infundibulum

I’ve followed the Free State Project in the news for a while with a mix of fascination and dread. If you’ve not heard of it (which wouldn’t be terribly surprising lately, given that media attention has been waning), FSP consists of a bunch of Libertarians who decided to get together and move to New Hampshire. And, uh, take it over.

Then, their reasoning went, they turn the place into a Libertarian’s paradise — no taxes, no gun laws, pass the ganja, you know, that sort of thing.

There have already been some conflicts with locals who do not fail to detect the iffiness of it all. Now another divisive topic is on the agenda, and suprise, surprise, the Free State crowd is mixed up in it:

House debates hate crimes repeal

It’s actually a Republican bill, and here’s the elevator pitch:

Alton Republican Sen. Robert Boyce said there’s no way of knowing for sure what’s really in the mind of a criminal offender, and this law gives the impression the government is all-knowing.

“If you want to increase the penalties of the crimes across the board, that’s fine, but don’t base it on the thoughts of the perpetrator,’’ he said.

In other words, they say, don’t make the punishment worse simply because the crime was motivated by race or sexuality or any of those ever so vague concepts. Uh, right.

There shall be no such vagueness in the Free State! Sweep away all such bureaucratic pansy ass nonsense!

“The First Amendment guarantees the right to speech and common sense tells me thought is an extension of speech,” said Dave Mincion of Dover, who was representing a group called the Seacoast Porcupines. Mincion, who moved to New Hampshire last year, said the group is comprised of members interested in the Libertarian “Free State Project,” but not affiliated with the group.

“Crime should be punished, but like it or not we have not developed the technology to know what people think,” Mincion added.

Gotta hand it to FSP, standing up for your First Amendment Right to think whatever you want about the person you’re kicking the shit out of.

Oh, whoops, it’s not really the FSP. It’s a splinter cell group of the Free State Project. Just like the Freetowners… or… er… what where they called again?

Look guys, maybe you should have started with Rhode Island? Because you’re not getting anywhere with publicity like this.

Fortunately.