When working on the history project for the Libertarian Party of New York, despite having the old newsletters, I was unaware of one major event that happened in the Libertarian Party of New York’s history that became a major part of the Libertarian Party—and that is the introduction of the porcupine as the party’s animal, which originaled in New York 50 years ago this month. John Caulfield related the story to me in 2021, and so that led me to dig deeper into the history of the famous symbol of the party.
The April/May 1975 Free Libertarian newsletter provided most of the written record of the events that unfolded on Sunday, April 6, 1975, the last day of the third annual convention of Libertarian Party of New York, known at that time as the Free Libertarian Party (FLP).
State Committee Member-At-Large (and the first elected chair of the LPNY) Andrea Millen wrote the following:
“Marty Nixon proposed we have a party animal and suggested the skunk. Someone amended the motion to make it “with tail raised.” Someone else proposed the rattlesnake and, of course some wiseguy amended to, “with tail raised.” Then someone else proposed the porcupine and naturally, it was amended to “with quills raised.” Certain that I had completely lost control of the entire Convention, I recognized Fran Youngstein to explain why we needed a party animal. With her usual perspicacity, Fran told us it was for “the annual football game between the FLP and SWP.” On the strength of that logic, the porcupine swept the field and I was finally able to gavel the convention back to order, just in time to adjourn.”
State Committee Member-At-Large Carolyn Keelan (who later served as Vice-Chair) wrote the following:
“Well, we did it, and here (s)he is – the Official FLP Animal – porcupine, with quills raised. And we picked well, thanks to Mickey Zweig’s excellent suggestion and exposition. Porcupines really are natural libertarians – unaggressive, good natured and incapable of being domesticated. If attacked, they first rattle their quills in warning, producing a sound similar to a rattlesnake. If the aggressor ignores the warning and continues to initiate force, porcupines turn their backs, erect their quills, and charge ass-backwards! (I told you they were libertarians.) The fifteen-pound porcupine has killed mountain lions who wouldn’t heed that “Leave me alone!” warning! But (s)he never starts a fight – the old quill throwing legend is a calumny. The porcupine is even vegetarian, eating green vegetables, grains and bark. And (s)he’s surely the cutest party animal going – just look at the competition: a jackass, a buck-toothed rodent and a Durante-nosed mammal with weight problems.”