Liberty Archives - Page 10 of 13

Of John Locke

October 29, 2018 Steve MacDonald

Having discussed the definitions of martial law and militia, it is time to begin the discussing the object of our study, the political philosophies of John Locke and roots of our Republics in his philosophies. To that end I will begin with who is John Locke. I myself have just finished a 400 page biography of John Locke, “John Locke, Philosopher of American Liberty”. As I began it, it seemed were firmly founded on John Locke’s political philosophy.

John Locke was born in 1632 in Pensford, Somersetshire in England to Puritan parents. As a Puritan, he would have been inculcated in the principles of self-government found in the 1599 Geneva Bible. This is the same religious perspective held by the Pilgrims who traveled to America from 1618 to 1623.

1632 was in the midst of the tug of war between King and Parliament, Catholicism and Protestantism, that led to the English civil war. This civil war was between

Chris Pappas – Spoken like a true Collectivist! He’s not grooving to “Live Free or Die”

October 16, 2018 Skip

UPDATED and BUMPED (from 10/16/2012): Chris Pappas, now running for Congress instead of NH Exec. Council back then, hates our “Live Free or Die” motto – said so himself. He’s all about putting the “Common Good” above your Freedom. You need to send him a message of “no, it isn’t”:

“…it is clear that the idea of Freedom necessarily is subservient to what he believes to be the constant Progressive Ideal: “the Common Good”.

(H/T: Tom for reminding me I wrote this back then)

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Got a tip from a loyal reader of an article that appeared on FaceBook – one that shows that one Democrat Progressive Chris Pappas would be self-righteously fine with New Hampshire getting rid of our State Motto, “Live Free or Die”. He said so himself in a Hippo Press article back in Dec 15, 2005. True, a long time ago both in real time and political epochs. But when you read what he wrote, you may take the attitude of “Humpf, this is an ‘tude not easy to ditch or change” (at least what my takeaway is). That article is after the jump.

Now, at some sundry times, do make a wee joke about that New Hampshire’s beloved icon [The Old Man In The Mountain] lays in rubble at the bottom, but the motto is not just a phrase or a marketing blurb. It is not just a motto – it is a philosophical statement. Sure, it was a toast uttered by General John Stark, but it is one of the most succinct and pithy summaries of what Freedom is all about. It is a truism from one that was willing to lay down his life for Freedom – the complete and all encompassing meaning of the word “Live Free or die – death is not the worst of all evils”. Would you be willing to compromise your life, nay, lay it down, for a faux version of it?

Apparently, Chris Pappas would. Read that article – it is clear that his idea of Freedom necessarily is subservient to what he believes to be the constant Progressive Ideal: “the Common Good”. The article was written around the time that smoking was banned in many public spaces here in NH – especially restaurants.

He confuses what he perceives to be the tyranny of a few taking away a Right of the many (a few smokers, a lot of people “forced” to endure their “freedom”. He, and the others that passed the law, truly believe that their “seeing the future benefit for all” was sufficient to take away just one more Liberty from those that do something with which they disagree and take away just one more aspect of owning, well, what used to be Private Property (you know, the ability of restaurant owners to actually set their own policies. He also believes that the well-to-do should have to give up more of their Private Property (er, their money, which when you get to the blunt point, time from their lives) simply because they are “privileged” (and he has better ways to spend it than they do).

What concerns me the most, being a candidate for the NH Executive Council, is that he will continue this errant philosophy – that the Common Good always should trump Individual Freedoms, and that Private Property, when needed by the Common Good, is subject to the will of the Common Good.

Which doesn’t make it all that Free, nor all that Private, does it?

Negron 10K Money Bomb Update – Help Bring Ann Kuster Home

September 27, 2018September 22, 2018 Steve MacDonald

Your Individual Right to Self Defense

DONATE $10.00 TO PROTECT THE FIRST TEN AMENDMENTS

Writing for the majority in District of Columbia v. Heller, Justice Antonin Scalia observed that,

“Nowhere else in the Constitution does a “right’ attributed to ‘the people’ refer to anything other than an individual right.”

The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is an individual right protected by the Constitution. It’s time for New Hampshire to send someone to Washington who recognizes that.

New Hampshire is the 2nd Most Free State In America

September 26, 2018August 22, 2018 Steve MacDonald

For only the sixth time since 2000 CATO has ranked New Hampshire as the second Most Free State in the US. We were number one all the other times. Unfortunately, this is the third year in a row at number two, and while CATO examines that there is still plenty of good news (not that being #2 isn’t good news).

We have some work to do to get back to number one. But before we get to that let’s talk about this

Facebook Doodlings – Justice? Which one?

September 26, 2018August 9, 2018 Skip

Steve’s post on former NH State Senate Minority Leader Jeff ‘The Bruiser’ Woodburn had an interesting comment left on it on Facebook:

Joanne Hack Again, ALLEGED abuser … are we not supposed to be the voice of reason and say that he’s not convicted of anything so, since this is America, he shouldn’t have to resign. I don’t know the guy and I don’t have any opinion of him, but still he hasn’t been convicted of anything.

– one I decided to answer (emphasis here):

Taxes vs Personal Spending: shouldn’t this be flipped?

September 26, 2018August 7, 2018 Skip

Is it moral to be paying more to Government than spending on your family? Reformatted, emphasis mine:

America spends more on taxes than on food, clothing, and housing combined. A LOT more.

Housing: $2.3 trillion

Clothing: $0.4 trillion

Food: $1.7 trillion

TOTAL: $4.4 trillion

Federal Taxes: $3.4 trillion

State and Local Taxes: $1.8 trillion

TOTAL: $5.2 trillion

Do you think, as a country, we’re getting our money’s worth from all that taxation?

Notable Quote – Tom Palmer

September 26, 2018July 29, 2018 Skip

“As you go through life, chances are almost 100 percent that you act like a libertarian. You might ask what it means to “act like a libertarian.” It’s not that complicated. You don’t hit other people when their behavior displeases you. You don’t take their stuff. You don’t lie to them to trick them into letting you take their stuff, or defraud them, or knowingly give them directions that cause them to drive off of a bridge. You’re just not that kind of a person.

Read more

Either Hayek is fine by me – they’re both good!

September 26, 2018July 28, 2018 Skip

F.A. or Selma! (H/T: Powerline)

Rick Notkin – candidate for NH State House, Belknap County District 2

September 26, 2018July 13, 2018 Skip

Recently I was asked why I was running for NH State Representative. The easy answer would be that I was corralled into it. Really, there was an open seat as one of the reps was not running for re-election so I had an opportunity to “put my money where my mouth was”, so to speak.

One of the main reasons that my wife and I moved to New Hampshire was the lower level of government intrusion into people’s lives. My overall view is supporting free-markets and individual liberty. I believe that when people have the freedom to engage in capitalism, the free market can solve many problems that arise. I also believe people should be able to run their own lives, as long as they don’t interfere with the rights of others.

Proponents of government programs and projects usually proclaim that given problems will be solved. “Leave it to us” actually seems to mean “you can’t handle it yourselves”. More insidiously, the actions (or inactions) of bureaucracies that are put in place to run the program often can’t reach the goals that were set.

Notable Quote – Jacob Viner

September 26, 2018July 4, 2018 Skip

Beyond, moreover, its material benefits, it is clear that for Adam Smith laissez faire had ethical or moral value in that it left to the individual unimpaired “liberty” to which he had a natural right. It is quite probable, therefore, that Adam Smith would have rejected an extensive program of state regulation of economic enterprise … Read more

Janus vs. AFSCME – a personal take

September 26, 2018June 27, 2018 Skip

UPDATE: As the Supreme court just decided for Janus and against the unions, this post is appropriate. Best news? SCOTUS rules that public sector union MUST be opt-in for payments. Essentially, this returns freedom to individuals over the unions; no more paycheck protection for unions.

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“Live Free or Die” – that’s our state motto and unlike many on the Left that find that absolutely abhorrent, it’s one of the reasons why I’ve stayed in the Granite State for over three decades (yep, came for a job, stayed for the motto). The rest of the motto is not one that is repeated too often, that saying from General John Stark to his former soldiers: “Death is not the worst of all evils“. The Progressives here shudder every time it is stated.

For them, life is not to be free in the traditional sense of the word. Freedom is the Collective. Freedom is belonging to such a collective. It also isn’t about remembering history because much of their philosophy regresses back to the mistakes and catastrophes of the 20th and 19th Centuries when Collectivism tried to overwhelm that most radical of American ideals – the idea that the Individual is sovereign and happens to have a government instead of what most of the world’s history and actions show to be the opposite – a country with subjects.

New Hampshire Democrats Oppose ‘Common Sense’ Gun Legislation.

September 26, 2018April 13, 2018 Steve MacDonald

The New Hampshire House voted 184-146 to advance Senate Bill 500, housekeeping legislation meant to clean up the language in firearms statutes in the GraniteState.

Unlike the State Senate where approval was unanimous SB500 did not garner overwhelming bipartisan support in the NH House. In fact, it received very little support from House Democrats with 139 of the 146 no votes coming from the left.

Looking For Liberty In All The Right Places

July 15, 2024August 16, 2015 Steve MacDonald

New Hampshire Liberty Alliance Chair Paul Best joins us to talk about the latest Liberty Rating, a report that ranks members of the legislature, how it is compiled, and some of the limitations.

Ending Religious Liberty

July 15, 2024July 21, 2015 Steve MacDonald

Constitutional appellate litigator Mike Farris joins us to discuss the US Supreme Court’s Same Sex Marriage ruling, and how it is an attack on self government, and individual rights. We also discuss the constitution’s binding role, the next layer of law that must follow this ruling, and how it must infringe on religious freedom. … Read more

603 Alliance – Jack Kimball On Liberty

July 15, 2024April 23, 2015 Steve MacDonald

The next speaker at the 603 Alliance Grassroots summit is former NH-GOP chair and candidate for Governor of New Hampshire, Jack Kimball. Jack speaks on the erosion of liberty, IRS and EPA intimidation, and the need to stand up against the never-ending onslaught of government interference in our every-day lives.

A voice suffering from Government Tyranny – simply for being TEA Party – Part 2

September 26, 2018June 5, 2013 Skip

“I think the IRS needs to fix its labeling machine: we’re the San Fernando Valley TEA Party not Occupy Oakland”

In addition to Becky Gerritson, another TEA Party founder by the name of Dr. Karen Kenny of the San Fernando Valley TEA Party testified to the Congressional committee on the targeting that they received from the IRS (emphasis mine):

Thank you Mr. Chairman. John Adams knew that facts are stubborn things. In this district, facts are hidden under the mantle of office. They get used as tools or weapons but they wait for us. We must seek them with the Lamp of Truth and put them into words.

But you and I speak languages in this Republic. You speak the language of Power, of pen, purse, and gavel. I speak American grassroots, the language of Liberty, through Providence, Property, and Civic Virtue.

We seldom speak together about The Rule of Law unless it is ignored or violated; now is such a time. I have a story that bridges the distance between my State of California and this Capital. What I say here must be said here.

The Real Agents of Change

September 26, 2018May 30, 2013 Steve MacDonald

Democrats like to promote themselves as change agents. Agents of change. And this makes them hip. Modern. Progressive. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Democrats promote the politicization of everything and by extension the bureaucratization of everything. To them government is the best arbiter of progress. But the process of making government the dispatcher of innovation has exactly the opposite effect. It creates barriers to entry, reduces choices, dries up resources or locks them away, and leaves a few cumbersome behemoths who plod along beside big government, benefiting from their shared monopoly on “progress.”

Notable quote – Judge Andrew Napolitano

September 26, 2018April 26, 2013 Skip

The pact with the devil occurred in the fall of 2001, when then President George W. Bush and Congress decided that they would use the machinery of the federal government to secure safety, rather than liberty. So, the Bush-inspired Patriot Act permits federal agents to write their own search warrants, and the Bush-inspired new FISA … Read more

Have you sworn an Oath to uphold the Constitution? Join us at the “HONOR YOUR OATH RALLY” TODAY!

September 26, 2018April 12, 2013 Skip

HONOR YOUR OATH RALLY

Saturday, April 13, 2013
1:00 to 3:00
At the State House in Concord, NH

Great line-up of speakers: Jack Kimball Chair of the GSPLPAC, conservative talk show host Jeff Chidester; Chief Jon Worrall of the Wounded Warriors; Skip Murphy of GraniteGrok; Laurie Pettingill, former state legislator; Andrew Hemingway, political activist and former Chair of the RLCNH; NH State Reps. Dan Itse, Dan Dumaine, Jane Cormier and Al Baldasaro; and Oathkeeper James Hazard.

Livestream (as possible):

Live broadcast by Ustream

Can’t join us in Concord? We’ll be livestreaming if possible, recording for later anyways. Join us to help secure your liberties. Sponsored by the Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC – for additional info click HERE. RAIN or SHINE! No cancellation or rain date!

Small Government best protects the Peoples’ Liberties

September 26, 2018April 2, 2013 Don

I was happy to see, in his letter of March 26th (http://issuu.com/dailysun/docs/lds3-26-13), that Johan Andersen agrees with the historic and current conservative position that humans can be evil and corruptible. I wonder if he understands the implications of his position.

Our Founding Fathers struggled to create a government that protected peoples’ liberties. Their focus wasn’t with evil people who slander, beat, rob, rape, and murder. Knowing that power corrupts even well-intentioned people, the Founding Fathers’ objective was to protect the liberties of the people from evil/corruptible people who control government power.