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.
I usually have about 10 websites that I go to, as I’m a creature of habit, however I think I found one to add to that list! Keep up the good posts, and I’ll keep reading!
[...] Yesterday I attended my second Porcupine wedding. This one, like the first, was the marriage of a male Free State Project migrant to a female New Hampshire native.  I feel a certain amount of responsibility for this particular match, as the bride first caught the groom’s eye at a Merrimack Valley Porcupines meeting last year (or should I say, the teensy weensy skirt she was wearing caught his eye!). As I understand it, they had their first date on election night, after holding signs for the same pro-liberty candidate. A shared passion for freedom and limited government can be quite the aphrodisiac, overcoming hurdles such as differing religious and cultural backgrounds. [...]