POLITICS

If I
Not
For Myself

Libertarian vice presidential candidate
Andre Marrou believes Jews benefit
from individual liberties first

ELIZABETH KAPLAN

Staff Writer

ndre Marrou wants Jews
to own guns.
"Jews must be well-
armed at all times," he
said.
He bases his position on history.
"Look at what Hitler, did," he said.
"When he came to power, the first
thing he did was order the police to
get lists of all the people who had
guns, and to take them away."
He also points to early Zionist
pioneers who defended themselves
against their Arab attackers.
Marrou, 49, is the vice presiden-
tial candidate for the Libertarian Par-
ty. Ron Paul, a 52-year-old former con-
gressman from Texas, is the party's
candidate for president.
Established in 1971, the party has
about 200,000 registered voters who
follow the Jeffersonian tenet that,
"The government that is best is that
which governs least."
Marrou believes this approach
will attract many Jews to the party.
Recalling the Nazi rise to power,
he said, "By now Jews, of all people,
should have learned one thing: don't
trust the government."
Marrou, a real estate broker in
Las Vegas, is one of hundreds of Liber-
tarian candidates nationwide — in-
cluding 47 in Michigan — seeking of-
fice this November.
More than 70 Libertarians hold
office around the country, including

A

three in Michigan. They are Charles chorage, he was handed a pamphlet
Congdon with the Midland Cable as he was leaving a business seminar.
"After about two weeks I got
Communications Advisory Commis-
sion; Sheryl Loux with Kalamazoo around to reading it," Marrou said in
Alternative Financing; and Gwen- a telephone interview. "And I was
doline Stillwell of the East Lansing dumbfounded. It was exactly what I
believed in."
Housing Commission.
Marrou felt so strongly about the
In 1984 the party captured
240,000 votes, but Marrou is projec- party that he became a Libertarian
ting that he and Ron Paul will bring candidate for -office to the Alaska
in at least 2 million votes in the up- House of Representatives. He served
. as a member of the Alaska
coming election.
Marrou may be the most public Legislature from 1985-1987.
In September 1987, Marrou was
Jewish figure in the Libertarian Par-
ty today, but he is not the first. Ibnie elected the party's vice presidential
Nathan, the party's vice presidential candidate at the Libertarian conven-
candidate in 1972, and Murray tion in San Francisco. Unlike
Rothbard, an economist at the Republicans and Democrats, Liber-
University of Nevada, also are tarians nominate both their presiden-
tial and vice presidential candidates.
Jewish.
While serving in Alaska, Marrou
Two of the party's most publiciz-
ed platforms — its advocacy of legaliz- introduced numerous bills to cut
ing drugs and strong support for the taxes. Like many Americans, he is
right of individuals to bear arms — less than happy about paying his in-
come tax. But unlike Republican and
are what first attracted Marrou.
An avid gun collector, Marrou ex- Democratic Party leaders, Marrou
plained his party's support for mak- does not quibble over how tax money
ing drugs legal as designed to "get rid is being spent. - He doesn't want it
of the profit motive" and reflects the spent at all.
Marrou said the federal income
party's policy of increased individual
tax should be abolished because it is
freedoms.
Marrou, who holds a bachelor's a socialist policy. Those who doubt
degree from the Massachusetts In- him should refer to the Communist
stitute of Technology, learned in 1976 Manifesto, he said.
As a Libertarian, Marrou also
about the Libertarian Party. At that
time the owner of a wholesale believes all U.S. foreign aid should be
restaurant supply company in An- stopped because, "When one govern-

ment gives to another, it's the govern-
ment that benefits — not the people."
He offered as examples American aid
to the former shah of Iran and U.S. in-
tervention in Nicaragua.
The Libertarian Party platform
includes cutting all government fun-
ding to Israel, but Marrou said he
finds no conflict between his religion
and his politics.
Israel, he said, "has shown again
and again that it can raise money just
by asking people to give." He gave as
an example Israel Bonds, in which
Marrou has invested.
Marrou said that, if elected, he
would help fund raise for the Israel
Bond organization.
"But to support Israel on the
backs of Americans is just not right,"
he said.
The Libertarian Party does not
take a position on the establishment
of a Palestinian state, but Marrou
supports Arab autonomy in the ter-
ritories. He criticized Israel's handl-
ing of the intifada, saying tactics us-
ed by the Israel Defense Forces to
quell the violence "bring tears to my
eyes."
Marrou said the Americans miss-
ed a good opportunity to help foster
Middle East peace during the recent
crisis in the Persian Gulf.
Israel and Kuwait could have
been encouraged to work out a trade

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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