David Boaz: The Essential Libertarian

Michael F. Cannon

At its core, libertarianism is a movement to recognize and respect the equal dignity of every last human. David Boaz has been and shall remain a giant of that movement. David understood the role of the libertarian is to know and to say what is right—to serve as a lamp in the darkness—because if the libertarian fails to do this, no one else will. He did not have to win every argument. He did not succumb to nostalgia or defeatism. He knew the race is long. He brought rigor to the role. He demanded rigor of others. He was funny. If you stuck around long enough, he would surprise you with his essential humility. His status as a giant surprised him. Once upon hearing his close admirers laud his achievements, he struggled against emotion to say he would be very happy if even half of it were true. David’s work will continue to define libertarianism long after this or that batch who fail to grasp its essence.