Agreed.
For the record, Gay Marriage isn't my personal most hot-button issue, but I (and the rest of the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance are more than willing to help.
EXACTLY... the only way to get any Libertarian traction is to concentrate us in one place, not for everyone to stay and fight in their current location.
The point I was making was about the impact of Free Staters who are motivated to implement change (in part by virtue of the fact that they have pulled up stakes and moved), as compared to the impact of your average Democrat or Conservative voter who just happens to move to NH.
Mr. Gannon, the gentleman in question that the cops did such a disservice to, is currently on the air. You can listen to what he had to say at the Free Talk Live website (all their shows are archived & available for download... you'll be wanting FTL2006-06-29)
Actually, I agree with esme. The owner must take responsibility and be liable. A suite could certainly be brought -- though I imagine it will be tough for the plaintiff, since the bar owner will have had a clarly posted "Smoking Allowed Here" sign, and the dangers of smoking are well-understood by the client. It's be like suing them for serving fatty bacon and causing a heart attack.
Actually over 60% of bard and restraurants are smoke-free in NH. The key is that this has been done by the free will of the owner, not by the threat of sending in the cops to arrest everyone. You should patronize the smoke-free places. Write letters to those who are not smoke-free and put the pressure on. But don't use the cops as thugs to force everyone to your preference. It's not American.
We've left messages for the guy who made the videos (he wasn't home). We've also asked him to call in to Free Talk Live tonight (7-10 PM EST). I hope he does.
The smoking ban would have applied to all bars and restaurants. Places that are *privately* owned, where the owner can damn well set a non-smoking policy if he or she wants to, and where patrons can choose not to enter a clearly-marked "smoking allowed here" bar. Nobody has to participate -- th ewhole point is that the acceptable level of risk is for individuals to choose. Not the goddamn government.
That's why in NH we don't have laws that require you to wear your seat belt, wear a motorcycle helmet, or wear your mittens. You want to be treated as an infant ward of the State? Go live somewhere else. You want to be treated like an adult, and take responsibility for your own choices? Come to New Hampshire. Simple.
The 20,000 number was really a total guess, based on the notion that Free Staters would not be that active. Given the amount of activity here in-state, most of us who have actually moved estimate we really only need a few hundred people. If those people are willing to run for office, and assist in other people's campaigns, this already largely independent state is likely to go "tipping-point". Yes, the number of new signups is low, and I wish it were higher, but that's not the prime focus, really. Every single person who moves here has an impact so, so much greater than they could in any other state, thanks to the low population, mostly classically liberal culture, and open structure of government.
It's easy to nay-say on the sidelines. It's just so much bullshitting unless you're willing to at least give it a shot.
Massholes are a problem, but not a big one. People moving in from Mass are by and large just ordinary people. At absolute most, they vote once every 2 years. Compare that with the typical Free Stater -- we write letters to the editor, testify for or against bills at the State House, run for office, oragnize protests, campaign for pro-Freedom candidates, start newspapers, start blogs and blogs, join organizations like the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance and Republican Liberty Caucus, and generally agitate like hell.
Every Free Stater that moves in has more influence than 10,000 voter-sheep.
I am more than happy to stay in NH and respect private property and personal choices (even when they may be bad for the one foing the choosing) if you and all your do-gooder, Socialist friends will promise not to enforce your rules here.
No doubt. We'd have a hell of a lot of work to do wherever we landed!
Make no mistake: the Free State Project is not about moving someplace already free; it's about moving the most active pro-Freedom people to a place that can be freed, with a hell of a lot of hard work. See the 101 reasons NH should be the Free State info that the NH Libertarian Party put together before the vote was taken on which would be the designated Free State.
There are only ~400 Free-Staters in New Hampshire so far. The target is 20,000; over 7,000 have signed up but not yet moved.
NH was chosen just 2 years ago. You have to reside here 2 years in order to run for statewide office. This coming November will be the first opportunity to do so for the very earliest movers -- we have over a dozen people who will be running.
We've already scored victories -- we have people elected to local office (school board, city council, etc), we killed a proposed statewide smoking ban, we slashed the red tape around home-schooling, and more.
You're right -- in any other state, you're pretty much screwed. If this kind of thing bothers you, bothers you enought do do something, you should come join the rest of us who are not taking this shit lying down!
Check out the grief we gave to the cops on a past case where they misbehaved here, or see our fight against the National ID here
I live in NH too... I moved here (along with many others) to fight for Freedom.
A lot of us over at the forums on NHFree are weighing options as to how best to respond.\
It also depends on the stage of the lifecycle, of course.
A 10-line change the last day before final freeze gets a hell of a lot more scruitny than the same 10-line change when the codeline first opens and is unstable as all hell;)
Jack Thompson was interviewed a few weeks ago on Free Talk Live, which is hosted by a self-described "Free-Marketeer", ie, an anarchocapitalist. The co-hosts are also basically free-market Libertarians.
Mr. Thompson comes across as a deluded, selfimportant, lawerish, jack-ass of an individual. Granted, the host was intentionally pushing his buttons ("I think it should be legal for convenience stores to sell beer to 10-year olds! Parents will boycott the place and it'll go out of business... let the market sort it out!") but surly Mr. Thompson knew this was going to be an interview with someone whose views were diametrically opposed to his own. Surely he could have at least engaged in a real, 2-way debate?
Thompson got so irked by the free-market ideas, he wouldn't even discuss the concept. He hung up on the interview! What an infantile, childish little busybody! These are the kind of asses that make this kind of law to "protect the children!"
Well, since you asked for podcast recomendations... I particularly love Free Talk Live
It's an Anarchocapitalist/Libertarian podcast. I hang out on their forum a lot, it's pretty good as far as forums go, which means it's only 80% drivel (instead of 95%+)
FTL is also on the radio; on Saturday nights they have about a dozen affiliates. It's pretty cool to call in to a podcast with essentially zero phone screening and find yourself on the airwave in a dozen cities across the US. And yes, they will talk about literally anything. New Years' eve they always ask for extremely wasted people to call; that's always funny. They usually also ask for people who vehemently disagree with the hosts. The arguments get pretty heated, which can be fun.
If you like that, come hang out with a few HUNDRED people who feel the same way at the annual Free State Project festival: http://porcfest.com
I'll be there,. as will my wife, our 2-year-old son, and my 2 cousins from England who are tired of the police state over there (it's even worse than ours here in the US, believe it or not)
As a Libertarian myself, I tend to agree with you. Again, I think this was not the most well-chosen acto of Civil Disobediance.
That said, it is wrong for the Federal Government to tell the airlines how to run their business.
Surely the airlines should shoulder the responsibility for ensuring passenger's safety, and should be liable for harm to innocent 3rd parties if their planes are negligently unsafe... right?
Why can't an airline have a policy that *allows* guns on board?
Personally, I'd feel safer knowing that 75% of my fellow passengers had guns... because I know 99% or more of people are NOT terrorists. And armed population is impossible to subdue.
At the other end, why can't an airline have a policy that requires an x-ray and strip search, and does *not* allow guns? If you don't like guns, fly Ultra-Safe Airlines, where even the sporks are not too stiff, and they don't let pen-knives ot eyeglass screwdrivers on board.
The free market can find solutions, if only it is not shackled by the government, forced into a one-size-fits-all solution, where every policy must be decided by a committee in Washington!
I think his responses were posted on the NHFree forum thread... I'm going a bit by memory, this was last year, and we've done a hell of a lot of anti-ID activities since then;)
A guy I know was jailed for refusing to show ID...
on
Flying Faster Without ID
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Russ Kanning is a friend of mine.
Last year, he tried to board an airplane... without showing an ID, and without submitting to a secondary search.
He was carrying only his boarding pass and a copy of the U.S. Constitution. Cheeky fucker!
He spent several days in jail, and got some really scary letters from the FBI (hi guys!).
Scanned copies of the letters, photos of the event, and his own musing are posted here.
Now, I don't agree with Russell's focus on "civil disobediance" -- I prefer to focus on political change (ie, getting good people elected into office, passing good laws, repealing bad ones, etc). In addition, I think this particular act of Civil Disobedience was poorly chosen -- he was trying to make the point that it should be the airlines, not the government, that sets the rules for any particular flight.
But still, ya gotta admire the sheer cojones of standing up to the FBI, and doing it with a sense of humor (see the letters he wrote back to the Feds, they're hilarious!)
Russ is just one of the hundreds of pro-Liberty activists out here in New Hampshire, one more member of the Free State Project
Slashdot Mirror
Agreed.
For the record, Gay Marriage isn't my personal most hot-button issue, but I (and the rest of the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance are more than willing to help.
The point I was making was about the impact of Free Staters who are motivated to implement change (in part by virtue of the fact that they have pulled up stakes and moved), as compared to the impact of your average Democrat or Conservative voter who just happens to move to NH.
Thanks! LPNH appears to have just "redesigned" their page, and not kept aliases for the prior URLs. I've now updated my pages accordingly.
Mr. Gannon, the gentleman in question that the cops did such a disservice to, is currently on the air. You can listen to what he had to say at the Free Talk Live website (all their shows are archived & available for download... you'll be wanting FTL2006-06-29)
Actually, the homophobes tried to put up a proposal to amend the a state constituion to make same-sex marriage illegal. That got nowhere, fast. You can see a State Representative slamming it at: http://freestateblogs.net/files/images/Vaillancour t_gayrights.avi and http://freestateblogs.net/files/images/Vaillancour t_samesex.avi
Actually, I agree with esme. The owner must take responsibility and be liable. A suite could certainly be brought -- though I imagine it will be tough for the plaintiff, since the bar owner will have had a clarly posted "Smoking Allowed Here" sign, and the dangers of smoking are well-understood by the client. It's be like suing them for serving fatty bacon and causing a heart attack.
Do not come to NH.
We are a bunch of crazy anarcho-capitalists.
You'd hate it here.
Trust me.
Thanks!
"We're scared to go to New Hampshire," he said. "They have gun racks on their motorcycles. They don't want anyone telling them what to do." [cite]
Actually over 60% of bard and restraurants are smoke-free in NH. The key is that this has been done by the free will of the owner, not by the threat of sending in the cops to arrest everyone. You should patronize the smoke-free places. Write letters to those who are not smoke-free and put the pressure on. But don't use the cops as thugs to force everyone to your preference. It's not American.
We've left messages for the guy who made the videos (he wasn't home). We've also asked him to call in to Free Talk Live tonight (7-10 PM EST). I hope he does.
That's why in NH we don't have laws that require you to wear your seat belt, wear a motorcycle helmet, or wear your mittens. You want to be treated as an infant ward of the State? Go live somewhere else. You want to be treated like an adult, and take responsibility for your own choices? Come to New Hampshire. Simple.
It's easy to nay-say on the sidelines. It's just so much bullshitting unless you're willing to at least give it a shot.
Every Free Stater that moves in has more influence than 10,000 voter-sheep.
Sound good?
Make no mistake: the Free State Project is not about moving someplace already free; it's about moving the most active pro-Freedom people to a place that can be freed, with a hell of a lot of hard work. See the 101 reasons NH should be the Free State info that the NH Libertarian Party put together before the vote was taken on which would be the designated Free State.
Keep in mind:
Check out the grief we gave to the cops on a past case where they misbehaved here, or see our fight against the National ID here
A lot of us over at the forums on NHFree are weighing options as to how best to respond.\
We're known for standing up against the NH police when they step out of line!5 4843817240
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-30178811
Cody Noline? Are you a closet Barbara Kingsolver fan?
It also depends on the stage of the lifecycle, of course. A 10-line change the last day before final freeze gets a hell of a lot more scruitny than the same 10-line change when the codeline first opens and is unstable as all hell ;)
Mr. Thompson comes across as a deluded, selfimportant, lawerish, jack-ass of an individual. Granted, the host was intentionally pushing his buttons ("I think it should be legal for convenience stores to sell beer to 10-year olds! Parents will boycott the place and it'll go out of business... let the market sort it out!") but surly Mr. Thompson knew this was going to be an interview with someone whose views were diametrically opposed to his own. Surely he could have at least engaged in a real, 2-way debate?
Thompson got so irked by the free-market ideas, he wouldn't even discuss the concept. He hung up on the interview! What an infantile, childish little busybody! These are the kind of asses that make this kind of law to "protect the children!"
Here's the clip:
http://freetalklive.com/files/thompson.mp3
It's an Anarchocapitalist/Libertarian podcast. I hang out on their forum a lot, it's pretty good as far as forums go, which means it's only 80% drivel (instead of 95%+)
FTL is also on the radio; on Saturday nights they have about a dozen affiliates. It's pretty cool to call in to a podcast with essentially zero phone screening and find yourself on the airwave in a dozen cities across the US. And yes, they will talk about literally anything. New Years' eve they always ask for extremely wasted people to call; that's always funny. They usually also ask for people who vehemently disagree with the hosts. The arguments get pretty heated, which can be fun.
http://porcfest.com
I'll be there,. as will my wife, our 2-year-old son, and my 2 cousins from England who are tired of the police state over there (it's even worse than ours here in the US, believe it or not)
That said, it is wrong for the Federal Government to tell the airlines how to run their business. Surely the airlines should shoulder the responsibility for ensuring passenger's safety, and should be liable for harm to innocent 3rd parties if their planes are negligently unsafe... right?
Why can't an airline have a policy that *allows* guns on board?
Personally, I'd feel safer knowing that 75% of my fellow passengers had guns... because I know 99% or more of people are NOT terrorists. And armed population is impossible to subdue.
At the other end, why can't an airline have a policy that requires an x-ray and strip search, and does *not* allow guns? If you don't like guns, fly Ultra-Safe Airlines, where even the sporks are not too stiff, and they don't let pen-knives ot eyeglass screwdrivers on board.
The free market can find solutions, if only it is not shackled by the government, forced into a one-size-fits-all solution, where every policy must be decided by a committee in Washington!
Endless fun at the TSA checkout line!
I think his responses were posted on the NHFree forum thread... I'm going a bit by memory, this was last year, and we've done a hell of a lot of anti-ID activities since then ;)
Last year, he tried to board an airplane... without showing an ID, and without submitting to a secondary search.
He was carrying only his boarding pass and a copy of the U.S. Constitution. Cheeky fucker!
He spent several days in jail, and got some really scary letters from the FBI (hi guys!).
Scanned copies of the letters, photos of the event, and his own musing are posted here.
Now, I don't agree with Russell's focus on "civil disobediance" -- I prefer to focus on political change (ie, getting good people elected into office, passing good laws, repealing bad ones, etc). In addition, I think this particular act of Civil Disobedience was poorly chosen -- he was trying to make the point that it should be the airlines, not the government, that sets the rules for any particular flight.
But still, ya gotta admire the sheer cojones of standing up to the FBI, and doing it with a sense of humor (see the letters he wrote back to the Feds, they're hilarious!)
Russ is just one of the hundreds of pro-Liberty activists out here in New Hampshire, one more member of the Free State Project