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Q&A from “Third Parties in the US Political System: What External and Internal Issues Shape Public Perception of Libertarian Party/Politicians?”

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

I was looking for something else, but ran across this thesis dissertation Q&A from a few years ago, and thought I’d share.

From “Third Parties in the U.S. Political System: What External and Internal Issues Shape Public Perception of Libertarian Party/Politicians?” by Jackie Fiest.

Fiest: First question would have to be if you are okay with my using your name in this thesis?
Gericke: Yes
Fiest: Early on, what prompted interest in first politics and then libertarianism?
Gericke: It would be fair to say, I was always a bit of a rebel. My father was a South African
diplomat, so I was raised in a home where current affairs was always a topic. I first got involved
in politics as a small-time anti-apartheid activist, mostly through creative endeavors like writing
articles critical of the regime for an underground newspaper I founded with some friends at
University, and writing and performing in a play at the Grahamstown Arts Festival, the largest
arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. I did attend some marches, and was present at Nelson
Mandela’s historic inauguration in 1994. While I was completing my law articleship–a 2 year
“intern” requirement after you finish your law degree to be admitted to the South African Bar–I
also started taking Legal Aid Board cases, representing underprivileged defendants in townships
around Pretoria. I was shocked by how cruel the system was, and that has always influenced my
libertarian views on criminal justice. After winning a green card in the lottery and immigrating to
America, my husband and I settled in Silicon Valley, and after the Internet Bubble burst, and we
both lost our jobs, I was forced to explore why this had happen (like, WTF???) and studied
theories about how the economic bubble had started and why it crashed and burned… and this
led me deep into libertarian thought and Austrian economics (the rabbit-hole of the Internet was
new and minty-fresh back then in 2000), which in turn led me to the Free State Project, and the
rest, as they say, is history… I was a staunch Ron Paul supporter in 2008 and 2012, and here in
NH, he came second in both the Republican and Democrat primaries both times (double check
this, but I think it’s accurate). Libertarianism, simply put, makes sense to me. It is the only
rational, logical explanation I have found for the best way to organize society, with the nonaggression principle playing the core part for me.
I believe we are the neo-peace movement. Government is the world’s biggest bully, and we have
a duty to stop the violence. That is what I am dedicating my life to.
Fiest: What made you want to run for office? Had you run for any local or state offices before
running for senate?
Gericke: I’m a strong supporter of states’ rights, and would likely never run for federal office. I
ran in 2016 and 2018 for NH State Senate in District 20 as a Republican against a now 11 term,
80 year old Democratic incumbent. I hadn’t run for any political office before.
Fiest: I know that you’re very involved with your local libertarian community. I’m familiar with
your battle all the way to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals on the right to film police. And your
entanglement with the Concord, NH police of their attempting to buy a Bearcat saying
libertarians were domestic terrorists. I truly believe that you walk the walk when it comes to
being a libertarian. What prompted you to run as a Republican despite this? Did running as a
Democrat ever enter your mind?
Gericke: I ran as a Republican because I wanted to win. The duopoly, and the corruption that
goes with it, is too strong to win as a Libertarian candidate. The NHGOP’s platform is fairly oldschool Republican, so is still fairly libertarian (although there are some dumb stuff on there too).
Many Free Staters and prestaters in NH identify as Republican, and we’re building a strong
liberty caucus within the party. I would not be surprised if the NHGOP becomes the most
libertarian GOP in the US (if it isn’t already).
Running as a Democrat is something I vaguely considered but decided against… mostly because
in NH, the Democrats vote party-line, with very little deviance or independency, and while my
principles align with them on a lot of issues, like criminal justice reform, drug policy reform,
ending the death penalty, anti-crony-capitalism, etc., I don’t agree with them on economic policy
at all (taxation IS theft!), and the NH Democrats HATE free staters, so I doubt I’d be welcomed.
My district is strange in that it encompasses a big part of Manchester, our largest city, which
swings heavily left, and Goffstown, which is rural and +8 Republican. In this 2018 race, my
district had a swing of 10-15% to the left, but, despite this, I increased my take by 2%, which to
me means my message must have resonated with some of the voters, regardless of their party
affiliation.
My opponent can’t live forever, I don’t have a strong sense of “party affiliation” (being a
libertarian immigrant), and I may either run again as a Republican, switch to Democrat if it
makes sense, or, most likely, run as an Independent in the future. Most Granite Staters are
Independents, and as the two party system continues its death swirl around the swamp drain,
more opportunities will present themselves for people to take new and perhaps radical
approaches.
Fiest: How did you plan to apply your libertarian principles in your role as senator of NH?
Fiest: Principles means sticking to what you believe, so I would have voted to shrink the size and
scope of government, and to increase personal liberty. In NH, we have an organization called the
NH Liberty Alliance that was started by free staters and philosophically aligned locals who
provide a weekly “Gold Standard” to advise pro-liberty legislators how to vote on upcoming
bills. I would have used that as baseline guidance.
Being a state senator also provides a more legitimate platform to spread the ideas of liberty and
individualism. I was looking forward to being that voice!
Fiest: Can you tell us about your time as president of the Free State Project and what this project
is about?
“NH Magazine, May 2011
She traveled the world as the daughter of diplomats and went on to practice law in South Africa
and California, but Carla Gericke’s life changed when she heard the call of the Free State
Movement for like-minded people to flock to N.H. and promote greater liberty and less
government. She helped organize two recent Porcupine Festivals – the Free State equivalent of an
Old Home Day – even earning the title “The Quill Queen” (note quill crown, left), and was just
chosen as the movement’s new leader. In this exclusive interview, we found her not to be at all
prickly.
How does one become the leader of the Free State Movement? Are fisticuffs involved? Duel at
dawn, actually. I’m afraid the truth is rather more mundane: the Free State Project’s board votes
on candidates and someone wins.
What do you think is your primary qualification for the post? My royal lineage, replete with quill
crown. The porcupine is our mascot – porcupines are peaceful creatures you want to leave alone –
and after I organized the last two Porcupine Freedom Festivals in Lancaster, I received the
moniker of “Queen Quill.” As the first queen of the movement, I was the perfect candidate to
take over. More seriously, in a decentralized organization like ours, you have to be able to
balance folks’ differing viewpoints and strong personalities, fondly referred to as “herding cats.”
Iz good catz herder.
Since the Free State movement is not political, does that mean you always get to give straight
answers? Er, em, uh, yes.
So give it to me straight. How’s the movement going? This is an exciting time for us. We have
crossed the halfway mark to recruiting 20,000 liberty lovers to pledge to move to New
Hampshire to create a more free society. I appreciate this sounds scary to some, but think of us as
localization on steroids, as wanting to create an even more prosperous state than New Hampshire
already is–a Yankee Hong Kong, if you will. More than 800 activists have already moved, and
we are hard at work in our communities to create a society based on voluntary exchange, free
from state coercion. As government grows and becomes more intrusive, I believe we will
continue to gain momentum. We also have strong local support, with Friends of the Free State
signing up all the time.
Any particular high and low points over the past few years? As an organization, the Free State
Project does not take positions on what participants do once they get here. It’s more the vehicle,
the “bus” to convince liberty-leaning individuals to move. Once in New Hampshire, people
exercise individual activism in different ways. They run for office–twelve participants are now
state reps–they do localized outreach like volunteering at fire departments, they form non-profits
like the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance that rates representatives according to their voting
records, they manage successful businesses, and they practice civil disobedience in the spirit of
Gandhi and Martin Luther King. The media tends to focus on the latter because it is by its very
nature more controversial, but rest assured Free Staters are good neighbors who like ice-cream
too.
Any second thoughts about choosing New Hampshire as the Free State? Absolutely not. I have
lived all over the world, and I love it here. New Hampshire has so much to offer: a ready-built
individualist culture–Live Free or Die, Baby!–and it is consistently named one of the best places
in America to live. With its low crime rate, favorable gun laws, healthy living, buoyant economy,
low taxes and no personal state income tax (which I view as a form of slavery), it is the perfect
place for productive people to settle
Seems like the Free State Movement could use an anthem. Is there a song that you always play at
rallies? We’ve played the Super Secret Project’s “Granite State of Mind” at functions and it
always goes over well. How can you not love lyrics like: “I’m the new Salinger/Cuz I could live
anywhere/But I choose to live here.” This really resonates with me.”
I’m being lazy, but here’s a good resource about the FSP (from 2014, so probably a bit out of
date, but should be good starting point for you):
Fiest: Why do you think they are so few women in libertarian politics? What do you think we
can do to bring in more?
Gericke: I will answer more comprehensively in a sec, but when a reporter from the New York
Times asked me something similar, I retorted: “Well, you are asking an IMMIGRANT WOMAN
who is running a 20K strong libertarian organization made up mostly of men that…maybe we
should just start by acknowledging I exist, and that it’s not such a big deal one way or the
other?”
Libertarianism appeals to logical, rational people. Few men, and, frankly, fewer women, are
logical and rational. So that’s one (BIG) hurdle. Also, mal-education is now built into statist,
government-run schools, so less people can think critically, which makes our jobs harder.
In a speech in NYC years ago, I explained the M/F composition this way: “We have a lot of
Spocks, we need more Captain Kirks.”
I am both of these things, but definitely more fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-it-will-all-work-out
Kirk. We need to make our messaging less Spock-like, less about “being right” (logical and
rational) and more about feelings and emotions… YES, we need to learn to appeal to emotion
(without fraud, of course), because we can actually win this way. For example: An average mom
might actually like the message of libertarianism if it’s explained in a way that makes it clear the
government is bad, and personal choice is good… through something like food freedom… like
how bad the Standard American diet is, and through explaining the distortion of ingredients in
our food (making them less healthy) because of sugar and corn subsidies… At the heart, it’s an
economic argument, but you can make it without sounding like a Nobel Prize winning
economist, yanno?
Women may traditionally also be less good at self-promotion or less comfortable in a public role.
Certainly for me, I had no idea how toxic the online asshole libertarian environment could be.
E..g. We banned Chris Cantwell in Fall 2013–years before he became “the crying Nazi”–and
I took the flak, I was the problem, even though I was right, and I’m still waiting for
someone to be like, ‘Good fucking call, Carla.’ 😛
We need more women thought-leaders to step up. We need more women role models. We need
to celebrate and encourage the ones who put themselves out there. We need to be pushier about
getting speaking slots. We need to demand equal treatment and perks on the speaking circuit. I
LOVE IT when new women movers come to NH, and tell me I inspired them to move. I need to
finished my goddamn book. 😛 [I did, and you should buy your copy of The Ecstatic Pessimist: Stories of Hope (Mostly) today! On Amazon or directly from me.]

Fiest: Another person I’m interviewing has talked a bit about steps that some Democrats and
Republicans have taken to keep libertarians off the ballot in the state of Arizona. Having to
obtain ungoldly amounts of signatures, and things along those lines. Were you met with any of
these roadblocks, and, if so, how would you have handled this?
Gericke: The NH Libertarian Party regained ballot access in 2016 for the 2018 election… and
then lost it again. In NH, you have to get 4% of the governor’s race to retain ballot access.
Unfortunately, in 2018, the LPNH didn’t do the work, or field feasible candidates. They failed to
fundraise in any significant way (which, sadly, is an important metric). The person who worked
the hardest in 2016 to get ballot access, Max Abrahamson, switched back to Republican in 2018,
which certainly couldn’t have helped. Until the LPNH becomes more professional in their
operations and takes themselves more seriously, it’s going to be an uphill slog.
Fiest: According to the LP website, there are 177 Libertarians (or small government
conservatives, if you wish) holding some kind of public office in the U.S., but they are all local
positions. Various school boards, utility boards…but very little at the state level and there are
currently no Libertarians in Congress. Why do you think that is?
Gericke: The Leviathan hates freedom, grows and thrives under socialism like the parasite it is,
and they will do everything in their power to stop our message of individual liberty. It’s that
simple. Unless there is a radical overhaul of how the system works (and there are some
interesting things cropping up, look at this, fyi:
https://www.facebook.com/RepresentUs/videos/410253132875542/), only efforts like the FSP
will be viable. Most of us have already given up on the federal government, and we’re here to
make a difference on a state level. I serve as president of the Foundation for NH Independence, a
501c3 nonprofit that educates Granite Staters on the benefits of more independence from the
federal government. As I have been saying for years: Make America States Again! It’s for the
children! 😛

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Please DO NOT Confirm AG MacDonald as Chief Justice

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

Following please find the letter I sent to the Executive Council regarding the potential appointment of Gordon MacDonald as New Hampshire’s Supreme Court Judge. If you’re interested, you can participate in this process in three ways, sent to me from ReBuildNH: “1) Go to the meeting on the 21st in person (they’ll probably make you wear a mask—resist if you are so inclined), 2) attend the meeting using their call-in number, or 3) email the Executive Councilors (gcweb@nh.gov) and give them your reasons why Gordon MacDonald should not be trusted with the highest judicial office in New Hampshire.”

***

Dear Councilors,

I ask that this email be read into and form part of the official record. I, Carla Gericke, former Republican State Senate candidate in District 20, ask you to vote AGAINST Gordon MacDonald’s nomination as New Hampshire’s Supreme Court Justice. 

On top of the fiasco created by Sununu’s unConstitutional Emergency Orders, fully supported and enforced by the AG, for which there is NO LEGAL JUSTIFICATION, you should NOT confirm MacDonald based on his appeal of Judge Temple’s 2019 order to release the secret list of bad cops, aka, the Laurie’s List.

If, as MacDonald claimed by filing the appeal, he believes Granite Staters have no right to know which law enforcement officers have been found by their own police chiefs after a 20+ page process to be too corrupt to testify in court–officers who lie, cheat, falsify police reports, and use excessive force–then what sort of Supreme Court judge will he be? MacDonald’s misreading of this issue is so egregious, the NH Supreme Court late last year remanded the case back to the lower court, saying this information is, of course, in the public interest and must be disclosed. Due to MacDonald’s decision to file the appeal, his actions directly protected known bad actors for several extra years, years during which we have seen massive social unrest due to lack of police accountability or any appetite for real policing reform. This lack of judgement has wasted tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars in unnecessary legal fees, and, rightfully, led to a deep mistrust in the justice system. 

I remind you, the NH Constitution says: 

[Art.] 8. [Accountability of Magistrates and Officers; Public’s Right to Know.] All power residing originally in, and being derived from, the people, all the magistrates and officers of government are their substitutes and agents, and at all times accountable to them. Government, therefore, should be open, accessible, accountable and responsive. To that end, the public’s right of access to governmental proceedings and records shall not be unreasonably restricted.  The public also has a right to an orderly, lawful, and accountable government.

MacDonald has proven time and time again, he will protect the Establishment at the expense of the people he purports to serve. In fact, thinking people might argue it is a de facto conflict of interest for a former Attorney General to become a Supreme Court Justice because he will be incapable of protecting New Hampshire’s citizens against Constitutional overreaches by the state. We need a bench with judges who serve the law, not politicians, their cronies, and unions. MacDonald, through his own actions, has proven he is not up to the task. 

I ask you to vote AGAINST Gordon MacDonald as New Hampshire’s Supreme Court Justice.

Thank you for your time. 

Sincerely, 
Carla Gericke 
Former Republican State Senate Candidate, District 20

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Open Letter from an American Coward by Sarah Chamberlain

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

My friend Sarah Chamberlain wrote this essay on Medium, and I wanted to share here too. If you only read one thing today, let it be this.

Please save, screenshot, etc., then boost.
I don’t usually ask for my content to be shared. What I am about to say though is perhaps the most important thing I will ever say in public, and in the present landscape of the internet, there is a very high probability that it is being silenced or erased even now as you read it. So, I am asking you to please, save an offline and/or archived copy of this letter RIGHT NOW.

If, once you’ve read this letter, you feel that it has any value or interest whatsoever, please, as a personal favor, send it on through whichever channels, to whichever people you feel safe doing so.

If you think what I say is absurd, please share my letter with your friends so you can all laugh at me.

If you think that what I say is evil, please share it with your friends so you can all rage at me.

If you think I deserve to be punished for what I say, please send my letter on to the “authorities” or to any person you think might hurt me for writing it. At least then, those people will have a chance to read it.

I am
an American, a New Hampshirewoman, a lover of liberty, and a happily married mother of four beautiful children. I have a wonderful life, a bright future, and could not ask for any greater blessing than those I have already received.

My enemies are
in a word, communists. Modern communists do not usually call themselves such. They do not talk about workers rising up and seizing the Means of Production.

Instead, modern communists adopt a rhetorical stance where they assume that all people and all property are ALREADY COLLECTIVIZED, then calmly discuss what WE should do:
– What WE should ALLOW people to own.
– What WE should ALLOW people to do.
– What WE should ALLOW people to say.
– How WE should ALLOW people to use their property.
– How WE should ALLOW people to conduct their businesses,
– … and WHO should be ALLOWED,
– … and WHERE.
– How WE should ALLOW people to raise their children.
– Who should be GIVEN which roles within society.
– etc.

The issue under discussion is always something sympathetic, something most decent people would like to see fixed: Intergenerational poverty, police brutality, environmental degradation, bigotry, violence.

But the solutions modern communists put forward are rarely passive, and they are never liberating. If a problem can be solved by individual action, voluntary charity, by the free market, or by the passage of time, that is never seen as good enough. In fact, nothing that fails to increase the power and control of governments or certain institutions (or to grow the people’s dependence on them) is ever regarded as a solution at all.

The people who do the work of modern communism, debating and voting on these “issues of the day” are mostly not aware of what they are doing. A majority of them are decent people who want real problems addressed. But their thinking is confined to a multiple choice question presented by prestige media and schools where only oppressive proposals are listed as options.

Even those higher up the food chain, the ones who create the policy proposals or set the bounds of debate around them are not usually conscious of the way they are manipulating the public. They are hobbled by a theory of history (care of the school system) where the past is merely a series of dragons slain by government policy, where everything is “systemic”, and where the free choices and conscientious actions of individuals have no meaningful effect.

This is how the enemy operates.
In order for modern communists to have the latitude to execute their plans, they need every citizen to be as weak and dependent as possible. They especially need the middle tiers of management, professions, and bureaucracy to be filled with minimally competent placeholders who owe their position to political and institutional favor. These sorts of people, since they are only able to achieve their present position through the system, are more pliable to coercion and less likely to see freedom in any aspect of life as promising or beneficial.

As a consequence, modern communists wage eternal war against every wholesome and sustainable aspect of life, society, and culture which gives people or communities strength and independence. They see it as desirable to destroy the natural optimum which people discover through freedom and competition and replace it with fragile, orchid-like solutions which could not thrive without government and/or institutional intervention:
– Those with demonstrable skills must be replaced by those with credentials.
– The self-employed must be reduced to the status of employees.
– Property must become regulated or burdened with tax and debt, and wherever possible, wealth must be rendered intangible as abstracted financial fictions constructed of laws.
– People must come to rely on government programs for security where they previously relied on themselves and each other.
– The traditional family and organic communities it forms, such as churches, must be invaded, defanged, and delegitimized to leave people at the mercy of authorities.

To a modern communist, “freedom” means the opportunity for individuals to choose some fundamentally maladaptive way of life and be protected from consequences, encouraged and subsidized by power.

The weaker you are, the more useful you are to those in power. Those who choose to be weak and dependent where they could be healthy and independent are collaborators.

This is what I see happening.
The American public has come to accept all the components of totalitarian states.
– We have come to accept a militarized police.
– We have come to accept ideological indoctrination in schools.
– We have come to accept mass surveillance.
– We have come to accept speech codes.
– We have come to accept the rewriting of history to serve the interests of the ruling party.
– We have come to accept the tarring of political dissidents as “terrorists”, “extremists”, and “White Supremacists.”
– We have come to accept the State telling us when and where we can meet.
– We have come to accept the State shutting down our places of worship.
– We have come to accept the idea that parents should have no special authority over their children.
– We have come to accept the manipulation of thought through the manipulation of language.
– We have come to accept the radical reordering of society by government in the name of crisis.

In the 2016 election, the full-throated manipulation by the mainstream press, academia, and the political establishment was so intense, and so obvious, that many people (myself included) who did not consider themselves “conservative” voted for Donald Trump just to poke a finger in the eye of Leviathan. So many people did so that his margin of victory exceeded the margin of cheat, and he was actually able to become president.

In the intervening years, the modern communists of both parties (though more so the Democrats) and those same media and academia mandarins have only doubled down on their commitment to subjugating the public and clamping down on our personal freedom and political prerogatives. Somehow, in losing electorally, we are to believe that their mandate for runaway collectivism and authoritarianism was strengthened.

Now, in the 2020 election, the fraud and manipulation became so glaringly obvious that, at the time of writing, at least 47% of all Americans, regardless of party loyalty, understand that the election was stolen and Joe Biden is illegitimate. Somehow though, it is still a long shot that Donald Trump, the person who has done more to expose the mendacity and incompetence of the ruling party and institutions than anyone else, will be seated as President.

Every one of those Americans who understands this must realize that this is it. This is the last moment for the American Republic, the last time we will even have a glimmer of a chance of an honest election result, and the last time any opposition to modern communism will be afforded space in the public square. And yet, neither I nor most of you are going to do anything about this situation that might risk our present status or comfort.

This is why I won’t yet act.
Unfortunately for me, the crisis has come either too late or too early. Our family has four young children, a single income, and a base of assets which could be easily lost but probably never replaced. We are maximally vulnerable to the sorts of attacks which collectivists bring against those who fight back.

Even so, if the fight were on, if the majority of Americans who this past election shows are opposed to creeping collectivism were on the march, I would risk it all to join them. No comfort, no wealth, not even life itself is as important as preserving the possibility of human freedom. The hive-society prison which is being built around us must be demolished at any cost.

But when I look around me, I see many people who are paralyzed as I am. We know that the fight for our republic is unavoidable, and that the time is now, but do not see a nucleus of resistance to which we can pledge our lives, fortunes, and sacred honors without it being tantamount to suicide. We are watching and waiting for someone else to be that nucleus.

Most people who have not committed to the cause of freedom are not conscious supporters of modern communism. Some hold out the futile hope that things will all go back to normal, others have convinced themselves that what is happening is inevitable and cannot be opposed. Both are dead wrong. As open struggle against collectivism, communism, authoritarianism, and globalism rises, both of these positions will weaken, and support for freedom will grow.

If you have the courage to act where I do not,
here is what I WILL do:
– If you speak out against them, I will listen.
– If you act against them, I will not stand in your way.
– If they portray you as uncool, cringey, old-fashioned, unintelligent, or low-class, I will not laugh at you or think less of you.
– If they call you a racist, sexist, xenophobe, homophobe, Nazi, granny killer, etc., I will not believe them, nor will I care.
– If they call you a terrorist or an extremist, I will not assume that you are in the wrong.
– When they ask me questions, I will lie, forget, or evade as I am able.
– When they tell me their version of history, I will smile and nod and know they are liars.
– If they dispossess you, I will share what I can.
– If they martyr you, my children will learn your name as that of a hero.
– If you have the courage to be shameless in opposing them, you will be honored in my house.

This is what I will remember.
1. The universities and the class of “experts” and “professionals” to whom they grant legitimacy have no constitutional role in the American Republic. No amount of schooling grants one authority over others, and no consensus among the educated should have the force of law.

2. The guarantee in the Constitution of “Freedom of the Press” is not a grant of authority to the legacy media or to professional journalists. It is, in fact, a right belonging to the people: WE have the right to publish and disseminate views and information the same as those who work for newspapers or television networks.

3. The Intelligence and Defense establishments of the US exist to secure the rights and liberties of the American people. The US has constructed a vast apparatus to deploy force, subvert or overthrow governments, and disseminate propaganda, but these activities are only legitimate when they are directed OUTWARD. When the geopolitical capabilities of the US government do not act to empower the American people and sustain our Constitution, they are just as criminal as the same actions taken by private citizens.

4. Law enforcement and defense against violence is the responsibility of each and every person. Even though we have become accustomed to having these services provided by professionals, they remain our right and our personal responsibility.

5. Education of the young is the responsibility of parents and natural communities. Even though we have become accustomed to having this service provided by professionals, it remains our right and our personal responsibility.

6. Provision of necessities such as food and shelter is the responsibility of each and every person. Even though we have become accustomed to these goods being delivered by a vast and interconnected economic machinery over which we have little control, it remains our right and our duty to provide for ourselves and those we care about.

7. Though peace, prosperity, happiness, and a long life are all wonderful conditions to experience, they are not what makes a human life worthwhile. Humans have dignity and value insofar as they are free agents struggling and striving to obtain these ends. “Treating someone as a human being” does not mean coddling them and providing for them like you would a child or a pet. It means getting out of their way and leaving them the freedom and latitude to provide for themselves.

8. Whoever relinquishes their freedom to obtain comfort or security is not acting as a human, but as an animal. Because our fates are all intertwined, such a person is betraying all of us, and does not deserve our concern or regard.

— Sarah Chamberlain

Original link to source on Medium.

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Notes From Six Feet Away #3

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

On Monday, I attended a couple of Manchester events regarding COVID. At the first, hosted by Respect NH event, several business leaders lamented the terrible situation they find themselves in: permanently shuttered parts of their businesses, disloyal employees who chose the dole over work, having to act as the “mask police” even when they 100% don’t want to, etc. The second event, hosted by ReBuild NH, was a deep dive into NH’s COVID numbers and some interesting data points from doctors, healthcare professionals, and OSHA certified specialists (who, in case you are wondering, recommend against people being forced to wear masks to prevent the spread of this virus). This led me to today’s mask mandate musings:

1. Are members of Rage Against the Machine wearing masks?

2. How quaint does “Employees must wash hands before returning to work” sound now?

3. Thanks to Governor Chris Sununu’s mask mandate, I’m going to have to close my UPS Store account where I have been a loyal customer for years and years. I asked if they would be willing to bring packages to the car if I called from outside, and they said no, and that they were unwilling to have “philosophical debates about masks. It’s mandated, that’s that!” This is what happens when you force private businesses to become agents of the state, and since they are, I will treat them accordingly.

4. Laundry detergents contain known carcinogens that should not be inhaled. What are you washing your mask with?

5. Wearing masks generate billions of bacteria in and around your mouth and nostrils. Our environments are now being over-sterilized, like hospitals. Know what else hospitals have? Staph-resistant bacteria. Know what that is? Things that don’t respond to antibiotics.

6. 99.6% survival rate for the seasonal flu.

7. Mark my words: The trade-offs aren’t going to be worth it, and we’re going to be paying for this government overreach for generations to come. For shame!

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BlogElection 2020

Victory for Freedom of Choice: No Mask Mandate in Manchester

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

If you have been watching the advent of petty little tyrants and Control Freaks who think they can demand what you wear when you leave the house, you may be as surprised as I am that the City of Manchester voted last night NOT to implement a citywide mask mandate. Thank you!

Said Alderman Mike Porter: “We’ve all received, I don’t know how many emails – hundreds I guess – and phone calls. I personally wear a mask. I strongly encourage it. We’ve already heard from the public – they do not want this.”

Damn straight, Skippy! The public does not want Manchester to devolve into East Berlin. If you want to wear a mask, wear one, if you don’t, don’t. It’s really that simple! Thank you to all the aldermen who did the right thing and voted for freedom and against tyranny. Read more at the Union Leader, Manchester aldermen reject citywide mask mandate…

The City did vote for a mask mandate in government buildings, but carved out exceptions for voting, which leads me to believe they KNOW their mandates are unConstitutional and will not withstand legal scrutiny.

Said Alderman Roy: “We already know there’s not going to be any enforcement or any consequences. Let’s talk about the unintended consequences – we know Nashua has a mask ordinance, and they’re in court. It’s a useless ordinance. People need to be able to make their own choices.”

Here’s the letter I submitted to the City of Manchester on Monday:

Dear Manchester City Officials,

In a free society, we each get to decide according to our own risk profiles how we care to behave, meaning if you want to go out in public while wearing a mask, wear one, if you don’t, don’t. It’s really that simple!

Forcing people to do things to their bodies against their will should never be tolerated. It is unConstitutional and immoral. You do not own me, my body, or my decisions about what I wear in public. If I wanted someone to tell me how to dress when I leave the house, I’d move to Saudi Arabia.

If you want to persuade me to behave in a certain fashion voluntarily, you need to make a credible, cogent, and convincing case. You cannot do this, because New Hampshire’s COVID data and the data on mask efficiency does not support your suggested mandate at all.

The data clearly shows that vast majority of NH’s fatal cases are in LTC facilities; the survival rate of the disease if contracted, as President Trump, Nashua’s Mayor Donchess, and Mayor Craig’s own daughter can attest, is more than 99%. The City’s proposed mask mandate has now been on the agenda for several months… where is the health “emergency”?

A mask mandate panders to irrational fears. It encourages a snitching class. It asks too much of our law enforcement, who are on the record saying they do not want this. Frankly, a mask mandate sounds like nasty, totalitarian, dystopian, Control Freak nonsense to me. Making our police officers enforce such nonsense pits them against law-abiding citizens, which seems unwise at a time of already heightened tensions.

If you proceed with the implementation of a Manchester mask mandate, I have no doubt you will be sued both as representatives of the City and in your personal capacities for violations of our civil liberties. I implore you to do the right thing now, and just say “NO” to this mask mandate proposal.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
Carla Gericke
Republican State Senate Nominee in District 20
Ward 11 Manchester Homeowner and Voter

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BlogElection 2020

Manchester Again Debates Mandatory Masks Carrying $1,000 Fine

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

Several articles appear in today’s Union Leader regarding the City’s attempt to reintroduce a mandatory mask mandate with a $1,000 fine that will be enforced by police and fire, leading to unnecessary confrontations with the public.

Drew Cline of the Josiah Bartlett Center, New Hampshire’s free market think tank, gets it right, when he asked “When is a mask mandate warranted?” saying, in part:

“Manchester aldermen are considering a mandate that would carry a $1,000 fine. City Health Department Director Anna Thomas told aldermen the point of the ordinance would be to educate the public about the importance of wearing masks.

No, the purpose of a public relations campaign is to educate. The purpose of a mandate is to force compliance. And the purpose of a fine is to punish.

Manchester Community College charges only $215 per credit. For $1,000, you could take a course in the Health Sciences curriculum, say, Probability & Statistics, learn more about the value of mask wearing, and still have $140 left over…

A mandate is an extraordinary measure to be reserved for the most extraordinary emergencies. New Hampshire’s infection rate remains well below 1 percent, its hospital capacity high, its voluntary mask wearing common. Even if mask mandates are comforting, it’s hard to make the case that they’re necessary to protect public health at this time.

And that — necessity — is the determining factor. The coercive power of government is not a tool with which to fine-tune people’s sensibilities. It is a last resort to be deployed when all other options are exhausted and the consequences of inaction are most dire.”

In “Both sides weigh in on Manchester mask proposal ahead of meeting” several City aldermen express their concerns with a mask mandate:

“Ward 8 Alderman Mike Porter said his opinion on the mandate hasn’t changed in the weeks since it was first proposed,

‘I strongly oppose a face covering ordinance in the city,’ said Porter over the weekend. ‘I strongly encourage everybody to wear a face covering but will not vote to mandate it. A plain reading of the proposed ordinance places an unnecessary burden on our already overburdened police and fire departments, and has the potential to create negative contacts between the public and our first responders.’

Porter added he strongly opposes the language involving ‘up to a $1,000 fine.’

‘This ordinance will only encourage a form of mask vigilantism by the public,’ said Porter. ‘The ordinance will create more problems than it solves.’

Other aldermen share Porter’s concerns.

‘I don’t support the ordinance as written because it is too onerous,’ said Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio. ‘I will consider a less restrictive ordinance that focuses on education over fines and is limited in what areas are covered.’

‘We should be meeting at City Hall and the mandatory mask ordinance is not needed, as people are doing safe things on their own, and there literally would be no enforcement,’ said Ward 12 Alderman Keith Hirschmann. ‘Seems this administration is following a national agenda.’

‘While I encourage people to wear a mask when they cannot socially distance themselves from others, I stand firm in my opposition to the government mandating an unenforceable ordinance demanding they do so,’ said Alderman-at-Large Joe Kelly Levasseur.”

In “‘High-risk’ behavior by some blamed for Manchester aldermen going remote” the aldermen set themselves up for a lawsuit by admitting they simply don’t want to face the public:

“‘High-risk behavior’ by members of the public is being cited as the reason Manchester’s aldermanic meetings will now be held remotely, after officials said the health and safety of staff and others were put at risk…

Ward 8 Alderman Mike Porter reacted to the decision in a social media post.

‘If elected officials can’t meet in person at City Hall — appropriately socially-distanced, wearing masks when moving about … then clearly masks are not the answer,’ he wrote. ‘Furthermore, if this is the precedent then schools should also be fully remote. If we as elected leaders can’t meet in person then kids and teachers should not meet in-person.’”

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BlogElection 2020

25+ Years of Real-World Experience as Author, Activist, Attorney

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post originally appeared on my old Carla4NHSenate website in October 2018. It has since been updated to include awesome new stuff like publishing my first book! 🙂

I finished high school when I was 16 years old, and law school when I was 21. My first “job” was when I was eight-ish, when my sister, our best friend, and I would go–with our parents’ permission–to a neighborhood grocery store in Pretoria, and offer to push customers’ shopping carts and unload their bags into their cars for tips. We spent our “mad money” on Fantas and chips. In high school, I worked as a waitress at Giovanni’s Pizza, and in college, my summer jobs entailed making fibre glass bar stools by hand (ouch!) and working as an intake registrar/cashier at a local college.

Daughter of a South African diplomat, I’ve lived on 4 continents and remain an avid traveler, having visited 40 countries (and counting!). I won a green card in the Diversity Visa Lottery in 1994 and became a U.S. citizen in 2000.

I’m a writer, foodie, cook, gardener, photographer, amateur painter, hiker, Scrabble player, and documentary film buff. I practice yoga and shooting. I own a home in West Manchester with Louis Calitz, my husband since 1994, where we live with our new puppy, Obi.

I blog regularly here at Carla Gericke: The Art of Independence.

You can read more about the activism I have done to keep all Granite Staters free on Wikipedia.

On Manchester Public TV, I host The Carla Gericke Show and co-host Manch Talk TV. In the past, I co-hosted the Told You So and Free State Live podcasts, both currently on hiatus. I have appeared on C-SPAN, BBC, CNN, been quoted in the New York Times, The Economist and more, and have been a guest on a variety of news shows and podcasts.

I’m passionate about voluntary interactions, individual liberty, and am proud to call New Hampshire my chosen home. I believe all human interactions should be based on consent. My life philosophy is: Live free and thrive!

Copied below is my professional resume, which highlights my 25+ years of real-world experience and skills.

Carla Gericke

497 Hooksett Rd No.134, Manchester, NH, 03104
home: 603.865.7140 | email: carla@carlagericke.com
www.CarlaGericke.com

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Former attorney with 20+ years legal and executive non-profit experience
  • Charismatic and visionary leader with strong community support
  • Self-starter who excels at successfully completing projects
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, and public speaking skills
  • Strategic/creative/independent thinker: Law degree and M.F.A. in Creative Writing
  • Named one of NH Magazine’s 2014 “Remarkable Women”
WORK EXPERIENCE

Candidate for NH House of Representatives (2022)

  • Running as the Republican candidate in Ward 11, Manchester (Hillsborough 22).
Civic Leader (2008+) and Candidate for NH State Senate (2016, 2018, 2020)
  • Won landmark 1st Amendment case affirming right to film police encounters and eliminating the claim of qualified immunity; Gericke vs. Begin is widely cited and positively affects the rights of 13 million residents of the First Circuit
  • Strong, independent voice on liberty issues, including internet freedom/censorship, government accountability/transparency/overreach/privacy, and health freedom
  • Ran as the Republican candidate for NH State Senate in District 20 three times, going from 39-45%. Due to redistricting, I am now running for NH House in Ward 11 of Manchester (Hillsborough 22).
President, Free State Project (March 2011 – March 2016, volunteer since 2008)
  • Managed operations: budgeting, fundraising, board and media relations, online/social media
  • Drafted strategic plan with measurable outcomes and improved reporting and tracking systems
  • Grew two major annual events (+50% over 3 years) and recruited iconic speakers like Edward Snowden
  • Managed geographically dispersed team of 20+ volunteers and independent contractors
  • Sought-after speaker at national and international conferences, podcasts, radio and television
  • Quoted in The Economist, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, New York Times, Playboy, GQ, and elsewhere, appeared on CNN and WMUR
  • Devised marketing campaigns to promote NH as an appealing destination for liberty activists
  • Met organization’s overall mission of recruiting 20,000 participants 2 years ahead of schedule
  • Organized the Porcupine Freedom Festival x3 times (2009, 2010, 2020)
Acting Executive Director, New Hampshire Writers’ Project at SNHU (March 2008 – Oct 2013: Acting Executive Director; 2013, Program Director 2010-2012; Program Manager 2008-2010)
  • Managed daily operations including events planning and Writers’ Day, budgeting, grant writing, fundraising, and staff
  • Liaised with NHWP members, board, other NH non-profit arts organizations and businesses
  • Taught writing workshops and judged local writing contests
  • Managed media relations, online presence, website, and social media
  • Implemented CRM system to track progress and measure successes
Adjunct, City College of New York (Fall 2007)
  • Taught Freshman Composition while completing M.F.A. in Creative Writing
Writing Lab Tutor, 826NYC (Dec 2004 – Sept 2006)
  • Provided intensive one-on-one tutoring and mentoring to at-risk children ages 6-18
  • Edited “Nine Novels by Younger Americans” with author and 826NYC founder Dave Eggers
Management Consultant, eFormation Africa (Sept 2002 – May 2003)
  • Provided consulting services to South African educational non-profit
Sabbatical (December 2001– 2002)
  • Backpacked with husband on $15 daily budget through India, Asia, and Southern Africa
In-House Counsel, Scient Corporation (1999 – 2001)
  • Provided legal support to sales and marketing teams
  • Drafted, evaluated, negotiated and executed contracts, including IP licensing
  • Worked with Finance on risk management, including revenue recognition and pricing
  • Implemented company-wide best practices procedures and standardized forms
  • Managed paralegal and worked with team of 4 lawyers
  • Lead attorney on $30M Japanese subsidiary management buyout
In-House Counsel, Logitech Inc. (1998 – 2000)
  • Provided legal support to sales, marketing, and development teams
  • Drafted, evaluated, negotiated and executed contracts with private and public sector
Paralegal, Borland (1997 –1998)
  • Recruited by Associate General Counsel at Apple Inc. to Borland based on performance
  • General contract support: NDAs, Sales/Purchasing, Sub-Contracts, Consulting, Licensing, Independent Contractor, Master and Distribution Agreements
  • Corporate/SEC compliance and due diligence
Paralegal, Apple Inc. (1996 – 1997)
  • Worked as paralegal while taking the California Bar Exam, passed first attempt
  • Provided legal support and contract management assistance to sales/support teams
  • Worked on due diligence of NeXT acquisition
Stegmanns Attorneys (1994 – 1996)
  • Attorney licensed to practice in Supreme Court of South Africa
  • General practice with focus on Legal Aid pro-bono work serving the underprivileged
Anti-Apartheid Activist (1989-1994)
  • While completing law degree, involved in various anti-apartheid activities, including producing underground Zine called The Third “I” and writing for and acting in a banned play called Die Klein Krul Swart Haartjie
  • Attended Nelson Mandela’s public inauguration at the Union Buildings in 1994
CURRENT EDUCATIONAL NON-PROFIT BOARD POSITIONS
  • Free State Project, President Emeritus (2011+)
  • Foundation for New Hampshire Independence (President 2016-2021, now Board Member)
  • Right-to-Know NH, Secretary (2017-2020) now At-Large (2020+)
AUTHOR AND CREATIVE WRITING EXPERIENCE
  • “The Ecstatic Pessimist: Stories of Hope (Mostly),” a collection of award-winning short stories, essays, and opinion pieces now available in paperback and Kindle (2020)
  • “Ghost of a Dream” in Lumina (Spring 2009)
  • Translation of acclaimed South African author Eben Venter’s short story “Gabriel” (Winter 2008)
  • “The Ecstatic Pessimist” short story in Bonne Route No.19 (anthology, Winter 2007)
  • “Father Let Me Walk With Thee” in Ep;phany (Fall 2007)
  • “The Vitiation of John White Junior” at Lew Rockwell (Spring 2007)
  • “Duck, Duck, Goose” at Word Riot (Winter 2007)
  • “When We Talk About Words” in Dog Days (anthology, 2006), reprinted in Promethean (Fall 2007). Winner of $1,000 award for Best Student Fiction
  • “The Silent House of Noble” in Inkwell (Fall 2006)
  • “Blue Inked” at Rumble (Fall 2005)
  • “Double Happiness” in HerStory (anthology, Fall 2005)
  • “Perfect Timing” in Better Non Sequitur (anthology, Fall 2005)
  • “Holding Down a Dream” at Underground Voices (Winter 2005)
  • “The Devil in Her Eyes” at Pindeldyboz (Fall 2004)
  • “Victor/Victorious” in Wild Strawberries (Summer 2004)
  • Editor and contributor at Shire Liberty News
  • Editor and contributor at fsp.org
  • Founding editor and contributor to The Free Stater magazine
  • Essays and blogs at various online outlets
EDUCATION
  • The City College of New York, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, 2008
  • University of Pretoria, South Africa, Baccalaureus Procurationis, 1993 (J.D. equivalent)
  • Pretoria High School for Girls, South Africa, 1988 (Form Prefect, Squash Captain)
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BlogElection 2020

I’m Your Gal…

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

If you’re looking for the same-old, same-old, please, continue to vote for the 11-term, 82 year-old Establishment dude, a man who is rated an actual “Constitutional Threat,” a man who has now spent several d-e-c-a-d-e-s in the Senate reducing your freedoms, raising your taxes, writing legislation to control your personal choices, lock you down, and destroy your livelihoods. Lou D’Allesandro voted for SB1 this year, the bill that would introduce a statewide income tax! BOO!

If, however, YOU are looking for someone who is an independent thinker and can represent YOUR interests to keep government limited and in-check, someone who can restore balance to the Senate, then I’m your gal…

If you are looking for someone who is FRESH, HONEST, and has ‘TEGRIDY, who believes the content of your character matters, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone to stand up to a sales or income tax, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who has 25+ years of mad, mad skills as an author, attorney, and activist, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who has been a lawyer on two continents (South Africa when I am originally from and California where I worked in-house for Apple and Logitech focusing on business deals and intellectual property), then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who, as a diplomat’s daughter and trained mediator, works exceptionally well with diverse groups of people who don’t necessarily get along, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who enjoys life to the fullest, including the arts, and who, in addition to her law degree, has a Master in Fine Arts and has written a book, The Ecstatic Pessimist: Stories of Hope (Mostly), now available on Amazon or buy it directly from me, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who has dedicated a good chunk of her life to fighting for the underdog, from her days as an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, to fighting against government overreach as a liberty activist in New Hampshire, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who strives for optimal balance in life and has done the work (including losing 65 lbs, quitting alcohol, and practicing mindfulness) to improve her own health so she can best inspire you, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who understands the future socio-economic problems that are going to emerge as a result of what 2020 has thrown our way, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who has been married to the same brilliant and loving man since 1994, and whose own parents just celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary, I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who will support open, accessible, transparent, and responsive government at every turn, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who understands criminal justice reform is critical, someone who has worked on police accountability issues for years, and someone who thinks cannabis should be legal for adult recreational use, including home grown, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who supports the Second Amendment because she understands exactly how important the right to defend yourself from government tyranny is (e.g. her great-grandmother was put in a British concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War where 25% of all Afrikaaner women and children perished), then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who is personally pro-life and does not support taxpayer funding of abortions, but also understands that this is a difficult personal decision that should not be fully outlawed, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for a Senator who will record her votes, who is willing to wear a Go-Pro camera at the state house to show you exactly how the sausage is made, and who will continue to report local political shenanigans, then I’m your gal.

If you are looking for someone who will make New Hampshire politics as exciting as it is going to get, delivered with the widest, brightest smile you will find at the State House, then I’m your gal.

If, despite your party affiliation, or because you are “undeclared,” you want someone who loves New Hampshire so much, she chose NH as her forever home above all other places in the whole wide world, someone who will always put New Hampshire, the NH Advantage and Granite Staters first, who is dedicating her life to the notion that together we can “Live Free and Thrive!”, then I am your gal.

Change is possible! But it is up to YOU! Choose me, CARLA GERICKE for State Senate, in Goffstown and Manchester (Wards 3, 4, 10 and 11). I prevailed in my Primary in September, and now I ask for your vote on November 3rd… Pick me, Carla Gericke, because I’m your gal! 🙂

Request your Absentee Ballot to vote-by-mail.

Contribute to my LIVE FREE AND THRIVE! campaign today.

Show your support, request a yard sign and we’ll deliver it asap!

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In the MediaPodcasts

Guest Appearance on The Survival Podcast: Episode-2710- Carla Gericke on Strategic Relocation to New Hampshire

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke
Episode-2710- Carla Gericke on Strategic Relocation to New Hampshire

Carla Gericke (JD, MFA) is an advocate of liberty specializing in localized voluntarism, self-determination, and how responsible human action can lead to peace and prosperity. She is president emeritus of the Free State Project, and lives in New Hampshire with thousands of fellow freedom fighters. In 2014, Carla won a landmark case affirming the 1st Amendment right to film police encounters.

She has appeared on WMUR, CNN, and Fox News, been featured in GQ and Playboy, been quoted in The Economist, and has discussed libertarianism on the BBC. She has visited more than 40 countries, hiked to the base camp of the 10th highest mountain in the world, lost a shoe in a taxi more than once, had her passport stolen in Goa, got kidnapped in Vietnam, and has noshed on more “mystery meat” street food than she cares to admit.

Carla once spent an entire summer while working as in-house counsel at Logitech eating tuna fish sandwiches with Doug Engelbart (the Mother Of All Demos dude), she worked on Apple’s acquisition of Steve Job’s NeXT, and bought her first Bitcoin for $6. Carla co-hosts the Told You So podcast, and co-chairs Manch Talk TV. She serves on several non-profit boards, follows a Keto lifestyle, practices yoga and shooting, and plays a mean game of Scrabble.

Carla enjoys cooking, gardening, painting, reading, and watching documentary films. She has twice run for New Hampshire Senate, garnering 42% of the vote in 2018 against an 11-term incumbent, and believes in 2020, third time will be the charm! DONATE to her race TODAY!

Carla’s first book, a collection of award-winning short stories, essays, and speeches, The Ecstatic Pessimist is now available on Amazon. Says Nick Gillespie, Editor-at-Large of Reason Magazine: “It is a fantastic package of writings that veer from fiction, to autobiography and memoir, to political polemics. It’s great, mixes stories about substance abuse, lack of focus, historical wrongs and utopian attempts to remake the world as a better place in a very pragmatic way. I highly recommend The Ecstatic Pessimist: Stories of Hope (Mostly).”

Resources for today’s show…

Carla’s Links

Sponsors of the Day

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In the MediaPodcastsVideo

Guest Appearance: Unsafe Space

by Carla Gericke
written by Carla Gericke

I recently joined Carter of Unsafe Space for a freewheeling discussion about the Free State Project, my landmark court case, police reform, my Senate race, and more! Like what you hear? PLEASE show your support by:

Giving your most generous donation to my Senate race: Live free and thrive!
Buying my book, The Ecstatic Pessimist, now on Amazon.
Donating to the Free State Project. Now our last chance for Liberty in Our Lifetimes!

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