Because one of basic premises of libertarianism is that “I own myself”, personal responsibility is a large part of libertarian picture. The individual is free to make any informed choice they want, but they must also accept consequences of those choices. This means, of course, that tort lawyers would be out of business. If an individual chooses to smoke cigarettes or eat high-fat foods and develops heart problems at 40, they are not assigned victim status, or allowed to claim “disability” payments for injuries that are self-inflicted. Under current laws, drug addicts can receive SSD (Social Security Disability) because they chose to burn out their brain cells, and now can’t function. And we wonder why Social Security is going bankrupt?

Likewise, if an individual is upset about plight of homeless, environment, or drug problem in neighborhood, libertarian answer is “Look in mirror for solution.” Local problems are to be solved on a local basis by people who understand problems, people they are working with, and will be accountable for, and affected by, solutions they impose. This doesn’t happen with current slurry of cookie-cutter fixes determined by policy-wonks in Washington. For those people who believe that “big business” needs to be regulated, remember that it was unholy alliance between “big business” and certain members of congress that allowed so-called Robber Barons to reign during Gilded Era, and recently, actions of Senators Lieberman and Shays to defang Accounting Oversight Board sowed seeds for criminal activities at Enron and WorldComm. The criminal behavior exhibited within business enterprises was ultimately brought to light by media; government agencies then were forced to react.

The Libertarian ideal works within a sane and mature society, and more conservatives work toward establishment of one, better our country will become. Don’t think of a third party vote as a wasted vote; think of it as a grass-roots referendum for change.

It is now estimated that penal system is largest provider of mental health services in nation. Apart from those Institutions designed for those who have been legally determined to be "criminally insane," system houses mentally ill individuals who may make up a third or more of total prison population.

Building more prisons and hiring more guards is politically positive: voters want to keep their communities clean and safe and willingly pay for fight against crime. While murderers and rapists are held up as examples of those who need to be contained at all costs, fact remains that a majority of enormous and growing prison population are serving their time for drug-related activities or victimless crimes.

The mentally ill have finally been fully recycled. They are still invisible but instead of vegetating in State Mental Wards, they are caught within a system which robs them of their dignity, provides less than optimal treatment, and costs far more to taxpayers than would well-organized and efficiently run hospitals and clinics.

This is progress?