Andrew Carroll’s LTE: “Why I Moved Here”

May 24, 2010 by Ian
Filed under: Essay

Heroic civil disobedience activist Andrew Carroll recently had his letter to the editor published in the Keene Sentinel. As usual, the comments area has erupted into controversy with anonymous haters trying to claim liberty activists are racists and that we want to force people out of NH. Feel free to weigh in over at the Keene Sentinel. By the way, Andrew is running for State Rep this year as an anarchist democrat. Here’s his facebook page for the campaign and his letter to the editor:

While I was serving at the restaurant where I work the other day, one of my tables consisted of a wonderful couple who shared my passion for politics.

They self-described as Democrats, but at one point during our conversation complained about the excessiveness of property taxes in this state and nodded their heads in agreement to my call for a smaller, more local government.

They even laughed when I told them the story of my friend who was open carrying in Manchester and a cop asked him, “Why would you carry a gun in the most dangerous ward in all New Hampshire?”

Side note: If Democrats who support smaller government, gun rights and are anti-taxation seem natural to you, then you’ve never met most California Democrats — gun rights is a scary, scary phrase there.

This started after an introductory conversation led to me revealing my birthplace, after which I had to explain why I moved all the way from warm, sunny California to freezing cold New Hampshire.

My typical reply is simply, “Politics.”

I feel that response leaves enough room for questioning if the person is interested enough to know more, but does not give too much away, too soon, that I might offend them (after all, I am waiting on their table during all of this and would like to keep my job).

Many times now I have had conversations start out just like that, and each time they have slowly led into more and more detail about various political positions that I hold, why I hold them, and, seriously, really though, why on earth would I move away from warm, sunny California to freezing cold New Hampshire?

I answer all their questions honestly and have been consistently pleased to find nothing but genuine curiosity and overwhelming sympathy for my pro-freedom, anti-government feelings.

The couple the other day was no different. In fact, almost all of my personal experiences with people in this wonderful state have led me to believe one thing firmly. And that is what, every day, helps me reach an increasingly clearer answer to that most persistent of questions: “Why freezing cold New Hampshire?”

Because nothing makes me happier than living in a state where I get to meet individuals who, according to people from many parts of this country, are utter contradictions, but who I see as blessed beacons of hope that liberty can and will be achieved in our lifetime.

Comments

13 Comments on Andrew Carroll’s LTE: “Why I Moved Here”

dingdongdugong on Mon, 24th May 2010 4:16 pm

Boy, they really are pushing the “libertarians are racist” thing instead of “libertarians think people should be free to be racist idiots, so they dont have to associate with them” line.

huh

mackler on Mon, 24th May 2010 4:50 pm

Andrew Carroll for Governor!

LSNL on Mon, 24th May 2010 5:01 pm

The “racist” thing is ridiculous & baseless. I always ask which supposedly non-racist statist’s policies would benefit every “race”, inside the U.S., & out, as much as a libertarian policy, and I never get a response.

Hypothetically speaking, I’d much rather live amongst racists, or any other type of bigot, who hated me, but wouldn’t condone the state taking my life, or property, than I would a supposed respectful statist who would.

Sam Dodson on Mon, 24th May 2010 5:02 pm

I tried posting this to the Sentinel Source website, but the security code wasn’t working. If anyone can post it please do. Thought I would share it here:

Dear Anonymous Coward,

I read your statement:

BTW, Barry Godlwater, William F.Buckley and even Rand Paul have stated that your claim that “the wallet” will force bigots to integrate is historical nonsense. ( Your point b). It never worked that way in the Old South – but i wouldn’t expect you to know that. ”

What an ignorant comment from narrow minded thinking.

The slave trade within the Great British Empire was abolished by a small group of Quakers who went from town to town educating the people to the indecency, immorality and inhumanity inherent in the trade.

They brought samples of the products used in the trade, first hand accounts of brutal beatings, horrible conditions, and destroyed lives.

They built a model of a slave ship to show the 3′-4′ high decks the captured slaves were crammed into for the journey.

They also implemented a “fair trade” idea where sugar was not used or bought from other areas of the world that did not use slave labor to harvest it.

So yes, they voted with their wallets, and it worked.

The difficulty was in convincing the government to change it’s policy. Most of the politicians were wealthy Caribbean plantation owners who utilized slaves to run their sugarcane farms.

The same desire to hold on to power and control over others is present today, only in a much more effective model.

The violence is compartmentalized. The masses are indoctrinated to accept the violence of the state, and ignore the taskmaster farming our labor for his own benefit.

Ian Freeman on Mon, 24th May 2010 5:36 pm

Sam, I submitted it for you. No problems for me.

Paul on Mon, 24th May 2010 6:07 pm

I submitted a couple with no problems, although they haven’t shown up yet.

This has been kind of buried in the flurry of slanderous comments, but the original letter is excellent, and I commend Andrew on it.

theKINGofKEENE on Mon, 24th May 2010 6:27 pm

The Sentinel employs a whole “graveyard” full of GHOST WRITERS. How do I know? I WAS ONE OF THEM! For years, I wrote the most outrageous bullshit. No, we never did find the limit’s of people’s gullibility…We had Keene thinking that a KPD cop actually saw a real “UFO”!…We’ve printed “stories” about “crimes” that never occured. About 10% OF kEENE sENTINEL “COURT LOG” IS ALSO *pure fiction*…sO, WHEN SOMEBODY Like aNDREW WRITES SOMETHING GOOD, AS HE’S DONE HERE, THE sENTINEL PRINTS IT. tHEN, OUT COME THE ghost writers!Sorry-hit “caps lock” by mistake…fuck it…So, anyway, most of the most vitriolic comments were written by one or 2 guys…(They wanted to get Eli Rivera to “ghost write”, but he’s *TOO ANGRY*, & not fluent enough in English…go figure…)…The Sentinel will never admit this, but “FREEKEENE” is the best thing that’s ever happened to Keene!….YOU GUYS ROCK !…)…(Uh, Rich Paul, the bullhorns getting a little old. Hint Hint. Word to the wise…friend…

Sam Dodson on Mon, 24th May 2010 6:45 pm

Thanks Ian. I tried several times, reloaded the page, but every time it said I had the security code wrong, case sensitive or not. It was strange.

I neglected to mention that the book called Bury the Chains Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves by Adam Hochchild. I highly recommend it as an eye-opening story about the history of the chattel slavery abolitionist movement.

Chaz Munro on Mon, 24th May 2010 10:19 pm

I posted the following in response to Andrew’s letter:

Everyone in New Hampshire, especially the good people of Keene, should be very glad that the Free-Staters have chosen to live among you, to be good neighbors, friends and co-workers.

I’ll be very happy to explain:

The state motto of New Hampshire is very precise with no ambiguity whatsoever – “Live Free or Die”.

Webster’s Dictionary states that motto is defined as “a short, suggestive expression of a guiding principle”.

Those liberty activists and Free Staters that some people are flying off the handle about, are living that very same freedom mentioned in the state motto. Sadly it appears that a few of the detractors have now taken the quite underhanded tact of mislabeling those they do not know nor want to learn about, as “racists” with no proof, whatsoever.

It is shameful and unbecoming of anyone who wishes to be considered a free thinking and humane adult to start throwing about hurtful and very inaccurate labels, especially when due diligence would show that every person I have ever met in the liberty movement in New Hampshire despises racism and bigotry in any form.

Nobody anywhere should be treated any differently because of their race. If you talk to these people who are your neighbors, you will find them just as friendly, community minded, charitable, (some had raised funds for the 100 Night Shelter this past weekend) unbiased, intelligent and kind to all.

Introduce yourself to one (or even a group) of them, you’ll be very glad you did. They want freedom & liberty for you too. The only remaining question is whether you will live up to your state motto as it is obvious that they do.

I suppose that means that they have most certainly belonged here all the time.

Chaz Munro

Paul on Tue, 25th May 2010 1:13 am

Oh, and I know this isn’t exactly topical, but Andrew, I thought your possession civil disobedience was conducted in an absolutely outstanding way. Just about as near to ideal civdis as anything I’ve seen.

Whammo on Wed, 26th May 2010 12:30 am

It’s perfectly reasonable to respond differently, in response to a different behavior.
Factually, many aspects of behavior are acceptable in one culture, and abhorrent in another,
Culture is integral to ones personality and is often correlated with an individual’s genetic lineage.
How can two conflicting cultures get along without sacrificing what is a part of themselves upon the altar of tolerance?

cyberdoo78 on Wed, 26th May 2010 9:33 am

Wow, such bigotry there at the Keene Sentinal’s comments section. Ironic actually.

I was just listening to Walter Williams the other day, you know the black male economist from George Mason University, and it was interesting because he was defending what Rand Paul had actually said, in contrast to what people actually heard.

He also had a caller from GA, I’m going to assume he was black because of his voice(it made sense to me at the time), who was saying that discrimination is always bad. Walter tried to tell the man that discrimination is choosing one path or another. In choosing his wife(Walter’s) he discriminated against all other women. In choosing Mason University, he discriminated against all other universities. However the caller, kept railing that discrimination was bad. I don’t think he could see the forest through the trees.

Like discrimination, bigotry isn’t bad either. Everyone who believes that owning slaves is wrong, is a bigot, in that they do not tolerate the idea that owning slaves can be right. Of course I’m of the opinion that owning slaves can be right, of course I use the word slave in its purest form, not to speak about human beings of dark skin, but of any color of skin, so long as its voluntary as in voluntary slavery.

Ironically, most people who live today are slaves, they just believe they are free because their cages are a bit larger. A slave is simply one who must bend to the will of another. If you must bend to the will of another(like government officials) then you are a slave, just your cage is nicer then your slaves of the past.

theKINGofKEENE on Wed, 26th May 2010 1:31 pm

How true. I am a king. And also, a slave. I’m also a Tibetan Buddhist monk, and U.S. Army 2nd Lt Chaplain…so, whatever…DOD or GOD, same thing to *ME*!…SEMPER FI HOO-AH!…”Army of One”, my ass…where’s my *NAVAL FLEET* & *AIR FORCE*???…HUH???…armystrong my ass…

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