LTE's from Undergrounders

[Dave Ridley]

Will send this to the Telegraph as soon as their site is back up on my computer.  Ok it's sent 8/20/05

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Dear folks at the Telegraph:

With regard to your July 15 article about Henry McElroy's banishment from the jury trying William Sullivan in Nashua:

It's worth stressing that the key reason the judge took him off the case was his decision to bring a Black's Law Dictionary with him to court!   I talked to Henry about this (did you?), and he says he wanted to look up the legal definition of "conspiracy," with which the defendant was charged.

Why would a judge,  and why would the prosecutors, feel threatened by a juror having a copy of a book which they likely have dozens of copies of *in* that courthouse?  God forbid we should have jurors who inform themselves of legal definitions.  Henry tells me the judge was polite about this, and presumably there are some things a jury shouldn't know.  But why the obsession with keeping jurors so uniformed about things they *do* need to know?  Are jurors really there just to be spoon fed by the judge?

Jurors are supposed to be in the saddle to a much greater extent than this, perhaps to a greater extent than that judge. By law they even have the right to acquit anyone if they feel the law that person broke is unjust.  Juries are the last line of defense against bad laws - of which there are now thousands.  Keyword-search the Net for "jury nullification" if you don't believe me, but don't expect a judge to tell you about this.  It's their nervously-kept secret.

Most judges I've come in contact with are kind toward and appreciative of their juries...but sadly they also seem hell-bent on neutering and dumbing them down.

[Dave Ridley]

Sent to NH Gazette

Dear folks at the Gazette:

In response to your article "Impeachment Now:" Okay; you are against the
present Republican-led government, no problem.  I can't think of a Federal administration
in recent memory that *did* deserve much support.  But let me ask you, or more
specifically those on the sidelines who agree with you:

If you are furious about the way your money is being spent by Mr. Bush, what
are you doing to help cut off the flow of money to him?  Are you refusing to pay
your federal tax?  Are you supporting in some way those who do?   Are you spending
and/or accepting silver currency instead of Federal dollars (see LibertyDollar.org)?

Personally I am not doing *all* of these things; I wish I could and admire those
who do.  But I am doing the ones I can, because as Patrick Henry said...it is the
duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government.   I hope you and
your readers will do the same, as opposed to merely griping about the present administration.
We can fight the beast more effectively if we're not feeding it at the same time.

Dave Ridley
88 Sparrow St.
Keene, NH 03431
721 1490

[Dave Ridley]

Dear folks at Foster's:

Thanks for your your July 31 editorial criticizing John Edwards for his pandering in Maine last month.  My criticisms are different from yours, though.  Edwards doesn't so much deserve scorn because he panders or because his home state has a high poverty rate.  He deserves it because of his authoritarian voting record.  In the entire U.S. Congress, 535 souls, Edwards ranks 534th when it comes to defending you and me from the encroachments of government control. 

The Republican Liberty Caucus (www.rlc.org) - an anti-Bush, anti-big-government think tank - has Edwards rated as 16.3% pro-freedom.   When the Federals try to make decisions for you regarding what you can and can't do with your body, what you can and can't do with your money, Edwards backs them up 83.7% of the time. 

Incidentally the U.S. legislator ranked as most pro-liberty this year is New Hampshire's own John Sununu, coming in just ahead of Ron Paul with an 89.5% pro-freedom voting record.  Way to go, Senator!

[Dave Ridley]

a search of Nashua telegraph archives enabled me to locate only 2 of the many LTE's I've sent to them.... I'm wondering if maybe the others didn't publish.

I'm trying to get a better feel for which papers publish reliably my stuff and which ones don't so I can share tips...

[Dave Ridley]

From me to the Monadnock Ledger

Dear folks at the Ledger:

I enjoyed your article on Joshua Todd, the man who fought to separate religion from government
in Temple during the 18th century.

However there's no need to travel back in time to find towns forcing individuals
to pay for things that are against their principles.  Nor do you need to open a
history book to find stories of people fighting back.

Just drive into Keene and look up Kat Dillon.  In fighting government mis-spending,
she has taken an even firmer stand than Todd did in his time.

Kat is a member of the Alliance for the Separation of School and State.  Most every Saturday
morning for the last few months, she and her husband Russell have manned a booth near the
Keene Wal-Mart, sharing with the interested their view that to properly educate
our children we should privatize our schools.  Kat believes in this so strongly
she is refusing to pay the government-school portion of her property tax...putting
her on a collision course with the authorities in Keene.  Eventually they may come
for her house, but I doubt she'll back down.   

It costs only two or three thousand dollars to privately educate a child, but public
education in Keene costs taxpayers between $8,000 and $12,000  per student!  It is the #1 reason
why our taxes are out of control.

Taking people's money by force to fund this kind of waste is morally wrong, and
though our public schools have some good people working for them, they are not able
to deliver a result proportionate to the cost.  How can they when they're hamstrung
by Federal rules and the countless other regulations that plague every government-sponsored
entity?

Government was a poison in our churches in times past, now it is a poison in our schools.
I'm glad there are individuals like Kat who are doing something about it. 

[Michael Fisher]

 

Amazing LTE, Dave!!!  The quality of your LTEs is astounding! 

[John]

a search of Nashua telegraph archives enabled me to locate only 2 of the many LTE's I've sent to them.... I'm wondering if maybe the others didn't publish.

I'm trying to get a better feel for which papers publish reliably my stuff and which ones don't so I can share tips...

Not only does the New Hampshire Union Leader publish every LTE (wich follows their rules), but they have sometimes placed yours in quite prominent positions --- possibly because of the quality of the letters, maybe because they agree, or perhaps it is just chance. 
Keep up the good work!

The Union Leader publishes more LTEs "than anyone we know."  I don't have the latest numbers at hand, but the Union Leader has publishished allmost 2500 LTEs (so far) this year.
They publish FULL PAGES of LTEs.  I'm not kidding; Full Pages (usualy on Sunday).

[John]

Make that 2801 as of 9/6/05.

[KBCraig]

I just wish they posted them in their on-line edition.

Kevin

[John]

I guess I don't fit the "libertarian" on line - pluged in - internet mold.
Hey, we're not all geeeks?

When I moved here, I signed my lease, registered to vote, and subsribed to the Union Leader (I might be leaving a few things out? ) .?

The Union Leader is not (editorialy) perfect; but, tell me who is better.? I support the UL with my subscription.? AND, I ENJOY reading it EVERY day.

The Union Leader has (editorialy) supported the FSP since long-before supporting the FSP was even popular!

[KBCraig]

The Union Leader is not (editorialy) perfect; but, tell me who is better.

I don't know if there's any better mainstream newspaper in NH, but I can tell you that the Berlin Daily Sun, the Concord Monitor, et al., lean strongly towards statist solutions.

The UL is sometimes too GOP for my tastes, but it's always an entertaining read.

Kevin

[John]

Yes. Sometimes a bit too GOP.  Yet, They support the FSP.
Sometimes FSP folk are a bit too GOP for me also.

Now it is 4 O'clock and my paper should be arriving, I get to read an actual paper.

I still like "actual" papers.
Then again, as I said, I don't fit the "libertarian geek" mold.

WHAT, we're not all that way? 

[Dreepa]

Kevin,

Just to show you how bad I suck... I will be shopping around to see which paper I get delivered to my house.

[KBCraig]

Kevin,

Just to show you how bad I suck... I will be shopping around to see which paper I get delivered to my house.

Don't make me come up there![/b] 

oh... wait...

[Dave Ridley]

Dear folks at seacoastonline.com:

This is an LTE for both the Hampton Union and the Portsmouth Herald if you wish to print.  Thanks!

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Dear editors:

Lest ye ever doubt that your reporters have an impact on people's lives...I thought you'd like to know that seven months after you published the story about
Hampton's out-of-control building inspector, your article continues to reverberate. 

Recapping quickly...Hampton town bureaucrat Kevin Schultz has been persecuting 96-year-old Myrtle Woodward and her family all year for alleged minor zoning violations *inside* a rec room at their beautiful home.   Among other things, Woodward stands accused of harboring an illegal sink!  But she has been fighting back, refusing to demolish the room in question or pay the $200,000 fine which town tyrants are trying to charge her family.

This week Myrtle learned that - tucked in between many lines of incomprehensible bureaucratspeak - is a passage in the town docket which gives Schultz authority to enter her house at any time.  To protest this attempted Fourth Amendment violation and show continued support for Myrtle...activists from NHfree.com will rally outside Hampton Town Hall from 6 to 8PM on Monday, September 19.  That is the night when selectmen meet.

Your readers are invited to attend, to help us put the "Free" back in "Live Free or Die."   For details on this demonstration, visit NHfree.com or call me on my cell phone:  (number).   See you there!