That chapter's end

So why no more newspaper columns?

I got "The Call" almost 2 weeks ago. I didn't get fired, and I didn't quit.

The paper's owners in Wyoming called the local publisher/editor and said to eliminate the local opinion columnists; they are choosing to go with nationally syndicated columns instead. It's cheaper for them.

The paper has been cutting expenses as long as I've been writing the columns. Going from a daily to a twice-weekly to a weekly. Getting rid of half the writers (and staff) every couple of years. Every time they did, I thought, "This is it", but they always kept me. Until now.

I rode it out to the end, just one month short of 16 years, and I'm happy with myself for doing so. I'm sadder over this ending than I thought I would be. 

Last year, I went through a rough spell where I dreaded the deadline and trying to come up with a column topic every week. I really wanted to quit writing the column. I just couldn't afford to. (On a related note, if anyone would consider subscribing to this blog, now would be an excellent time to do so because this additional setback puts me in a bind!)

I eventually got over that hump, and things have been going smoothly with the column since then. Until this happened.

The paper's publisher/editor was very apologetic and said he hated to let me go. He said I did exactly what he had hoped I would do. 

He also said they got a lot of emails about my column- mostly negative. He said I was "famous" locally and that the local officials hate me. I told him that if they didn't, I would know I was doing something wrong.

I appreciate that he stuck up for me. I got some of the hate mail he referred to. Some of it was pretty nasty. I got positive emails, too, though. Those took away the sting of the hate mail. Plus, seeing the kind of people who hate me has been like a compliment.

I thanked him for this opportunity. He wished things could be different and said if things change, he'd hire me again. (Things won't change for newspapers.) We parted on good terms, and that's that.

I'll still be posting the previous month's columns in full on Tuesday evening, as I've been doing, until they run out in a month. 

The blog continues.

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I appreciate those who make things better

Some people actually work to make the world a better place. I appreciate them.

There's another man in my neighborhood who also feeds the stray cats- some of the same cats I feed, but he has a few regulars who never come to my house. He often has 6 to 10 of them at feeding time. (Maybe it's because he offers raw chicken.) 

We've had several conversations about the strays over the years; worrying when a sickness ravages the neighborhood cats, wiping out some of the cats we have tried to save. Wondering what happened to a regular, discussing the new kittens, or reporting a death the other may not know of. I've seen him chasing off dogs (dogs who won't stay home) who come into his yard to attack the cats. 

He's had to defend himself from threats by the local cop, who threatened to "fine" him for feeding cats, saying this made the cats his pets, and no one is "allowed" to have more than 3 cats in town, blah blah, blah. He asked if the birds were also his pets since he has a bird feeder. The cop seems to have left him alone since then.

Anyway...

I appreciate him caring for animals who have no one else to count on. 

Besides him, I notice other people making the world a nicer place just by doing what they do.

I love the delivery drivers I see frequently in the neighborhood. They'll often wave as they drive by. 

I love the cashiers I encounter again and again, doing a job which isn't glamorous and doesn't pay enough, but who still manage to do a job that is essential while being pleasant to the customers. (The unpleasant ones are a conversation for another day.) I look forward to seeing the familiar faces, even though I don't really know them.

Anyone who comes to my attention, doing things that make the world a little better with their contributions, without stepping on the life, liberty, or property of others in the process, can elicit the same feeling in me.

No government mandate was required to get these people to do helpful things. In some cases, they are doing it in exchange for a paycheck, but often people do nice things that only cost them. And a paycheck doesn't ensure good service, anyway.

Maybe it's silly and sentimental to feel this kind of connection with those who probably don't feel the same about me. If so, I'll embrace it anyway.

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Angering statists is a strange hobby

Some days it feels like I've said it all before. (Which I know I've said before!)

How many other ways can I explain that to be libertarian (and thus, to be ethical) is to accept the primary human responsibility to not violate the life, liberty, or property of any other person, without exception?
How many times can I explain that calling a violation a "law" and saying it's your job doesn't excuse doing those things?

I got added to some communist's X list of "Nazis", and called "entitled" because I refuted (effectively, it seems) his argument that "land tax", which he differentiates from "property taxes" (yeah, I don't know... communism, I guess), isn't theft, extortion, or a ransom, because you "owe" everyone for any land you occupy. He made many bad arguments for his position. Then he got mad.

Angering bad people feels like a badge of honor. It makes me happy, and I want to do more of it. Yes, it's a personality flaw.

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Alien communication

How can those of us who believe in liberty and individual responsibility have a conversation with those who don't? Often, there seems to be no common ground. It's almost like trying to talk to an alien.

It's hard to communicate with those who believe in the imaginary right to govern others. They believe humans are flawed, but politicians are somehow exempt from this. Or that when these deeply flawed humans join together, their individual flaws cancel out.

It doesn't work that way. When people join together to do something they have no right to do in the first place, their flaws compound and expand-- there's safety in numbers. That's why flash mobs of looters who descend on a store face little risk. Those who seek to govern others enjoy the same protection. They are still looters, but they use "laws" rather than bricks.

It's hard to really communicate with people who see a significant difference between the two; those who believe that governing others is a legitimate human endeavor, rather than just another category of crime. We don't really even speak the same language. I say "theft" or "extortion"; they say "tax" or "fine".

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Life is hard; it's harder if you're political

There's a quote that is commonly misattributed to John Wayne: “Life is hard; it’s harder if you’re stupid”. Whoever originally said it, it's true.

People make their own lives harder by being political. Politics makes people stupid, and it makes life much harder than it needs to be.

When one of the members of the group They Might Be Giants scolded me years ago for saying he should stop making everything political, telling me, "Everything is political", it made me see him, and his band, as stupid. As part of the problem. I had been a fan for years, but with one tweet he exposed himself for what he really was. It wasn't a flattering revelation.

Because the only way "everything is political" is if you make it that way. And only a stupid person would do so.

He was unnecessarily complicating his life, just to earn points by peacocking his irrational political beliefs. He was sabotaging his own life with politics. Making life harder for himself, his bandmate, and for everyone in society. Smart people wouldn't do that.

Life is already hard enough; it's even harder if you make it political.

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Not always best to follow orders

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 21, 2026)

Most people value obedience more than I do. To me, doing the right thing is what matters...read the rest...

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Tomahawk fun

Sic semper tyrannis!

When I'm out throwing my tomahawk and knife, I always enjoy using face cards as my target. The number cards just aren't as inspirational for some reason.

Now, I'm not a French Revolution kind of person. I oppose human sacrifice even when it's the rulers on the receiving end. But a card can be a satisfying proxy for expressing my sentiments.

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Bad rules

The only legitimate justification for a rule is to make life better by protecting life, liberty, or property.

If a rule doesn't do this, or actually makes things worse, either because of the rule itself or how it is enforced, then a change is necessary. Either change how the rule is enforced so it doesn't make things worse, or eliminate the rule entirely.

I'm not opposed to rules. I'm opposed to bad rules. Harmful ones. Stupid ones. Punitive ones. Rules that make life worse.

And I'm opposed to anyone who enforces such rules.

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Unhealthy fear leads to government

Why are so many people so afraid? Why do they embrace their fear and use it to justify horrors?

I am afraid when I encounter a situation I don't feel adequate to handle, and when the consequences seem too big to bear. Medical situations cause me fear more often than any other situations do. This fear doesn't inspire me to violate others, though.

Unlike what I see happening around me, my fear doesn't come from not having the ability or right to control other people. 

I can see how it might happen, as in an active shooter situation. But seeing armed people- as long as they aren't wearing a badge or acting aggressively- doesn't cause me fear, or even stress. There has to also be that credible threat. And I can take measures so that I don't feel quite the helplessness others might. Which means I do have the ability or right to "control" bad guys in this way, so there's less fear than if I were helpless.

I'm not scared of people who are doing what they have a right to do.

I wonder why other people seem so afraid- afraid to the point that they want government there to protect them (even though it can't, or doesn't, do so).

They must be engulfed in feelings of inadequacy and helplessness. They must feel like Big Brother is the answer to their fears.

I wish I had the power to calm their fears. But pointing out that they have options, and that fear doesn't have to rule them, only seems to make them angry. As though they enjoy their fear and don't want to lose it. 

There are better, healthier ways to enjoy fear than imposing a government. Ride a roller coaster- if that's not enough, make sure you're not secured in the seat. Or watch a scary (or gory) movie. Or jump off of bridges- tied to a bungee if you like. Fly a Tesla Roadster over a canyon. None of those fear-inducers violate others. Using your fear to justify a government does. Don't do that.

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A bitter old Scold

 

A long time ago (in internet terms), someone invited me to join the Nextdoor site. Supposedly, it lets you connect with local people to see what's going on in your town. I never get notifications or news about this town; only Clovis.

When I comment, usually taking the side of liberty and against the police state, there's this petti old karen who scolds me, saying I don't live in Clovis, so I need to mind my own business.

She treats the site as her own little fiefdom, threatening to ban anyone who expresses an opinion she doesn’t like- especially one about cops.

She is an unrepentant copsucker; apparently on a first-name basis with the police chief and whichever officers make the news on any given day. She reposts all the press releases the cops put out, as though it's her mission in life. She praises the cops whenever they do anything, and thanks them individually in her posts. She completely ignored the cop who recently caused a traffic accident and lied about it (but was found out and disciplined for lying)- as though it never happened. She defends Flock spyware relentlessly, because "crime". She gets angry and encourages people to report people to the cops for having any fun she doesn't approve of- and there's an awful lot she doesn't approve of. And, of course, she's afraid of almost everything she doesn't like or understand (which is nearly everything).

She's a busybody of epic proportions, inserting herself into almost anything, whether it's her business or not. It seems like the things that are none of her business excite her the most.

She's a really nasty piece of work.

Usually I ignore her, because she's not worth my time. (I've tried to mute her so I don't see any of her posts, but that hasn't worked.)

Recently, she got her panties in a wad because there's a "pot farm" next to the hospital, using "major water". (She's probably upset she can't report them to the cops!) I'll bet she doesn't have an issue with any Big Government project using even more water. Fortunately, several people knocked her down a notch, but I chimed in anyway. 

I asked, "Why is this any less legitimate than anything you do with water? There’s nothing unethical about farming."

I guarantee you that if she responds, she will be snotty about it and have some excuse about "the children", or that it used to be illegal, that she believes it's immoral, or that her cop buddies don't like it. (Even though the cop I knew best used to steal it from people and smoke it with his friends.)

I just can't relate to people like her. She disgusts me in almost every way possible. People like her are the reason America doesn't have liberty.

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You know what's best for you

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 9, 2026)

I don’t know.

What don't I know? I don't know exactly how you should live or every detail of your situation. I don't know how to solve every possible random problem in the world. I don't know what complications might arise. I don't know solutions I can’t see or haven’t thought of. All the variables; the consequences of any potential solution. I don't know how, or if, society should be run.

I don’t know, and I accept it.

While I'm comfortable saying I don't know, there are also things I do know.

I know that no one else knows those answers, either. If they claim to, they are being dishonest. Those who make up legislation are often even more ignorant about the topics they legislate on than the rest of us. They are imposing a bad solution, forged on an anvil of ignorance with a hammer of imaginary political authority, and they'll hurt you if you choose your own path. They will punish you for knowing your own situation better than they do, and acting on the knowledge.

What kind of horrible person would do that?

I also know that no one has the right to govern another. I know there's no justification for violating other people's natural human rights.

I know real rights don't conflict. When they appear to clash, it's because someone is advocating so-called "positive rights"- the belief that someone owes you simply because you exist. Health care, for example, is a human right only if you're talking about treating yourself or reaching a deal with a provider. No one, including the DEA, FDA, or other government regulatory agencies, has the right or imaginary authority to interfere. Nor is healthcare something you can ethically force others to provide for you; that's slavery.

Those who hate the thought of everyone's liberty being fully respected will often ask me to explain, in minute detail, how to solve every possible situation which might arise. I can't. I don't know. The problem is, their favored solution fails if put to this test, too. They are careful to never let it be examined, but quick to turn the tables to hide the failure of the system they prefer.

It's dishonest, but you should now be able to see through it.

It's OK to not know everything, and to admit it. You can still know when something is wrong. These are two complementary sides of self-awareness.

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"Not logical or based in reality"

Typical interaction with a statist, copied and pasted:

(Story about some dire consequence of the War on Politically Incorrect Drugs.)

Drug abuse is stupid; prohibition is evil. Anyone supporting this has lost their compass.

“Your solution to such societal blight and expense upon the taxpayer for crime and welfare costs is what?”

Stop taxing people, and there’s no more expense upon the taxvictims.
End welfare for the same reason. (Charity works; welfare destroys.)
And what do you consider “societal blight”? I think if the stupid and evil War on Some Drugs is ended, a lot of the worst addicts will die off. The rest will either figure out how to be productive while abusing substances, or they’ll have to stop.
There’s really no downside unless you’re addicted to government and its “solutions”.

“You're an idiot and your village wants you back.”

That’s exactly the kind of response I expected. Thank you for confirming my hypothesis.

“You're living proof of your low IQ. Clearly you're told that often.”

And…

“Nothing to respond to. Your options are not logical or based in reality.”

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You be the judge. 

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Immune response

Hating government is not my personality.

Unless someone brings up government (or other career archators), especially in a fond way, they'll never know. I just don't think, or care, about it that much. 

Other than writing to try to break people out of the spell, I mean.

It's only when someone starts trying to impose it on me- or on bystanders- that I express my opinion on the matter. And that is often only after I've tried to change the subject.

It's like a form of self-defense. Or an immune response.

That happens more than I'd like. But don't say dumb things, and it won't come up. There are so many other things I'd rather talk and think about. Literally thousands of better topics! I can't figure out why so many people try to make everything political. It's a sick way to live.

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Living in the Age of Lies

It feels like society runs on lies. Ignoring or even repeating the lies is rewarded. You are certainly not to refute the lies with reason or reality! Telling the truth is seen as antisocial behavior. 

That doesn't sit well with me. 

So, I sometimes get in trouble for openly rejecting the social lies. I've even made other libertarians mad this way.

It's worth it.

If you can't be the one saying "The emperor has no clothes", then what good are you? 

It doesn't mean you have to call out every lie. That would be exhausting. But when you are expected to repeat a social lie, or to nod along when the lie is told, don't. Sure, you could say it's not true, and that would be the most powerful thing to do, but it's not always necessary. Sometimes your silence is enough to shock a social liar into fumbling with his train of thought. I've seen it happen.

This Age of Lies is an opportunity for the hero who values the truth, wherever it leads.

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Don't miss the "not"

Some of the strangest criticisms I get are from people who misread what I wrote and then think they disagree with me.

The picture I posted above was making the rounds without the second line, saying "Landlord is not a job". Well, that's not true!

I may not always like all landlords, but I've seen how hard a job it can be. I've always done my best not to be a problem renter. I've had great landlords, and I've had terrible ones, but the problem isn't that they are landlords. Sometimes the trouble was that the property was difficult to maintain. It happens.

So anyway, I had Grok add the second line to the picture above, and then I posted it in comments under some of the posts. I got a lot of agreement. 

But I had a few people jump on me for it- but not from the side you'd think. In every case, they just skipped the word "not" and thought I was making the argument that landlords are lazy. That's the opposite of what I was saying. I corrected them, pointing out that I'm on the same side, with a comment about reading comprehension, because I'm not perfect.

So, if you read something and think you disagree, read it again more carefully, just to be sure before you make an angry comment. It could save you embarrassment.

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A fan of the classics

I admit it. I am biased towards old methods, materials, and designs. Unless a modern improvement exists that’s better in ways that are important to me. 

Then, even though I'll admit their superiority, I'll still usually prefer the appearance of the old materials and designs. There's just something classic about them.

If there's a brass and glass version of something that's now usually made of various types of plastic, I'll probably prefer the brass and glass version unless the plastic version is a whole lot better. And some of them are.

I'm a big fan of my polymer and steel guns, but for style, they can't hold a candle to my wood, steel, and brass guns. I understand the pros and cons of each. But I like what I like, and not always for rational reasons.

One thing that bothers me is when they try to make plastic look like wood and brass- that's lying, and it looks bad. At least they don't do that with guns as much as they do with other products (although I do have a 1940s shotgun with an original "wood-like" plastic stock). I hated the old TVs that had a plastic case that had a "wood-grain pattern"- if you're going to make it out of plastic, just do it and don't try to make it look like something else. When they stopped doing that and just left the plastic black, it was an improvement.

I don't even mind honest modern reproductions of old things as long as they are made of the real materials and work like the originals did. (I'd prefer an original, but that's not always practical.)

Liberty is the original original. It existed from the beginning- long before crooked, power-hungry humans invented the warped idea that someone should govern others. None of the modern plastic substitutes for genuine liberty are worth anything. They are cheap (yet excessively expensive), ugly, and broken from the beginning. They are not an improvement on liberty.

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What? No new arguments?

It's insulting!

Statists seem to assume I haven't already heard all their justifications for government, and to believe that if they can just bring up the right one, I'll suddenly see the error of my ways and love Big Brother like they do.

No.

Maybe if they could come up with something new, but not when they just dredge up the same ones I first considered and rejected decades ago. And many times since. 

Repeating the same excuses isn't going to make me change my mind. Especially when those excuses can't stand up to scrutiny.

Maybe it's really an acknowledgement that they've got nothing, so they go ahead with their weak arguments, knowing they're firing blanks. Just to appear to others in their tribe like they at least tried.

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Another AmmoSquared promotion

AmmoSquared is doing another one of their special deals.

Refer a friend and you’ll both get $35 in ammo credit. That’s a $10 bump, now through December 31. 

Join through my referral link (also at the top right of this blog's desktop webpage), spend at least $20, and you and I both get an additional $35 in ammo! It's a good deal; they actually follow through, and I've gotten free ammo from past deals. It adds up. Give it a try.

Don't believe government necessary

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for October 7, 2026)

I can understand why so many people believe they need government. Many of them seem unwilling or unable to govern themselves.

Grocery stores are a good example of these bad examples...read the rest...

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Services can be provided sans government

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for September 2, 2026)

I don't want or need to be governed, but I still want a few of the things people claim government does or provides.

The difference is, I want these things provided voluntarily, without taxation or other forms of coercion. If something isn't essential enough for people to chip in and fund, it needs to go away. Forever, or until enough people decide to pay for it without being forced.

I want children to be educated. I don't want schools run by government, funded by taxation, or their standards established by government. A century and a half of this mistake has resulted in a population of functional illiterates.

Even if you support centralized schooling, there are better ways to do it. Come up with what works best for you. The only limit: you can't force others to pay for it, or force them to send their children to it just because you believe it's best.

Justice for crime victims is important. America doesn't have a credible system for providing justice. Governments have punishment systems, which they've fooled the population into confusing for justice. Justice means restitution, or a best effort at restitution. Government is good at punishment- less good at punishing only the guilty, and terrible at facilitating restitution. Restitution doesn't give government money or power.

Keeping accurate records of who owns what, in case of disagreements over ownership, is an essential service. It's a disservice to keep records of ownership so you can tax those belongings, or so you can later deprive someone of their property because a political criminal has written a rule making this property illegal. If you can't imagine a way to keep records without violating rights, you aren't trying.

Defending liberty is critically important, but government has proven itself utterly incapable or unwilling. It's too busy looking for loopholes around liberty. It's nearly impossible to find a government employee, including those tasked with defending liberty, who could give an accurate definition and explanation of the concept. They'd probably spend the time trying to justify their own job, instead.

I even want robotic probes, explorers, and colonists sent to other planets, but not enough to force you to pay for it. I can wait for a billionaire to find a reason to send them.

If there's something you want, why do you believe it's not popular enough that others would join you in paying for it voluntarily?

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