The news has been conspicuously silent about the “sickout” of Southwest Airlines pilots and air traffic controllers.

Meanwhile, the pilots and controllers are pushing back, and they are about to lose their jobs. So are servicemen and women, who may even receive dishonorable discharges!

I want to do my part, even if it’s small, so what can I do?

First, government needs help in order to get things done, so I can refuse to help them and those who do help them.

Second, I can help those whom the government and its helpers have attempted to coerce.

Those two things are the backbone of the items of my Anti-Coercion Pledge:

• I will not do business with the Federal Government or any government that is coercing, or is attempting to coerce.
• I will not do business with any contractor of any such government.
• I will not do business with companies that have taken bailouts because they are beholden to such governments.
• I will not do business with companies that coerce their employees or customers.
• I will seek to hire those who have lost their jobs from coercion, especially former servicemen and women who received dishonorable discharges from such coercion.

If enough companies and individuals would do this, it would render government powerless; if they cannot get help, they cannot function, and they cannot coerce.

And since I am attempting to start a business, I want to be among the first.

“But Gavin! They are just exercising their right to choose who to employ!”

Yes, and I am exercising my right to choose who to do business with. So I’m not sure what the problem is.

In fact, if we all did that, and actually voted with our wallets, then we could cripple government.

So let’s do that.