The dichotomy between the majority of members in the New Hampshire Legislature and a fringe band of renegades called Free Staters was on full display several weeks ago with their ludicrous bill to have New Hampshire secede from the union.
Free Staters have pilgrimaged into the state over the past 20 years, thanks to a warm welcome from then-Gov. Craig Benson. There may be as many as 40 Free Staters now in the Legislature. They are a nuisance who blurt out patriotic babble to conceal a deeper goal to sculpt government into a tiny microcosm that controls little. For instance, public education would be on the chopping block for this group. They contribute nothing but noise and crackpot ideas that consume considerable legislative time.
Their latest gambit was to advocate for the state to secede from the union. It’s pure lunacy, but when wrapped up in pseudo-patriotic vitriol, it can quickly penetrate the skulls of their members. The sad part of the secession stunt was the amount of ink and airtime that media across the state devoted to it. Free Staters file for office in stealth mode, so voters must unmask them before the votes are cast. Hopefully, media outlets around the state will begin to report what is behind the curtain.
Ted Leach
Hancock