Launch of the Free State Observer
Welcome to the Free State Observer, the insiders’ report of liberty activism in the Free State of New Hampshire! Comments are welcome on the look, feel and usability of this website.Â
10 CommentsFree Staters create own newspaper
Two Free State Project members and early movers, Kat Dillon and Russell Kanning, have begun publication of a free, semi-monthly newspaper focusing on the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. The first issue of the Keene Free Press was published Feb. 23 with an initial print run of 5000 copies which are being distributed in Keene and surrounding towns. The focus of the paper is liberty-oriented editorials; members of the public are welcome to reply.  The first issue features editorials on a wide range of topics: jury nullification, alternatives to taxation, governmental bureaucracy, voter fraud, and even the concept of secession from the union. While the Free State Project is expressly non-secessionist, a small minority of members do favor this political strategy to gain freedom from federal taxation and regulation. Advertisers include such pro-liberty organizations as the Second Amendment Sisters and the Liberty Scholarship Fund, as well as a libertarian running for Selectman in the town of Winchester. Almost all of the articles and advertisers are Free State Project early movers.
The locally-oriented, editorial-focused newspaper was inspired by State Rep. Ingbretson’s (R) “Viewspaper†concept. The idea is to publish a local, free, liberty-oriented newspaper and distribute it in public locations such as gas stations and markets in order to spread libertarian ideas within one’s community. Rep. Ingbretson’s own paper has a distribution of a few thousand copies per month and turns a profit based on its ad space.Â
Contributors to and advertisers in the Keene Free Press may contact Russell Kanning at russellkanning@keenefreepress.com. Ad space is $3/square inch.
Free Stater spearheads Katrina-inspired Anti-Gun-Grab Legislation
All of America observed the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the surrounding area. We had no choice; CNN aired coverage of it, and nothing else, 24 hours a day. One of the many examples of government mishandling of this highly predictable natural disaster is the manner in which FEMA agents went door to door, confiscating the firearms of law-abiding New Orleans citizens, on the grounds that the guns presented a threat to public safety in the temporarily lawless environment. This left good people unarmed and helpless while armed gangs of looters roamed the streets, robbing and raping at will.
One Free State Project member and early mover, Dave Ridley, vowed to never allow such an incident to take place in New Hampshire. Last summer he wrote a short petition and began circulating it amongst his acquaintances. That petition, picked up by activists in the New Hampshire Libertarian Party, has since been signed by thousands of New Hampshire residents. State Rep. Paul Hopfgarten (R), Derry, is now sponsoring House Bill 1639-FN, inspired by the petition. The bill would prohibit the confiscation of lawfully owned and lawfully carried firearms during a state of emergency, making a felon of any law enforcement officer who attempted to seize such a firearm during a disaster. A public hearing took place on Jan. 24, at which approximately 18 New Hampshire residents signed in favor of the bill. No members of the public attended to speak against it. It’s scheduled for floor debate on March 7.
Bill text:Â http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2006/hb1639.html
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let me call you home
One of the many wonderful aspects of being a Free State Project early mover is that, if you announce your arrival ahead of time, a crew of your new libertarian neighbors will show up on your doorstep and help you unload your moving truck. Of course, TANSTAAFL applies; you will be expected to provide just compensation.  No, not Federal Reserve funny money; I refer to the universally recognized form of scrip known as pizza.
Yesterday we helped an early mover who wasn’t actually moving in from another state; he moved in a year ago. However, his landlord surprised him with an eviction notice a few weeks ago (his apartment is being put on the market), so he was forced to scramble to make other arrangements. Despite the fact that the day’s weather forecast called for an “Alberta Clipper” (i.e. a westerly snowstorm coming down from Canada), Porcupines gathered from all over the state (Nashua, Concord, Keene, and Windham) to converge in Salem to help out a friend. And boy, did he need help. Nothing was boxed up and there were still dirty dishes in the sink! It took several hours of trudging up and down stairs and through the snow that fell non-stop all afternoon, but we got the job done.  Libertarians come in all shapes and sizes; the <5'6" crowd performed packing and toting of smaller objects, while the 6'+ crowd did the heavy lifting. Even the kids, some of whom have very stern opinions on the dangers of RFID tags and government surveillance, made themselves useful. The pizza was all the tastier for being well-deserved. My calves are now stiff and sore from the equivalent of several consecutive Stairmaster workouts.
The Free State Project inspires different people in different ways. Some run for office for the first time; some learn to speak in front of a crowd. Some even write music. Here's a song written about New Hampshire by a gentleman who, I'm sure, will be spending today unpacking. If you attend PorcFest this summer, he might even sing it for you:
Let Me Call You Home
by John Connell, 7/04
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First I came to meet you on those early summer days I had to go away but I came back whenever I could I had always heard that love can come at the first sight New Hampshire if you’d have me, I’d love to call you home |
Weare Residents Reject “Lost Liberty Hotel”
On 6/23/2005, in the landmark Kelo vs New London decision, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to allow a private development corporation to use the legal power of eminent domain to take possession of 15 landowners’ properties in the city of New London, CT. The city government favored the interests of the corporation over the interests of its own residents for one simple reason: money. The corporation intended to build a Pfizer plant on the land, which would have resulted in more tax revenue for the city.
Americans of all political persuasions across the country reacted with shock and outrage to the Supreme Court’s decision. Logan Darrow Clements, a Californian who ran for governor in the 2003 recall election, came up with a clever idea to teach the Supreme Court justices a lesson. Justice David Souter, who voted with the majority in the Kelo Decision, owns property in Weare, New Hampshire. Clements proposed using the power of eminent domain to seize Souter’s property, including his childhood home, in order to build the “Lost Liberty Hotel†in its place. The hotel would feature the “Just Desserts†cafe, and would serve as a tourist destination bringing in new revenue for the town of Weare.
Free State Project members were divided on this idea. Some loved it, thinking it a humorous way to get revenge; even if the odds of its success were slim, it would help to educate the American public about the dangers of eminent domain. As a member of the Free State Project himself, Clements could also bring in new publicity and media attention for the FSP while publicizing the LLH. Others found the idea offensive; eminent domain is wrong, and there is no moral justification for attempting to take Souter’s, or anyone else’s, land.
Clements began a national media campaign to gain support, and funding, for his project. However, some residents of New Hampshire reacted with strong hostility to his idea, not so much because they disliked the idea of teaching Justice Souter a lesson but rather because they didn’t want an outsider telling them what to do. Some observers felt that Clements’ primary motivation was his own publicity. On 2/4/06, the town residents of Weare successfully killed Clements’ idea by proposing and passing amendments to his warrant article that invalidated its intent.
sources:
when it rains, it pours
It’s been a rough week for your intrepid reporter. Last Sunday I was snowbound by the biggest snowstorm of the season, lasting from before I woke up until well past dark. The next day, the weather reverted to unseasonably warm, so that the 16.5 inches of beautiful snow we got disappeared quite rapidly. On Friday it poured, which destroyed what little snow was left. Meanwhile, I’ve had the worst toothache of my life, on and off (mostly on), all week. It was the first Valentine’s Day since splitting up with my husband. I had to work overtime every day. And the biggest project I’m assigned to at work is rapidly turning into a shitstorm of legendary proportions. I think I set a new personal record for quantity of alcohol consumed; if only drinking were an Olympic sport, “I mighta been a contendah!”
Despite all that, I found time to speak with a PR consultant about a possible magazine interview on women and guns, which would get the FSP some much-needed publicity. And I have been working feverishly on the next incarnation of this blog, which should be ready for launch within the next week; stay tuned!
On a more positive note, I was gruntled to be elected to the Free State Project’s Board of Directors. Crafty strategic move on the part of the voters, or blatant example of the tyranny of the majority and democracy run amok? Guess you’ll have to decide that for yourself.
“What an incredible Cinderella story, this unknown comes outta no where to lead the pack, at Augusta. He’s on his final hole, he’s about 455 yards away — he’s gonna hit about a 2-iron, I think. Oh he got all of that one! … This crowd has gone deathly silent, the Cinderella story, outta nowhere, a former greenskeeper now — about to become The Masters champion. It looks like a mirac — It’s in the hole!” - Bill Murray, in a manically brilliant improvisational moment
only fools rush in
There have been numerous attempts to form libertarian “intentional communities” i.e. getting a group of libertarians to move to the same general area, whether it be a town, a county, an island, a state, a floating structure, etc. Some failed before they even got started; some went down in flames; and some are just getting going. The Free State Project is definitely in the third category, and in my opinion has already resulted in the formation of a legitimate libertarian community in New Hampshire. The wedding I attended this weekend demonstrates this beautifully.
Background info: About a year ago JR, an FSP participant, early mover, tireless liberty activist, and all-around cool guy, hooked up with AB, a lifelong native of NH, a total sweetheart who works with disadvantaged youth, loves to cook, is always willing to lend a hand, but please don’t try telling her what to do because she is a Yankee through and through and it’s just not gonna happen. (She can also handle a deck of cards like a Vegas dealer.) I met JR before I even moved to New Hampshire; when I made a scouting trip here, he drove 60 miles to attend a Monadnock Porcupines meeting that he knew I would be attending, to “lobby” on behalf of Manchester. The Monadnock group lobbied on behalf of the Keene region; the Seacoast Porcupines group leader lobbied on behalf of the Seacoast. It was like the Dating Game: three men I had never met before all urging me to move to THEIR town! I wound up moving to Manchester, and through a combination of joint political activism, a shared love of sci fi, and an inability to defeat AB at poker, came to consider JR a friend. Even so, when I received an invitation to his wedding, I was surprised; I haven’t been to that many weddings. Actually, since moving to New Hampshire, I now have a far bigger and more active “social circle” than I’ve ever had in my life; not a month goes by that there isn’t a party, a BBQ, a dinner party, a poker game, a group outing to the movies… It’s really nice. And I got all this without having to get up early on Sunday morning, pay membership dues or wear a fez.
Prior to the wedding, I had many unanswered questions: who else was invited? Would I be fed? Was it going to be a religious ceremony, a civil ceremony, or neither? I had no idea about the religious leanings of the bride and groom. I knew that some libertarians are opposed to government sanctioned marriage. The ceremony was to take place in an Elks Club, but I had no idea what that means; I have a vague sense that an Elks Club is a fraternal organization where guys sit around wearing antlers.
The day arrived. I carpooled with another guest, a Free Stater who was lucky enough to have already been living in NH when it won the state vote, so no move was required. He has been a libertarian activist in NH for a good 25 years now, and has many stories to tell. Arriving at the Elks Club, it immediately looked like it was going to be a fun evening: there was food, a bar (which guests were visiting before the ceremony even took place), a dance floor, and libertarians everywhere you looked. Seriously, there were probably more libertarians at that wedding than at most state LP conventions. Some people were formally dressed; others weren’t. The ubiquitous cute little kids scampered around. The ceremony, which turned out to be civil (i.e. legally binding) but not religious, was short and sweet. JR’s coolness quotient escalated in my book when I realized that the man performing the ceremony was the chair of the New Hampshire Libertarian Party (apparently he’s a justice of the peace)! The best man, another FSP early mover, toasted the bride and groom. The newlyweds danced their first dance (to Elvis’ Can’t Help Falling in Love). All official business then out of the way, we were free to eat, drink, dance and make merry, which we most certainly did. A DJ spun popular tunes and coordinated various games, and everyone was a good sport about participating. Male relatives of the bride performed a surprisingly realistic Chippendales-style strip-tease. The highlight of the evening had to be the command performance of the Village People’s YMCA by four high profile FSP early movers: SC as the construction worker; VS as the Indian chief; CP as the traffic cop (and can that guy dance! who knew??); and most comically, RK as the cop. It was hilarious. All in all, a wonderful evening.
schoolhouse rock
When I was a kid, Saturday morning was one of the highlights of my week. My mom would usually buy something sugar-laden and unhealthy like cinnamon rolls or fruit-filled Danish pastries, and I’d wake up extra early to get in a good solid morning of sugar buzz and cartoons. Bugs Bunny was my favorite, always sticking it to the man and delivering a well-timed smartass remark. I also enjoyed Schoolhouse Rock episodes, which were little musical cartoons designed to be educational. And they actually worked! I still know all the words to the Preamble of the Constitution, although I have an embarrassing tendency to sing them. I know the purpose of a conjunction, as well as several other grammatical constructs. And I remember the sad little bill stuck in committee, hoping to one day become a real live law.
I’ve been thinking about that little bill a lot lately, because I’ve been participating in the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance’s bill triage team and reading bills ’til my eyes bleed. Basically, the team reads every single bill going through the New Hampshire legislature, rates each one as to its pro- or anti-liberty qualities, and tries to mobilize activists to lobby for or against particularly noteworthy ones. There are 1031 bills this session, so you can imagine the effort involved. There are about 30 of us working on this, most of us recent transplants to the state as members of the Free State Project. After a day at the office, my coworkers go home and watch Friends reruns or American Idol. I go home and read the latest “masterpieces” coming out of the House Committee on Environment and Agriculture, as well as the Senate Committee on Environment and Wildlife.
Frankly, it’s a bit demoralizing; there are so many bad (by “bad” I mean anti-liberty, pro-big government) bills, and a few laughably stupid ones, not to mention the ones that make me want to pound my head against my keyboard in frustration. And this is in New Hampshire; I shudder to even think about what’s going through the California legislature right now. We are so few in number here; we can’t fight them all. In fact, we can’t fight more than a fraction of them, hence the use of the term “triage”, which means sorting the ones who can be saved from those who are goners. I console myself by imagining myself in my favorite David vs Goliath scenarios from various books and movies (the ones in which David WINS, obviously!): Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance vs Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire… Malcolm Reynolds and the crew of Serenity vs the Alliance and the men with blue hands… Mad Max vs western Australia… Harry Potter vs Lord Voldemort (ok, it remains to be seen who’s going to win that one, but my money’s on the Boy who Lived). At any rate, my point is that, while it sometimes looks grim, it’s not hopeless. That’s not the fat lady singing; it’s just a bill, only a bill, sitting there on Capitol Hill….