Democracy can work!

I'm a fan of the quip from H.L. Mencken, "Democracy is the system whereby the common man gets what he deserves," and yes, there is a load or two of sarcasm in that line from the Bard of Baltimore. And yet, there are times I'm pretty glad about rules listening to the majority. I learned yesterday the proposal to institute a $50 bike registration is New Hampshire has been scrapped!

I'm not a New Hampshire resident or voter, so I didn't think it fitting for me to be amongst the mass of people commenting to the state, but I'm grateful to all those who did. Thank you. I like New Hampshire. I even own what amounts to a pretty cool campsite in the White Mountains, with a brook for bathing a short walk to the public restrooms in North Conway. If I didn't want the balance offered by living near five colleges, I'd be a resident there now, possibly bemoaning even longer winter conditions. I am, however, really happy I'll still be able to ride my bike up there for free.

I find New Hampshire is an oft misunderstood state. "Live free or die" is the motto, but too often outsiders, who moved there, add "...in isolation" instead of "...together". In my experience, the native population truly believes in openness, pulling together. When I first bought the campsite and met some of my neighbors on the street, the questions that kept coming from most of them were, "Do you mind if I still walk my dog there?" or, "Can my boys still fish in the brook?" My response: "Yes, absolutely, it's silly for just one person to use it." That meshed well with the local esthetic, and those neighbors have always been friendly and welcoming once they knew I wasn't another wealthy flat-lander coming up to exclude them from their home state. They even let me know when someone was squatting on the land and lighting fires despite "high" fire danger conditions.

My answer wasn't intended for gaining that response. It simply matches my own personal esthetic. When I visited Scotland in 2005, I loved the legal free access to private lands and spent large chunks of my days wandering through the countryside. I was also chased by one horse in the highlands, oops. So yes, if anyone wants to use my patch of dirt up there without causing harm, great! The state even stipulates a small discount on my property taxes because I agreed to not post it "No Trespassing". I like when a government finds a way to support what its constituency wants, even more so when I agree with them!