It's been a little while since I last boasted about how awesome New Hampshire is, and I am feeling a bit remiss. And this reminder comes courtesy of my blog-buddy Bruce, who has a bit of an advantage over me -- he's a New Hampshirite by choice, while I'm one by chance.
One of Bruce's buddies quoted the inimitable Mark Steyn, from his latest book, "America Alone" (which I really, really need to get). Bruce reprinted the quote here, but I'm going to lift it myself:
New Hampshire has a high rate of firearms possession, which is why it has a low crime rate. You don't have to own a gun, and there are plenty of sissy arms-are-for-hugging granola-crunchers who don't. But they benefit from the fact that their crazy stump-toothed knuckle-dragging neighbors do. If you want to burgle a home in the Granite State, you'd have to be awfully certain it was the one-in-a-hundred we-are-the-world panty-waists's pad and not some plaid-clad gun nut who'll blow your head off before you lay a hand on his seventy-dollar TV. A North Country non-gun owner might tire of all the Second Amendment kooks with the gun racks in the pickups and move somewhere where everyone is, at least officially, a non-gun owner just like him: Washington, D.C., say, or London. And suddenly he finds that, in a wholly disarmed society, his house requires burglar alarms and window locks and a security camera.
Bruce, as I said, is a recent immigrant to New Hampshire. He lives about an hour and a half from me.
Mark Steyn is a Canadian, but he currently hangs his hat a couple of towns north of me.
In between us is Dartmouth College, alma mater of all three lawyers from Powerline and Joe Malchow (late of Joe's Dartblog).
P. J. O'Rourke lives about half an hour from me. (I'm not quite certain where -- he's a bit chary about his privacy, and I respect that.)
And Dan Collins of Protein Wisdom and Bloody Scott lives right across the river. OK, he's a Vermonster, but I bet he hops across the Connecticut River when shopping to avoid the Vermont sales tax.
Man, wouldn't that be a hell of a gathering? I wonder if something could be swung for Dartmouth's Homecoming weekend...
There's gotta be something in the granite up here...
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Mr. Duckie's New Hampshire
Comments (13)
Other factors affecting low... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Dave | August 7, 2008 1:10 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Other factors affecting low crime rate in New Hampshire:
New Hampshire's poverty rate (7.5%) ranks well below the National Average.
1. Posted by Dave | August 7, 2008 1:10 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:10
2. Posted by Dave | August 7, 2008 1:12 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The best way to reduce crime is to follow New Hampshires lead and do more to reduce poverty.
2. Posted by Dave | August 7, 2008 1:12 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:12
3. Posted by Tim | August 7, 2008 1:16 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Dave is right. All the other states should do away with sales and income taxes.
3. Posted by Tim | August 7, 2008 1:16 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:16
4. Posted by CR | August 7, 2008 1:18 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Okay, you've got former Flatlanders, Hosers and Vermonsters mentioned in your little name-dropping binge here, JT. Any Maine-iacs to go with them?
4. Posted by CR | August 7, 2008 1:18 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:18
5. Posted by Tim | August 7, 2008 1:19 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hey CR, don't forget us Massholes!
5. Posted by Tim | August 7, 2008 1:19 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:19
6. Posted by CR | August 7, 2008 1:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Flatlanders = Massholes
I thought most of us New Englanders knew about this already. :-P
6. Posted by CR | August 7, 2008 1:33 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:33
7. Posted by Tim | August 7, 2008 1:44 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
We have a couple of hills in Massachusetts. Now the City of Rhode Island - that's flat.
7. Posted by Tim | August 7, 2008 1:44 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 13:44
8. Posted by Bob | August 7, 2008 2:18 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Thanks, Dave. It's good to know that, not only does a high rate of gun ownership reduce crime, it also lowers the poverty rate!
8. Posted by Bob | August 7, 2008 2:18 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 14:18
9. Posted by Dave | August 7, 2008 2:24 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Bob,
You have it backwards. If you lower the poverty more people can afford to buy guns!
9. Posted by Dave | August 7, 2008 2:24 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 14:24
10. Posted by WildWillie | August 7, 2008 3:30 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
New what? ww ;)
10. Posted by WildWillie | August 7, 2008 3:30 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 15:30
11. Posted by Dan Collins | August 7, 2008 6:11 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Just so it doesn't interfere with Blog Expo, I'm there, Jay Tea. Sign me up.
11. Posted by Dan Collins | August 7, 2008 6:11 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 18:11
12. Posted by Giacomo | August 7, 2008 11:36 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Uh Jay? Can I come to the party too? I live here (and now work here too - boo yah!
12. Posted by Giacomo | August 7, 2008 11:36 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 7, 2008 23:36
13. Posted by James | August 11, 2008 5:32 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Dave: it's simple. If you're poor in NH, you'll think about stealing from people to support yourself, realize you'd get your ass shot, then move someplace where people aren't allowed to defend themselves and their property. Result: no poverty!
13. Posted by James | August 11, 2008 5:32 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 11, 2008 17:32