By The Business Insider Editors
New Hampshire's license plate bears the words, "Live Free or Die," from a letter written in 1809 by the state's most famous warrior, General John Stark: "Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils."
David H. Souter, the Supreme Court Justice, has announced his retirement from the Court. He was an Attorney General and a Circuit Court judge in New Hampshire before his appointment.
After New Hampshire changed its license plate tourism slogan, "Scenic," to "Live Free or Die," a rebellion of sorts ensued: some motorists, for personal or religious reasons, wished to cover up the phrase. The Supreme Court ruled that New Hampshire could not prosecute them for doing so.
It's interesting to learn that a government's wish, by use of this remark, to portray its state as independent and free would then attempt to sue its citizens for behaving with personal independence and freedom. We find parallels in what's occurring in the new Obama Administration, which while liberating the U.S. citizenry from an oppressive and seemingly irresponsible Administration which practiced an extreme form of governmental-enterprise laissez-faire would turn around and begin running America's corporations. First it was banks, then the auto industry, and now back to banks.
Faced with a crisis of his own making, one might ask, What would Bush have done?
Few astute observers would dispute that the government and banking have been in bed with one another forever, but the question was always: who's on top? In today's cozy environment, it's difficult to say who's running the show; we, the vox populi, seem to have lost perspective on what happened to those bad-boy bankers and if they're calling the shots or acting as advisors for the "regulators" these days.
We're not siding with one or the other; no, we believe change is good, and it is essential that we seek out new business models to fit the changing times in which we find ourselves. That's why it's more than a little distressing to hear and read of simplistic calls for a woman to replace outgoing Justice Souter. Bush chose him because he believed he was a conservative; after all, New Hampshire has long been considered the bastion of New England conservatism, unlike its neighbor to the south, Massachusetts. But even that has changed: New Hampshire is growing more liberal all the time.
While it's just fine to seek qualified women for the Court opening, it makes more sense to us to seek a person of any gender, race, or persuasion who will bring even-handed justice to his or her opinions - as did David Souter. More than ever, we need a sense of balance and moderation in how government governs and how businesses conduct enterprise, for indeed, what happens in the United States is still the shot heard 'round the world.
The Business Insider Editors
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