Mash Notes, Hate Mail & Other Correspondence

by Dan Weeks In 1645—decades before the colony of New Hampshire was independently established—historical records show that the purchase and sale of human beings began in the “Live Free” state. In that year, an African man was kidnapped in Guinea and brought to Portsmouth for a life of servitude. His European enslaver would later be punished by the local Puritan authorities—not for owning another human being but for working his human chattel on the Sabbath. On the eve of the Revolutionary War in 1773, official statistics showed that 674 persons of African descent were enslaved in New Hampshire. One of them, Prince Whipple, fought for …

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To the Editor: Covid spreads easily in college towns, where students live, shop and work alongside the adult population. Durham recently reported 164 active Covid cases, 155 of them students (Foster’s, March 25, 2021). Governor Sununu is denying Covid vaccines for out-of-state students, claiming “No state in New England is giving out-of-state college students vaccine.” False. Associated Press reports all other New England states are making out-of-state students eligible for the vaccine (Portsmouth Herald, April 2, 2021). Sununu claims “no state is given vaccine” from the federal government for out-of-state students. False. A letter from leaders of eight New Hampshire college towns contradicts: “The U.S. …

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To the Editor: On Feb 11, Rep. Keith Ammon introduced the controversial HB544 banning conversations about race and gender in government. This Bill has now also been included in the budget bill. This is another attempt by elites in this country to pit people against each other, maintain control, and hoard the vast majority of wealth and resources. We know for this country to live up to its promise of a multiracial democracy where Black, Brown and White communities can thrive together, we are going to have to talk about racial and gender justice, in particular within government. Against the wishes of the majority of …

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To the Editor, Democrats, in the future the filibuster will go away. The relevant question is, will the Democrats do it, or will they wait till the Republican have a narrow majority and do it (citing numerous Democrats opining that it should be eliminated to justify doing so). Either way it’s gone. The Democrats can dump it now. They can pass lots of stuff that helps lots of people and pay for it by taxing institutions that need to be taxed. A small per-transaction tax on stock purchases is an example of an “institution that needs to be taxed.” Super profitable corporations that are able …

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To the Editor: Do you want your young children, grandchildren, or anyone’s children taught that, not due to their own actions, speech, or thoughts but, simply because of their race or gender: – They are racists, sexists, immoral, and/or unworthy of respect? – They should be made to feel uncomfortable, ashamed, or otherwise distressed about who they are? – They are oppressors of others? – One race or gender is inherently superior or inferior to others? – They should confess that they are horrible (e.g., racists, sexists, rapists, immoral) people? – There’s something wrong with them and their family if no family member is gay, …

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