One big problem was the Pendarvis website—when he called for Free Towners to overwhelm the “Authoritarians and Statists,” his strident tone was a rallying cry for devoted libertarians, and when it came to building bridges in the community… let’s just say it wasn’t helpful. Speaking for the project, Pendarvis explicitly said that Free Towners would overwhelm the “Authoritarians and Statists.” In libertarian circles, calling someone a “statist”—one who prefers a large and active government—is a real insult, one that ranks right up there with “racist” in its ability to provoke heated defenses.
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