By Ernest Hancock

Where are those Libertarians when you need them?

Sixty-six-year-old Ray Lindell is in a lot of trouble.

Even though Raymond may not know it, he has freedom loving friends that want to help get him out of a Mexican jail (aka hellhole) for having crossed the Mexican border to fill a prescription for a fraction of the cost here in the United States. Three weeks ago Raymond was caught up in a new type of Drug War that is really just an addition to the old Drug War. Raymond Lindell went to Mexico with a prescription in hand from his wife’s United States doctor. But he was stopped when he left the Mexican pharmacy. He was asked what he had, and his merchandise was inspected. When officials noted he didn't have a receipt, Lindell was arrested. While Norma Lindell’s doctor was able to prove that Ray did have a legal prescription and that charge was dropped, an “intent to transport” charge remained. Lindell was sentenced to five years in Mexican prison.

Something else is going on here. What is the message being sent? Are we to believe that the Mexican economy isn’t in need of American money? Maybe the message is to have a “mule” transport your drugs for you or their cousin in Mexican law-enforcement will use you to send a message to others that part of your savings should be redistributed to others. The only good thing about the extortion of Americans on Mexico’s streets is that they don’t pretend they are doing you a favor. Here in America being forced to pay high prices is all for “your protection”.

I suspect that you won’t see a whole lot of media or ‘political will’ being demonstrated in an effort to release a law abiding and peaceful retiree trying to live as best he can on what he has. The American pharmaceutical industry certainly isn’t going to be pressuring any elected politician to come to the aid of Raymond Lindell. So where will the call for freeing Raymond come from? Has his family done all they can to get the issue before the public? Did they call/fax/e-mail the media? Did they put up fliers to tell as many people as possible to plead for Raymond with their elected officials? Yes.

Who understands and cares about Raymond? We all should, at least enough to ask our elected officials in the federal government to help Raymond and his family and eliminate the need for his trips to Mexico, I know I will be this election cycle.

I no longer travel to Mexico. Even when invited by friends to visit their new beach homes in Mexico I choose to stay here. America is a relative Utopia compared to much of the world and freedom supporters would like to keep it that way and regain our lost freedoms. Because we know that the more free we are, the higher our standard of living and the safer we are. And I know without the FDA, DEA, NAFTA, GATT and all of the other social and economic engineering efforts of government in general, Raymond would have gotten his drugs from the corner store and not be sleeping on a concrete floor with dozens of new Mexican friends for a good portion of his retirement.

Millions of Americans are benefiting from taking their business overseas and across the border where lower prices for the same drugs manufactured here in America are available. But the heel clickers here in America have not hesitated to use their fascist powers to regulate, license and tax away any benefit the free-market might offer a senior citizen in need. And to make sure the message gets out, we can now count on the help of another country for hire that would jail willing customers for buying legal products… legally.

The US Customs Department has made it clear that Mexican laws for controlled medications are unclear and often randomly enforced (seems like the United States is getting more like Mexico everyday).

And how can libertarians help Raymond Lindell? Ever seen a Libertarian candidate beat an issue like a war drum? Watch, listen, learn :)

Ernest Hancock is a libertarian activist and the Libertarian candidate for US Senator from Arizona (http://McCainVHancock.com).  Ernest can be reached at 602-717-5900, http://ernesthancock.com and ernesthancock@cox.net.