35 Heroes of Freedom.

I'm baffled by the list of great freedom fighters in the December issue ("35" Heroes of Freedom"). If reason wished to include entertainment celebrities, why Madonna, Willie Nelson, and Dennis Rodman? Why not Charlton Heston, who was active in the civil rights movement and later headed the National Rifle Association? Why not Jackie Robinson or George Carlin, whose "up yours"-es to their respective establishments were far more political and influential than any of the above three?

If the point is the pushing of the cultural envelope, why not honor HBO or the creators of South Park, both of whom have pushed the cultural and political envelope a lot more effectively than Rodman or Nelson? I'm not opposed to porn, pot, and body adornment, but they're hardly heroic acts.

Tim Lee

Alexandria, VA

In some cases, it seems reason picked the more prominent person for its "35" Heroes of Freedom" list, rather than the one who really fit the criteria best.

Larry Flynt got the glory, but it was Screw publisher AL Goldstein who supplied the guts. Goldstein even dabbled in Libertarian politics in New York and Miami. Seems the story of Goldstein's life has been overshadowed by Flynt, as when a documentary movie about him, Screwed, came out the same time as The People vs. Larry Flynt.

Similarly, I think Dana Rohrabacher has been a more effective force for freedom in Congress by not sticking out as the "one" in "all-but-one" votes like Ron Paul does. Sure, Paul has a greater following outside Congress and his district, but by going along with the GOP leadership when it was futile to do otherwise, Rohrabacher had more leverage where it counted.

Why no mention of Howard Stern? Surely he's done more to bring pro-freedom ideas before the masses than some of the other figures of popular culture and entertainment that made your list. Stern and Goldstein don't have the liberal cachet of Flynt or Madonna, I guess.

Robert Goodman

Bronx, NY

I just completed reading your article on the 35 heroes of freedom since reason's founding. While I enjoyed the article, I noticed two glaring omissions from your list: Robert Nozick and Murray Rothbard. I understand there wasn't room for everyone on the list, but these two men are giants of modern libertarianism.

Nozick accomplished the previously unthinkable when he made libertarianism philosophically acceptable in the academy by publishing Anarchy, State, and Utopia. As for Rothbard, there is probably no one except for Ayn Rand who brought so many people into the libertarian movement, and there is probably no one who has done more for the building of libertarian institutions. Personally, I have found no greater tool in my outreach to friends and neighbors than Rothbard's For a New Liberty.

John Payne

St. Louis, MO

I nominate Greg Ginn of the seminal punk rock group Black Flag and, more important, founder of SST Records, one of the first and most successful of the new breed of independent record labels that transformed the American musical landscape in the 1980s. By bringing a new generation of American rock 'n' roll to a young audience bored with outdated baby boomer butt-rock bands in the '80s, SST was critical in the development of the indie rock DIY movement and brought needed authenticity back to the notion of "rock stardom." Lots of young punks cursed the bane of corporate rock. Ginn actually did something about it.

Rob Salkowitz

Seattle, WA

Kudos for including Curt Flood on the list. But come on guys, including Goldwater, Thatcher, and Havel without the guy who did the most to bring down communism--a fellow named Reagan--is like having Peter, James, and John without Jesus.

Paul Trampe

Fredericksburg, VA