I was surprised and saddened to learn yesterday that Harry Browne passed away on March 1st at the age of 72.

Mr. Browne was the only presidential candidate I've actually met and spoken with in person, and the only one I ever felt really good about voting for — twice!

I remember that first vote well: The 1996 presidential election was approaching fast. I couldn't vote for Clinton (made that mistake once already)... or Dole... or even Perot. Yet, as always, I was determined to exercise my right to vote (there's nothing that makes me crazier than the fact that 50% of eligible U.S. voters don't even bother.)

It was perhaps a week before Election Day, and I was idly flipping through the cable channels on TV. On C-SPAN, a distinguished looking grey-haired gentleman in a three piece business suit was giving a speech. Ho-hum. I was about to change the channel when I heard him proclaim that "we must end this insane War on Drugs!" Huh? Next thing I knew, he was calmly and confidently calling for the income tax to be abolished. The text at the bottom of the screen identified the speaker as Harry Browne, 1996 Libertarian Party candidate for president. As I continued to listen to his speech, I agreed with about 80% of what he said, and at least respected the other 20% on principle. Here was somebody I actually wanted to vote for. Pulling the lever for Harry Browne felt great.

The next day, I had no regrets, and suffered no "wasted vote syndrome" (even though I had to look way in the back of the newspaper to find my candidate's vote total.) I also decided to seek out more information about the Libertarian Party and Mr. Browne. I read somewhere that he had written a book in the 1970s called How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World. Amazingly, they had a copy of it at the Anchorage Public Library, but I was skeptical because it was shelved in the same section as all of those unbearable "self help" books.

This book, though, was actually more of an individualist manifesto, explaining with audacious bluntness how to release yourself from all kinds of perceived "traps" in order to become truly "free." Or not. That was the best part — Harry didn't really seem to care whether you followed his advice or not, he just wanted to share his experience. It was a fascinating read, opening my mind to a new way of looking at just about everything in life as a choice. (Is it true that this book is now out of print again? What a shame...)

At some point, largely due to Harry's involvement in the party, I decided to officially become a member of the LP. The 2000 election was approaching now, and Harry Browne decided to seek the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination again. I was living in Colorado at the time, and his candidacy motivated me to get involved with my county LP affiliate (which included editing their monthly newsletter, Liberty News, on a borrowed computer.) I also persuaded the local Community Cable Access TV station to air Harry's campaign video a few times (I still have that videotape somewhere...)