is directed to guide us to act when faced with suspicious terrorism-related activity, we can slightly alter it to direct our own lives away from Big Government and toward a free society. When we see something that needs to be addressed, something should be DONE about it. When we see an area of need, there is no reason to push that responsibility toward someone else, especially toward Big Government. Rather than outsourcing to them, we can address them ourselves by working with one another to solve the problems we face, without using the force of government. We can strengthen our connections with our neighbors as we work together to reach the best solutions, instead of pushing one another away by bringing in a bully. Not only can we cut out the intrusion of Big Government, but we will likely find ourselves in a better situation than if we invited them in. By taking charge of our own lives and working with those around us, rather than asking for action (and often permission), we can show others what a free society looks like. We can show how we would operate, and most importantly, show the lack of a need for government involvement in our lives. We reduce the government’s influence over others when we don’t get the government involved in the first place.