“The Framers of the Constitution knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution. But they also knew that it is always the deadliest enemy of tyranny.” —Justice Hugo Black
Vassals of the Feifdoms…oh how they love to rule and oh how we love to let them! Periodically, we hear the din of those who gleefully point out that New Hampshire is not very homogenous. People move here from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island to flee the thumb of state and local governments, frequently viewed as rife with the corruption of ineffectual politics. Then…they run for office. The problem is they bring with them an “ala carte” cherry-picking of the crappy politics from which they escaped…here to the Granite State.
Running for office, these people remain tight-lipped, down-playing from whence they came. Few native Granite Staters hold public office. But then the retort goes, “there are no native Granite Staters.” Today, we see this social cocktail in full motion. First up on the chopping block is free speech.
I contend we have had such cases similar to William Baer in Gilford, Robert Balon in Gorham and Jeffrey Clay in Alton for a number of years. We simply didn’t hear about it. News media did not report on it. It simply wasn’t, “man bites dog” enough for them. One aspect impacting that change, however are the presence of Free-staters. Those, “Obnoxious Bastards” [sic] have made quick work of resetting the dial on accountability. It is my humble view that the Granite State has hugely and substantially benefited for the presence of Free-Staters. Love them or hate them, they have changed the trajectory for how we view liberty and have done so for the better.
In the same respect, the social progressive migrants, statists and ne’er do wells are moving into the Granite State like locusts on a wheat field, impacting what many commonly assert is, “New Hampshire.” Thus, it is not unusual to find a small town selectman who, only three years prior, was a bond fide, card-carrying resident of the People’s Republic of Cambridge Massachusetts…or Enfield Connectiut…or Providence Rhode Island. I have long-contended that irrespective of where these people come from, New Hampshire towns frequently operate as feifdoms, quasi-principalities, sans gold cups, powdered wigs and plates of grapes. The selectmen are Vassals and we the serfs must kiss the ring. And with the wheat of local power, “Ye men make merry and eatest thereof.”
The latest escapade of jailing for free speech has many aghast, shocked and outraged. Why? I ask…this is not new or novel or unique. We are merely hearing about it. This is the evolving culture of the Granite State. Selectmen, Town Councilors, Town Managers, Town Administrators…many come from someplace else. Some do the job they were charged with while others usurp power, oppress residents and squash free speech.
Police Chiefs are no exception. If a citizen goes to a Police department website, you will seldom find a bio on a new Police Chief, other than that which is stated in a news piece about his or her hiring. Police chiefs are frequently hired from those very places that are on the opposite end of the spectrum where laws and culture are concerned. Some chiefs prove simply incapable of separating their viewpoints from what the law charges them with. Consequently, we see more politicization of legislative endeavors. We see this aspect very open and out front with gun laws.
Money speaks. The only way these towns are going to dial back their arbitrary and capricious power grabbing is when courts award substantial money damages to be paid by towns out of town coffers. When you kick a citizen in his or her wallet, I don’t care who you are, he or she is going to yell. It is time for these carpet-bagging progressives to learn their place and role in the arena of public service. “Service” not ruler. It is time for townspeople to stop being sheep.
If those selectman had just merely sat there for five minutes listening to Jeff Clay…then moving on when he was done, Most likely, everyone would be talking about “that blowhard” being at it again. But what bothered me the most is the individual immediately following Clay. I’ve never seen such ass-sucking as in that clip. Talk about clueless. I don’t even think “Bob” processed what just took place. (We don’t have his last name or where he lives because like squashing free speech, Alton does not follow recognized decorum as other towns do). Sheep.
This is not over. It is not over because coming to a feifdon (town) near you is the rank suppression of free speech. This will not change until the citizens change it. And, if the citizens fail to act, they deserve the very government they get. People no longer ask the questions like, “where do you stand on the first amendment? The second Amendment? They no longer ask because some other blowhard shouts them down asserting, “Shut up! he (or she) is running for selectman…NOT congress.”Hence, the price to be paid….
