I suspect that individuals who are forbidden to marry the people that they love or adopt children and have a family because a state government has decided to make that decision for them consider it to be a bit more than a 'rounding error.'

Your lack of meaningful analysis and disregard for any interest in improving public policy beyond Zimbabwe standards (and yes, that is the implication you make with your absurd Coke/Pepsi claim) are staggering to say the least, to say nothing of your unimpressive attempt to marginalize anyone interested in such improvement as "libertarian purists."

Hi Chad: I'm sorry, but as the father of a gay son I feel safe in saying that not being able to get government registration for a relationship with a loved one is a far cry from being persecuted for it. Yes, I understand that there are financial, emotional and other penalties for not being able to marry. I think America has a long way to go in terms of gay rights. But I also think in this and other areas of human rights we're far ahead of much of the rest of the world. JH

"Maryland is pretty darn free, despite Mercatus study". You're kidding, right?
Example: I just bought a pistol. I had to wait EIGHT days, to get it. By law. Why is that? I'm not a criminal. I worked hard for the money. It is my money. I should be able to spend it as I wish, on what I want, and walk out with what I buy.
Next - what about speed cameras that are proliferating now? How dumb can we be, to accept such things? The registered owner gets the fine, not the DRIVER!! The drive is responsible for the operation of the vehicle. They don't even know who the driver was! When you get to court, there is no witness for you to question! I thought that was a "right".

Oh yeah... we are headed in the right direction. Sure. Yeah. Right.

Terrible headline. What about all the people getting cameras smashed and illegally being told they can't video tape police officers. That doesn't sound like freedom. We are becoming a laughing stock outside the state.

Hi Neil. Thanks for the comment. I'm not defending much of what goes on in Maryland or other states, including First Amendement violations of cops seizing cameras. But last fall a judge threw out the charges against Anthony Graber, the motorcyclist who videotaped the cop. The MTA stuff that Mike Dresser has been writing about has properly prompted outrage. Cops will always do questionable things. But in many countries the newspapers can't even document this kind of stuff, let alone prompt remedies. Believe me. I was in China last year. JH

This is a very good point, Jay. I'm not sure why you are getting so much flack for it. Perhaps people think you are being callous for the way you write about it. I can sort of understand that, but people do need to remember where we live. This is America. Just being born here makes us "fortunate." We are better off than the majority of the rest of the world -- and yes, I can make that generalization.

We need to remember that while we quibble about state politics (which is still a legitimate thing to do) that, in the great scheme of things, we are quibbling over details.

Details can be important, but they are still details.

Speed cameras!

I cannot believe we allow these things to be inflicted upon us in this country. Europe, maybe; never thought I'd see Americans tolerate them.