In response to the 2 recent editorials Foster’s Daily Democrat has published, “Co-opting our way of life” (reprinted at the bottom of this, for context) and “FSP Has Some Growing Up to Do” (link to previous FK post), I wrote the following piece which Fosters’ published today:
What Free Staters are and aren’t
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
The two anonymous editorials that Foster’s has printed in the last week regarding the Free State Project reflect a lack of understanding that I’ve found only in the most closed minded individuals, left or right, here in New Hampshire.
In early 2001, Yale doctoral student Jason Sorens brainstormed about what might happen theoretically if libertarians got together in one place. In the ensuing 10 years, the reality far surpassed anything young Sorens could have imagined, and he’s said so many times. Quoting his original essay as gospel or blueprint misses the boat entirely, nobody but the most strident opposition are even reading it. Certainly the 13,500+ current signers to move aren’t, nor the 1,000+ who have moved over the last 8 years. Professor Sorens wrote a “10 years on” sequel essay refuting much of what he wrote back then. Theory: 20,000 activists. Reality: Far less are needed, and more effective than he imagined.
On January 14 at 9:40am a Petition for Redress of Grievances was filed against State Representative Cynthia Chase with the Clerk of the NH State House.
After the Clerk received the petition, she stated that she would have to re-read the rules to know how to proceed. My understanding of the rule is that ALL petitions for redress filed with the Clerk, must be read on the floor of the House before being filed. The next meeting of the State House is Wednesday the January 16; so I guess we shall see what happens next.
In the mean time, I will contact some of the State Rep’s who are friendly towards the cause of liberty to see if they will ensure the petition is read on the floor of the House.
The Keene Sentinel reported on the City Council’s finance, organization and personnel committee meeting from Thursday, January 10.
Mitch Greenwald, who asked the council to consider requiring everyone to pass through a metal detector on the first floor prior to entering city meetings, said he did not have an opinion on whether the proposed step should be taken. “I’m not asking for this,” he said. “I wanted a discussion.”
Before allowing the public to speak, he set rules for the discussion that limited what could be mentioned. The Sentinel reported:
Members of Free Keene, a local libertarian group that oppose what it calls victimless crimes, such as public drinking and marijuana use, also weighed in on the issue Thursday night.
“It is fear-based,” said Ian Freeman, who hosts a local radio show called Free Talk Live. “It’s security theater.”
Freeman said anyone meaning serious harm to a city or court official would likely not be deterred by a metal detector, and could wait outside the building for the target to exit.
State Rep. Cynthia Chase has made national news for her statements that “Free Staters” are the biggest threat to the state and thet she wished to restrict their freedoms in an attempt to make FSP participants leave New Hampshire.
Whereas State Representative Cynthia Chase has stated, she wants “to pass measures that will restrict the ‘freedoms’ that [Free Staters] think they will find here,” and
Whereas this shows her intent to enact laws to interfere with protected rights, and
Whereas her intent is to harm a specific group of people, and
Whereas her statements are in violation of the “Equal Protection Clause” of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of these United States of America;
Be it resolved, that we, the undersigned call for the immediate censure of Representative Chase from the General Court, and
Be it resolved, that we, the undersigned call for impeachment proceedings against Representative Chase, and
Be it resolved, that we, the undersigned request the General Court take any additional actions against Representative Chase that the General Court sees fitting.
Today’s Union Leader coverage includes these choice words from Kathy Sullivan, the current national New Hampshire Democratic Committeewoman:
Democratic National Committeewoman Kathy Sullivan said that while she could not speak for Chase, the lawmaker is entitled to her opinion, “just as the Free Staters are entitled to their opinions.”
Sullivan said Free Staters have a variety of opinions on various topics, but must “contend with” opinions sometimes expressed by leaders in favor of secession, even though not all Free Staters support secession.
Sullivan said that if Free Staters run for office they should “disclose that they are part of that organized effort,” but she said she disagrees with the idea of trying to keep anyone from moving into the state.
“Would I prefer that more people of my political persuasion, who support strong public education, for instance, move into the state? Yes, but that’s not what our democracy is,” Sullivan said. “Walls don’t work.”
She said she was not surprised Limbaugh picked up on the matter, but added, “Maybe everyone on either side needs to calm down and talk to each other.”
Hmm, sounds like Kathy isn’t calling for Rep. Chase’s head… but you know she would be, if a Republican had said “Hey, let’s limit the freedoms that progressives value (or blacks, gays, unions, women, or really insert any group here), so they won’t be welcome here in NH.”
Oh right: Kathy Sullivan, then NH Democrat Chairwoman, in 2003, nearly 10 years ago.
That sound you are hearing: the hypocrite alarm going off…
Kathy Sullivan is a Manchester attorney and a member of the Democratic National Committee. She was chairman of the NH Democratic Party from 1999-2007… and she says wants us all to sit down and calmly talk now. Well, let’s see:
“First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi
A Keene-area state representative laments the fact that, “there is, legally, nothing we can do to prevent them from moving here to take over the state, which is their openly stated goal.” The Other; “them” in this instance refers to participants in the Free State Project, the political migration of liberty minded people to NH. Though the FSP has no central direction and amounts to little more than a promise to move together with like-minded others, freshly elected representative Cynthia Chase has classified her new neighbors as a threat. But not just any threat. “Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today,” she opens with on a blog featured at the Blue Hampshire website. Continuing,
In this country you can move anywhere you choose and they have that same right. What we can do is to make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave. One way is to pass measures that will restrict the ‘freedoms’ that they think they will find here.
One wonders how Ms. Chase plans to make the state “so unwelcoming” for libertarians in such a way that would not be unwelcoming to others. She tips her hand by opening in regret that political purges are illegal, but then suggests that she and her ilk can try.
