Articles tagged as

Liberty

Notable Quotes: Frederic Bastiat

Bastiat, Frederic Bastiat[There] “is this idea that mankind is merely inert matter, receiving life, organization, morality, and prosperity from the power of the state.  And even worse, it will be stated that mankind tends toward degeneration, and is stopped from this downward course only by the mysterious hand of the legislator.

-Frédéric Bastiat

For Barack ‘You Didn’t Build That’ Obama and Elizabeth Warren – and just about every Democrat…

“Life, faculties, production—in other words, individuality, liberty, property—this is man. And in spite of the cunning of artful political leaders, these three gifts from God precede all human legislation, and are superior to it. Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.”

more…?

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Lakes Region Porcupines, Free State Project, Liberty, Freedom, and self – responsibility

A while ago, a now former NH State Representative Seth Cohn urged me to come to a meeting at the New Hong Kong restaurant to, as he said, “talk some politics with folks that are involved”.  Little did I know what I’d be getting into – and that was fine!  Many of the folks that attend are Free State Project “members” in that they came to NH because compared to other states, it had a low overall level of taxation and better yet, small government.  I have interviewed Dr. Jason Sorens before, so I knew the overall mindset – we tolerate a limited government, let it do a few things very well, and then leave us alone – we can be responsible for ourselves (the absolute antithesis of Democrats, who all but worship bigger government with the mindset, as we are seeing, that no one can be successful without out).

Sidenote: with that mindset, aren’t all Democrats then assuming that we are all LOSERS from the get-go? And boy, don’t the Dems go absolutely bat-crazy as more of the FSPers get involved in local and state politics – because the Dems just cannot understand that most of us don’t WANT the larger government they do.

Anyways, after this Saturday’s meeting, some of them went out to go clean the highway.  You often see those signs along the highways saying that such and such is doing the litter cleanup?  While some of them actually do the work themselves, most hire firms that specialize in doing just that.  The LR Porcs, on the other hand, believe in that self-responsibility and doing it themselves.  If one is going to be in Society, then one cannot outsource that responsibility.  So, out they went to show, in this small way, that they are not the anarchists that Ray Buckley (NH Dem Chair) claims they are and out to kill off government completely.  A very quickly done video:

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Endorsement: Andy Sanborn for New Hampshire State Senate District 9

There are fundamental problems with the way the New Hampshire government conducts its business, from the glut of agencies, the redundancy, inefficiency that has grown over the years, and the inability to coordinate information that was built into the system, not out of forethought or malice, but simply because that is how disparate empires grow … Read more

Fear and loathing by the federal government: Free people are dangerous and undesirable….

The DHS says: If you're thinking about speaking out against government tyranny...think twice.

Do you advocate for individual liberty, publicly or privately? Do you revere the U.S. Constitution as a barricade against a federal government metastacized into an enemy of freedom instead of its protector? Do you store food for emergencies? Do you own a gun? Are you a military veteran returned from a war zone assignment? Do you drive a van? Do you pay cash for some purchases? Are you “suspicious of federal government authority”?

According to a new study paid for by the federal Dept. of Homeland Security (“DHS”)…

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A Patriotic “New Years” Resolution – Resolve To Be Free From Tyranny

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Independence day, which I did not in my previous post with the Declaration of Independence.  I also wanted to mention the strange feeling that I awoke with today.

I think I know what the second or third generations of conquered nations felt like; remembering the “old ways” out of deference to our ancestors or as a way of expressing defiance.  You can see the history in your own past, that of friends and neighbors, places and days, stories told, in objects and heirlooms.  You can even smell it and hear it.  But you can’t quite remember it.  That is how I felt when I woke up. Unfocused. Not certain of where the path was that I am looking for.

But I am not a “Sunshine Patriot.”  Most of my activism has occurred during these dark hours of the Obama years.  I didn’t have to be afraid of the Socialists hiding in the bushes.  They have been running my country under the cover of a propaganda media.   And despite these odds I am here, on the front line, every day, investing my own time and effort to promote a different message.   And I am not alone.  Everyone here at GraniteGrok is doing the same thing.  And at blogs all over the country.  And that is the message.  No matter what is set before us, we are not going quietly.  We will not just shout in the darkness.  We will instead light another candle to push back the infringing pall of tyranny just a little bit longer.  But we need your help.

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We support liberty-minded Republicans to encourage a more perfect New Hampshire

Now that the filing period for state elected positions has come to a close, the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire (RLCNH) will begin its evaluation of Republicans running for office to determine if they truly understand what it means to support liberty.

Generally, conservative Republicans—those who have a deep commitment to liberty— will support legislation that advances the principles of limited government, individual liberty, personal responsibility and free enterprise, and oppose legislation that violates these standards.

Unfortunately, many Republicans genuinely believe themselves to be “conservative,” but vote against these core principles of liberty when it comes down to the day-to-day job of serving as an elected official. That is precisely why the RLCNH takes so seriously its role of recruiting and supporting Republicans who have a deep understanding of these principles and the fortitude to uphold and defend them.

A liberty-minded Republican is grounded in doing what is right, not what is politically expedient or what has been requested by a lobbyist or an official from another branch of government. The ideal official works for the people by following through on his or her campaign promises and uses his or her judgment to make independent decisions. He or she does not bend to the whim of the media, special interest groups and their e-mail or phone campaigns, or other elected officials.

Most importantly, however, a conservative Republican will always live by the core principle: “first, do no harm.”

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No, it’s not about “slut”; it’s just the next excuse for the Left to silence another Conservative voice that stands for Freedom and Liberty

Capital OneUpdate and Bumped:  Well, I just saw over at Michelle Malkin’s place that Capital One has pulled their ads.  Well, I have just “pulled (re: cancelled) my credit card with them.  And TMEW will be doing the same later on today.  My message to the polite young lady (who said she’s been getting MORE than a few calls similar to mine) is: “put the ads back, and I’ll come back.  Not until – pass that upward to the Chuckleheads upstairs”.)

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Just as it isn’t about getting free contraceptives – it’s about standing up for the Constitution.  Slutgate is the excuse for the Left’s faux outrage to pummel a single person – but that is the distraction the Left wants you to believe.  It is not about civility – the Left has spewed far more vile at far more women on the Right over far more years.  Why?  To insult and to intimidate those on the Right, to force us to think that it is time for us to dejectedly leave the field of political / philosophical battle on our own.  And then they win and then they have a clear road to continue to dismantle the Rights given to us by our Creator.  To Progressives, ‘inalienable Rights” are simply an alien idea that has to be put down – for they have no God but Bigger Government.  Freedom is what they would have us believe we get from men – in the political scene, they wish to believe  they have the right to act as gods to determine how we shall run our lives.

And we see them, via Media Matters (funded by George Soros) and Van Jone’s Color of Change working behind the scenes, trying to achieve the real goal – seeing their political opportunity to silence Rush Limbaugh.  Thus far, they (the tip of the spear of the Left, to give them their due) have convinced 22 advertisers to leave Rush Limbaugh.  They have orchestrated a massive turnout of emails and calls to those companies to “leave Rush, or we leave you”: 400,00 have signed a petition to get Rush yanked.

Steve said it was time to stand a post(“I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post.“); our Founders did far, far more.  Well, my friend, Warner Todd Huston (he who can be seen almost at every big site), has weapons for you to wield: he has compiled the contact list, your WEAPON, for you to do the same as what the Left has done:

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Liberals promote Government Not Liberty

To the Editor,

Leo Sandy’s December 11th letter in the Laconia Daily Sun shows how  commonly understood terms can be used to mislead people.

While each form of government has a unique aspects, the key issue is  government‘s authority over people.  At one end of a spectrum are governments which have absolute control over citizens, where, in practice, people have no rights (despite perhaps a showpiece Constitution).  If you are arrested and executed or your property taken without a real trial, it doesn’t matter if the government calls itself a dictatorship, Kingdom, Socialist, Fascist, National Socialist (Nazi), Democracy, Republic, Communist, etc.

Would it  make any difference if you were being murdered by Hitler, along with about 10 million, or Stalin, with about 20 million, or Mao, with 80 million fellow citizens (or Che or Fidel who killed thousands)?  Each murderer claiming it was for “the good of the people“.

At the other end of the spectrum is no government, anarchy, where people have total freedom.  Anarchy never lasts long, strongmen normally take total control over people.  (Our Constitution defines a government intended to ensure each person’s freedom except when it infringes on another’s freedom and leaving ultimate control of government in the hands of the people not government officials.)

Whether you want to put Fascism on the left or right of the spectrum, it sits with other dictatorships, Communist, Socialist, Nazi, (traditional) Kingdoms, etc., and these forms of government are opposed by all American  Conservatives, “right wingers”.

The American supporters and admirers of Socialist and Communist governments are liberals.  They will quibble over definitions, ownership of the means of production, etc.,  but from the standpoint of average citizen’s rights versus the government, there is no meaningful difference between Communism and Fascism.

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New Hampshire Wire Tap Laws and the Wheedling Legislature

“All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse.” —John Quincy Adams

Yesterday, a Union Leader Editorial featured commentary about the flaws of New Hampshire’s Wire Tapping and Eavesdropping laws currently in place. The commentary came on the heels of the Supreme Court upholding the Conviction of the now-deceased and infamous Kristin (McDonald) Ruggiero, an evil shrew who sought to use the courts as a cudgel and see her ex-husband locked away, ruined and broken.

The nexus of Kristin’s appeal asserted that the lower court incorrectly admitted photographic evidence of her committing her crime. The problem for Kristin was evidence established she placed the calls from California to South Carolina, jurisdictions that lack the criminally enabling restrictions codified in New Hampshire statutes. Summarily, she lost her appeal. Following notification by her lawyer, Mark Sisti, the grim reaper came for a visit shortly thereafter.

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“We don’t want to have to spend this much energy and attention to your job.”

The above quote is from a post over at The Corner of NJ Governor Chris Christie.  Very much in line with what Gov. Rick Perry of Texas has said:

“My goal is to make Washington as inconsequential to your daily life as possible.

People DON’T want to think about politics all the time.  For most people, it is a waste of time as they deal with their jobs, their spouses.  They have reality based lives to lead, actual families to take care of, jobs to perform in.  Hobbies, past times, and causes other than politics to care about and in which to get involved.

Problem is, Progressives are convinced that it IS their job to hijack (word specifically chosen) Government so as to then be able to “shape” our lives so that “we will be better”.

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Its Time to Ignore Liberal Bullying

To the Editor:   

Mr. Veverka and Mr. Hightower would have you believe that any time a liberal imagines a need, the government should reach into your pocket, or at least your neighbor’s pocket, and take your (or his) money.  Or, more accurately, the government should borrow money from the Chinese for which we promise repayment of principal, interest, and a little bit of the opportunities, freedom, and standard of living of our children, grandchildren, and future generations of Americans.  

Anyone who does not immediately jump at this “bargain” will be the target of name calling, lies, and hysterical personal attacks.  This intimidation is to blame for a significant amount of our current approximately $15 trillion national debt and so many flawed government programs.         

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WHY I CARRY A GUN: One Woman’s Perspective

“Gun bans disarm victims, putting them at the mercy of murderers or terrorists who think nothing of breaking the gun laws …”  —Michael Badnarik

 Rachel Chumita

Originally published in September 2006 by the Buckeye Firearms Association

woman_handgun_Grok.jpg

When people find out that I carry a gun most of the time, they’re often curious.  What would prompt a woman to do something like that? Because it sounds a little odd, many people conclude that an armed woman must live in constant fear.

Rather the opposite, actually. The account below was written several years ago, but the sentiments in it are no less true today.  Despite the title, it really isn’t about why I started carrying a gun full-time, but about why I keep doing so.

Carrying a gun can be uncomfortable. The gun literally and figuratively gets in the way of some activities. There is a constant and slightly uncomfortable awareness that the folks around me would be unhappy with me if they knew I had a gun under my outer clothing. Nevertheless, I continue to carry almost all day, almost every day.

Last week, I went to pick up two of my children from summer

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A RANGE WITH A PICTURESQUE VIEW

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” ~Abraham Lincoln My good friend (former Ward 12 Alderman and State Rep) Keith Hirschmann called me and asked me to tag along over to Henniker for some Saturday … Read more

OP/ED We need more Freshmen Republicans

The debt-ceiling debate isn’t just a budgetary concern. This debate represents a philosophical conflict about the size and scope of government. The American people cannot be reminded enough that their government currently owes $14 trillion, and the budget deficit for this year alone is $1.5 trillion. The accumulated debt is both a moral and financial … Read more

If You Are Not Following Me On Twitter….

Twitter inspires the opportunity to aggravate the leftists who insist on following conservatives there. Not every witticism will fit on Twitter. Sometimes you have to write a blog and post a link. And then there are the thoughts that are too short to blog and too long to tweet. (Some things can’t be said in under 140 characters.)

Really Getting it Straight on Right to Work

To the Editor:

It is too bad that Rob Azevedo’s entertaining article in The Citizen on June 29th,  “Getting it straight on Right to Work” misrepresents the proposed New Hampshire Right to Work law and vilifies the TEA Party people who support it.  

Right to Work (RTW) is not about union busting, not about lowering wages, not about working hard, not about keeping people from forming or joining unions.  RTW is about the same thing Americans fought the Revolutionary War for, Liberty.  

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Honey Puterbaugh for State Rep

Honey is a solid small government candidate who will do her best to keep the state off your back and out of your face. She will support realistic revenue projections, budgets that address real world needs instead of ideological wants. And as a homeschooler, she supports real choice in education.

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