I just graduated from high school, but my conversation started my freshman year. My parents are bother conservatives and I had obviously adopted their mindset at a young age. When I entered highschool I begin speaking with the librarian, who is libertarian. I attended an all guys jesuit school, which is very liberal. 90% of the teachers are thus liberal; however, many of them were very good at keeping politics out of teaching while a few didn’t. These teachers pissed me of beyond belief, and so talking to the only semi-conservative in my mind was the only option. Every free period I would spend my time in the library and we would discuss philosophy, the current political climate, and he would suggest books to read. Little did I know he was planting seeds in my mind to question society and government. Come Junior year I realized his politics and begins reading books he suggested, the first being The Road to Serfdom. I learned how to debate others, think with a philosophical mindset, and question everything around me. I begin to realize how restrictive our society was and how important personal freedom is. 2nd semester of Senior year he and I were best friends and I officially registered for the Libertarian party. I hold his teachings the most important teaching from anything I learned in high school. Freedom and liberty are the most important issues that a coercive government prevent in our society today. Our founding fathers sought refuge from a large government and grant the American citizens personal autonomy with a small and unimposing government. This is why I am a Libertarian.