Re "Libertarians have a clear creed, but also an Achilles' heel" (Viewpoints, June 10): Libertarianism and the coming national Juneteenth African-American freedom celebrations: Nearly 4 million African Americans were freed into a libertarian-like reunited nation in 1865. They were people for whom it had been illegal to learn to read or do arithmetic or learn civics or their rights. There was no national income tax or policy to provide them any help, after they went from being owned and kept ignorant by other humans, towards the goal of becoming knowledgeable citizens of that libertarian-like USA. They were on their own, with no help from the Congress, the president, or the state legislatures.

Libertarian-loved citizen programs of aid were completely inadequate to the desperate needs of millions of now fellow citizens. Today, a return to libertarian principles would stifle almost everyone's chances, except those with the right connections and those who already "have theirs" from the accident of birth.

-- Pete Martineau, Fair Oaks

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Libertarianism didn't work after slavery, won't work now