LTE's from Undergrounders

[Lloyd Danforth]

Geez.....Critics!!

[jcpliberty]

Geez.....Critics!!

LOL

[Dave Ridley]

Sent to the Keene State College paper via their submission form at
http://www.keeneequinox.com/main.cfm?include=submit

Dear folks at the Equinox:

In a free country, Keene State College students would be allowed to drink alcohol legally.  Yes drunk drivers should be locked up, and yes there are legitimate concerns when *minors* drink.  But if you're 18 you're an adult...old enough to be drafted.  If we can trust you with an assault rifle, we can trust you with a beer.  Legalization would also make it easier for 18 year olds to party in safe places rather than driving to and from hidden events.

Help us make this country free again (or at least this state).  Visit the New Hampshire Underground at NHunderground.com.  There you can help us organize protests and activities aimed at returning the drinking age to 18, where it belongs.  If nothing else, it will annoy the Feds! 

We can't get the law changed tomorrow.  But we can put seeds of doubt in the minds of the public regarding the current "Nanny Rules" that have driven you underground. And, successful or not, protests are a lot of fun!    

If you want to go directly to the thread where we are discussing this cause, head to tinyurl.com/4wdny

The nation's busybodies have stripped you of a liberty you never had the chance to lawfully enjoy.   It's time to regain that liberty and put the "Free" back in "Live Free or Die."

[Russell Kanning]

excellent

[rothamerica]

You know...that would be one of the best places to do recruiting for the FSP. ?Many of those students are from out of state. ?Wouldn't it be great to get them to commit to staying here for the cause. ?Something to think about...

[Dave Ridley]

editor@dartreview.com

(You can publish this if you like)

Help return drinking age to 18

Dear folks at TDR:

Great to see the Review is still in action 20 years after I first read about your predecessors' raid on a local "South African Shantytown."   The Left and other authoritarians pose different threats today than they did when I was a college student, but they have succeeded in eroding many of our freedoms.

For instance, in a free country, Dartmouth College students would be allowed to drink alcohol legally.  Yes drunk drivers should be locked up, and yes there are legitimate concerns when *minors* drink.  But if you're 18 you're an adult...old enough to be drafted.  If we can trust you with an assault rifle, we can trust you with a beer.  Legalization would also make it easier for 18 year olds to party in safe places rather than driving to and from hidden events.

Help us make this country free again (or at least this state).  Visit the New Hampshire Underground at NHunderground.com.  There you can help us organize protests and activities aimed at returning the drinking age to 18, like it was in the 50s and 60s.  If nothing else, it will annoy the Feds! 

We can't get the law changed tomorrow.  But we can put seeds of doubt in the minds of the public regarding the current "Nanny Rules" that have driven you underground. And, successful or not, protests are a lot of fun!    

If you want to go directly to the thread where we are discussing this cause, head to tinyurl.com/4wdny

The nation's busybodies have stripped you of a liberty you never had the chance to lawfully enjoy.   It's time to regain that liberty and put the "Free" back in "Live Free or Die."

[Dave Ridley]

wrote this for Telegraph

Dear folks at the Telegraph:

Thanks for the Jan. 19 story about that local family who successfully used their handguns to stop an intruder.

The news from other states is so often dominated by stories of criminal successes.  Part of what makes New Hampshire special is that we the citizens often lord it over the criminals.   This is partly because we have fewer thug-enabling laws than most places do.  Gun restrictions, criminal-friendly self defense rules, both are relatively lacking here, so criminals have a fairly rough time of it.  If we could further reduce gun restrictions and further liberalize a person's right to defend herself...we could give the bad guys a much tougher time than we already do.

By the way, your article reminded me of something:  I hope everyone will consider owning at least two guns rather than one, because the police may have to borrow one of them as evidence if you ever use it to stop a crime. 

[varrin]

To letters@fosters.com on 1-23-05

Dear Editor:

Chief Sawyer wants Big Brother to tell all of us to wear our seatbelts now
(Belmont rep's law, 1-23).  The rationale is that passing a law will suddenly
make us all safe.  Curiously, he ignores the fact that seat belt use rates
have nearly doubled in 16 years of education-only, all without a law to make
us 'feel' safe.  Obviously a law is not necessary to improve seat belt use
rates.

What isn't discussed is the potential negative side effects of wearing seat
belts, and legally requiring them.  Though statistically it's safer to wear
them, there are cases where wearing seat belts causes injury or death.  It's
very likely that I would not have been born had my mother been wearing her
seatbelt on a particular day more than 30 years ago.  I'm thankful she was
free to choose the safer option that fateful day.  Without that freedom, Big
Brother might have been responsible for killing me before I was born (and
possibly my mother, too).

This isn't a public safety issue, it's a personal safety issue.  I choose to
wear (or not wear) my seat belt because I believe it's best for me, not
because I worship Big Brother.  The Free Staters have it right - don't
legislate common sense.

Varrin Swearingen
Keene, NH

[varrin]

To opinion@seacoast.com on 1-26-05

Dear Editor:

Hampton town building inspector Kevin Schultz thinks that a town without
zoning would be "scary" and would complicate growth.  I wonder if Mr. Schultz
gets out much?  Has he been to some "scary" towns without zoning?

Maybe he thinks that size is an issue?  I suppose Hampton is just getting too
big to live without zoning?  After all, a little town like Houston, TX (pop.
more than 2.1 Million, 600 sq. miles) can live without zoning, but big 'ole
Hampton couldn't possibly survive without kicking old ladies out of their
homes.  "Scary?"  Absolutely.

Maybe Mr. Schultz is scared about his property values in a world without
zoning?  As a New Hampshire homeowner, I share his concerns.  But the data
shows that many neighborhoods in Houston have appreciated faster than those
in Bellaire and West University (independent cities within Houston), both
with zoning laws.  If it's property values he's concerned about, it sounds
like zoning is "scary".

Zoning is an assault on property rights.  Theory and paractice both
demonstrate that strong property rights make for a higher quality of life and
standard of living.  Myrtle Woodward and Barbara Burbank can probably tell
you just how "scary" zoning really is.

Varrin Swearingen
Keene, NH

[jcpliberty]

To opinion@seacoast.com on 1-26-05

Dear Editor:

Hampton town building inspector Kevin Schultz thinks that a town without
zoning would be "scary" and would complicate growth.  I wonder if Mr. Schultz
gets out much?  Has he been to some "scary" towns without zoning?

Maybe he thinks that size is an issue?  I suppose Hampton is just getting too
big to live without zoning?  After all, a little town like Houston, TX (pop.
more than 2.1 Million, 600 sq. miles) can live without zoning, but big 'ole
Hampton couldn't possibly survive without kicking old ladies out of their
homes.  "Scary?"  Absolutely.

Maybe Mr. Schultz is scared about his property values in a world without
zoning?  As a New Hampshire homeowner, I share his concerns.  But the data
shows that many neighborhoods in Houston have appreciated faster than those
in Bellaire and West University (independent cities within Houston), both
with zoning laws.  If it's property values he's concerned about, it sounds
like zoning is "scary".

Zoning is an assault on property rights.  Theory and paractice both
demonstrate that strong property rights make for a higher quality of life and
standard of living.  Myrtle Woodward and Barbara Burbank can probably tell
you just how "scary" zoning really is.

Varrin Swearingen
Keene, NH

Awesome Varrin.

JP

[jcpliberty]

To opinion@seacoast.com on 1-26-05

Dear Editor:

Hampton town building inspector Kevin Schultz thinks that a town without
zoning would be "scary" and would complicate growth.  I wonder if Mr. Schultz
gets out much?  Has he been to some "scary" towns without zoning?

Maybe he thinks that size is an issue?  I suppose Hampton is just getting too
big to live without zoning?  After all, a little town like Houston, TX (pop.
more than 2.1 Million, 600 sq. miles) can live without zoning, but big 'ole
Hampton couldn't possibly survive without kicking old ladies out of their
homes.  "Scary?"  Absolutely.

Maybe Mr. Schultz is scared about his property values in a world without
zoning?  As a New Hampshire homeowner, I share his concerns.  But the data
shows that many neighborhoods in Houston have appreciated faster than those
in Bellaire and West University (independent cities within Houston), both
with zoning laws.  If it's property values he's concerned about, it sounds
like zoning is "scary".

Zoning is an assault on property rights.  Theory and paractice both
demonstrate that strong property rights make for a higher quality of life and
standard of living.  Myrtle Woodward and Barbara Burbank can probably tell
you just how "scary" zoning really is.

Varrin Swearingen
Keene, NH

I sent your letter to Barbara Burbank, her reply was:
Thank you , Jim, and thank Varrin for me.  He is right - it does feel so "scary".  An old friend of mine who happens to be a lawyer in Massachusetts used the work "malicious" - that's what it feels like to us!
Barbara

[Dave Ridley]

I sent this to:

opinion@seacoastonline.com

in response to:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/01242005/news/60765.htm

Help us remain us

Dear friends at the Herald:

In response to Shir Haberman's January 24 article "State gets poor gun-safety rating:"  I'm disappointed.  When writing non-editorial pieces...aren't you supposed to at least *pretend* you are getting the other side of a story?  Since you never did so, I will do it for you.

I was at the Januaray 25 committee hearing where our state reps entertained public feedback on the gun control bill your article refers to, HB 208.   208 would restrict the ability of New Hampshire residents to carry firearms near schools and possibly near school buses.  Currently we are one of only a handful of states which still trust licensed adults to lawfully carry guns in or near schools.

Here is what I told the committee:

It's been my experience, generally, that when New Hampshire does something one way and the rest of the states do it another way...

We are right and they are *wrong.*

I don't want us to be more like Massachusetts.  I want us to be more like *us.*

Please help us remain us.  Vote against this gun control bill. 

I'm told this was the only testimony of the day which earned applause from the reps.

[Dave Ridley]

Made a correction and did some tinkering, then re-submitted to Herald:

Had a spelling error in the previous submission of this LTE; here is the corrected version.   I'm always tinkering with these things! Thanks.

---

Help us remain us

Dear friends at the Herald:

In response to Shir Haberman's January 24 article "State gets poor gun-safety rating:"  I'm disappointed.  When writing non-editorial pieces...aren't you supposed to at least *pretend* you are getting the other side of a story?  There are probably five NH organizations you could have easily contacted for a rebutting viewpoint, but since you never did...I will articulate that viewpoint for you.

I was at the January 25 committee hearing where our state reps entertained public feedback on the gun control bill your article refers to, HB 208.  Two-oh-eight would restrict the ability of New Hampshire residents to carry firearms near schools and possibly near school buses.  Currently we are one of only a handful of states which still trust licensed adults to lawfully carry guns in or near schools.

Here is what I told the committee:

It's been my experience, generally, that when New Hampshire does something one way and the rest of the states do it another way...

We are right and they are *wrong.*

I don't want us to be more like Massachusetts.  I want us to be more like *us.*

Please help us remain us.  Vote against this gun control bill.

I'm told this was the only testimony of the day which earned applause from the reps.

[Dave Ridley]

Dear folks at the Monitor:

In response to your Feb. 3 editorial "Constitution shouldn't hold state hostage to outdated policy..." I was not aware that the New Hampshire Constitution was holding me hostage.  I was under the impression that it was protecting me from plans endorsed by the Concord Monitor!

[Russell Kanning]