According to the columnist Mark Steyn, New Hampshire is planning to change its state motto, the best in the nation, “Live Free or Die,” to the hollow marketing slogan “You’re Going to Love It Here!” This article was the only thing I can find on it, was kind of ambiguous on whether the state motto is being changed, or whether it’s just a tourism slogan:
http://www.newhampshire.com/articles/showularticle.cfm?id=57589
Any Granite Staters here know anything about this?
[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
According to the columnist Mark Steyn, New Hampshire is planning to change its state motto, the best in the nation, “Live Free or Die,” to the hollow marketing slogan “You’re Going to Love It Here!” This article was the only thing I can find on it, was kind of ambiguous on whether the state motto is being changed, or whether it’s just a tourism slogan:
http://www.newhampshire.com/articles/showularticle.cfm?id=57589
Any Granite Staters here know anything about this?[/quote]
I wonder if this is a reaction to the Free State Project?
Hmm, that’s a fascinating little project…
Not heard anything about it, but from reading the article, it seems to be focusing on marketing. Reminds me of the time they wanted to take the motto off the license plates…
They finaly realise that we’re not even close to “free” in this country.
Too many people are scared and choose security over freedom.
(sorry, I had to rant just a little)
I wonder if it has something to do with the Old Man on the Mountain falling apart. The Old Man was pretty much the symbol of NH and is on practically every highway sign, license plate, and piece of state stationary. NH lost a big part of its symbollic identity when the Old Man went down. Now it’s just a crustier and less hippy Vermont. I bet the motto change is part of a bigger overall marketing strategy designed to lure tourists to the state.
I grew up in NH, and “Live Free or Die” never made sense to me. It’s hard to tell what it even means. Clearly it’s in favor of living free, whatever that means, but is it an order? If you aren’t living free then you should kill yourself? It’s weird. Not particularly friendly, either, which actually reflects a lot of the people who live there as well.
[quote]alwyn96 wrote:
I grew up in NH, and “Live Free or Die” never made sense to me. It’s hard to tell what it even means. [/quote]
“Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace… but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775
And General John Stark’s statement:
“Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils.”
Thank-you Nephorn, for posting the history behind the motto. There are indeed worse things than death.
We who live in NH usually take our friends from the People’s Republic of Massachusetts with a grain of salt…
[quote]deanec wrote:
We who live in NH usually take our friends from the People’s Republic of Massachusetts with a grain if salt…[/quote]
Very true.