As this is but a letter to the editor, it is inappropriate to be overly critical. Nevertheless, there are several things to bear in mind:
1. Some people who refer to themselves as libertarian do so only in the sense of sexual behavior, and not in the sense of the full range of behavior to include working, saving and investment, gun ownership, the free exercise of religion, etc. A true libertarian wants the government out of our pocketbook as well as out of our bedroom.
2. Some people who refer to themselves as libertarian want individuals to be free not only of coercive force but also to be free of social approbation. They refer to people who choose, in their free association with others, to enter into relationships only with people whose fundamental values they approve, as religious moralists, and describe their choices in denigrating ways. True libertarians who respect all peaceful choices made by people.
3. Some people who refer to themselves as libertarians believe that nobody should bear the consequences of their choices, so that individuals can behave in whatever reckless manner they might choose, such as promiscious homosexual sex, and expect somebody else to pick up the tab. True libertarians believe that we will only discover what is good in a dynamic, ever-changing world, by a process of trial and error. Virtuous behavior does not need to be subsidized. And, decent, hard-working people, who join into wholesome relationships with others, and especially such people who bring children into the world and raise them with such values, these people will prosper in a free society.
4. Some people who refer to themselves as libertarians believe that individuals are not constrained by their past commitments because - after all - we live in an imperfect world and we can always find a reason why our past commitments were not fully-informed. You cannot trust such people. True libertarians believe that we should always respect the person, the privacy and the property of others, and we should always, always keep our word.
5. Finally, if I might distinguish a Christian from a true libertarian, Christians must go beyond the basically negative constraints of libertarianism, and show loving-kindness toward others. As Jesus loved us while we were still sinners, a Christian must initiate generousity toward others, especially the poor, without expectation of reward.
"Some people who refer to themselves as libertarian do so only in the sense of sexual behavior, and not in the sense of the full range of behavior to include working, saving and investment, gun ownership, the free exercise of religion, etc. A true libertarian wants the government out of our pocketbook as well as out of our bedroom."
Again, those are LIBERTINES, not "libertarians". They're confused - but I'm not surprised, since their vocabularies are usually poor.