Posted by Randy Barnett:
Motorhome Diaries Visits Spooner:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2009_07_12-2009_07_18.shtml#1247422078
The [1]Motorhome Diaries visits Lysander Spooner's grave in Boston. I
have to admit I was hoping for visits like this when I helped arrange
for the new monument on Spooner's grave.
BOSTON, MA � Lysander Spooner, born in 1808 in central Mass. was a
freedom fighter in its truest sense. His writings and actions
continue to inspire many, including myself and the others aboard
MARV. A noted abolitionist that relied on natural law, he opposed
tyranny in every form, including that which stems from government
and its very existence.
Less than 100 years after the U.S. Constitution had been ratified
he wrote that like any contract, it had no authority over him nor
anyone else that did not sign it. This, and many other writings
helped set the foundations for the freedom movement today. Yet he
was not just an armchair philosopher but stood up for his beliefs.
He directly challenged the U.S. Postal monopoly by founding a
company that directly competed with it that was both more-efficient
and less-expensive, until he was forced to close it after being
relentlessly sued by the government (he was using his own money to
defend himself while the government relied on taxpayer money, which
they had stolen from others). He also challenged occupational
licensing laws, seeing no reason that he could not act as a lawyer
should others choose to employ him as such despite the fact that he
did not jump through the requirements set by bureaucrats.
That�s why yesterday, we made sure we stopped by his gravesite to
pay our respects and to let him know that we and many others are
continuing to advance the ideas he advocated.
References
1. http://motorhomediaries.com/spooner/
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