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Week Seven


New Pilgrim Chronicles:
One man's story of the trials and rewards of moving to Free State
Week Seven: Back to the Future

by Brian Wright (copyright 2005)

So many uncertainties when you walk out to hold hands with people on the leading edge of the freedom train. This week I've finished my business in Michigan, cleaning up some loose ends and prepping myself for an extended residence in the southern Free State hills. "Come Home to New Hampshire." (Someone at the festival thought this would make a good slogan, and I like it.)

Because of the uncertainties, pledgers and movers realize the nature of the choice they're making. It's a life-altering commitment, especially if you're accompanied by family. For almost anyone, though, the decision to be part of this project rises above practical benefit into a morality plane, where the focus is on the long-range conditions that make any practical benefit feasible.

Was talking to Steve Cobb and others regarding other leading libertarians' varying perspectives on the FSP. With exceptions, my experience has been many of the celebrities in the movement (including Harry Browne, Mary Ruwart, Carla Howell, to name a few) have been at best cool to Jason's concept. The same is true of the LP national leadership, I do believe, but I haven't read much in the LP News lately, whether it's taken an official position.

I also had the experience in Michigan of one local LP activist dissing the FS generally because apparently one FS representative in Michigan denied him a literature table one day—I think I mentioned this in an earlier column. He succumbed to a fit of pique, as it were. "Oooh, cocktails on the veranda, dear?" But what of the esteemed people I've mentioned who have major skin in the liberty game already? Is it a NIH (not invented here) thing?

Personally I've seen many instances of people wanting to stay comfortable as big fish in a small pond, then being averse to ideas or people that would make the pond bigger. In the case of FSP, the pond stands to become substantially bigger, which may make them feel unacceptably less vital to the future of freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Also, the Free State is going to happen naturally, without a lot of repeat fundraising. My problem with several of the existing LP-peripheral movements is they continually tap the seed corn for sustenance, keep coming back to the well of stalwarts who always send money. Instead of self-financing through constant influx of new blood.

I'm pretty sure Free State solves the new blood problem, because you have so many willing bleeders, so to speak, on the ground. Relatively speaking that is. A great thing already about the Free State is you can fall out your back door any given morning, then turn around and join a meeting of libertarians or near-libertarians on the lawn. It was only that way for me back in Michigan during the Clark-Crane phenomenon (Ed Clark, LP presidential candidate 1980; Ed Crane, current CEO of the Cato Institute) roughly, 1975-1985. And I do love it so!

Why don't more of the elevated ones see FSP as complementary to their work, rather than detracting? Indeed, FS is a microcosm of what's going on nationally in any given organization. It stands to reason the Free State is the best soil for the growth of all these pro-liberty efforts. Because, relative to the surrounding population, there are so many of us! As Paul Gere mentioned to me at the festival, if we get 1,000 active people moving here, the state is done like a dinner.

That's true. According to the site, we have 377 here now. The political establishment in New Hampshire, such as it is, is already at the point of being unable to ignore all the pro-liberty people who continually "act up" through various groups. FSP is serving as the fireman stoking these groups with good, solid people. So we freedom people, especially the FSP, are close to the threshold of common public perception right now. Critical mass is just around the corner.

That being said, readers should know that in response to the letters I recently sent to my new senators and representatives at both national and state levels, not one responded. I had high hopes that when I returned from Michigan after three weeks, I'd be picking up several responses from these poobahs. My letters regarded the depleted uranium issue, which is potentially a massive public health problem. (Well actually, it already is a massive public health problem, it will become a catastrophic public health problem.)

And no one wants to even talk about it!

Scary, isn't it?

My point isn't to revisit the horrifying topic of DU. Rather I'm just sharing the observation that beyond the local town level, it you have an issue pertinent to general liberty, let's just say public officials aren't going to beat a path to your door to find out more.

New Hampshire has a land area of 8969 square miles with 1,235,786 people, per the 2000 census. This works out to approx. 140 people per square mile, of whom 377/8969 = 0.04 are FSP, let's say 1000 active liberty types are here = 1000/8969 = 0.11. So we have probably roughly one tenth of a libertarian per square mile!

What legislator or public official is going to give two hoots about a measly 1/10 of a libertarian?

But if you get that ratio to 20 or 30 thousand per 8969 square miles, that means you're going to have a full two or three liberty gadflies in every nook and cranny of the state! Believe me, that's going to make some movers and shakers out of these otherwise recalcitrant politicos. We'll have their full attention. They're going to need to do some real thinking and some real work to hold their crummy jobs.

Also, don't underestimate the effect on the media, on the information systems that typically block the flow of pro-liberty data both from the street to the reader and from the reader to the street. You think the Onion Reader will squash stories on the negative effects of government aggression on the people when 20,000 angry people threaten to use it for birdcage liner? Not likely. In the meantime, we early movers have to keep up the good work.

Talked with Joel Rauch, who runs the Merrimack Valley Porcupines, he's a young man, one of the earlier early movers. He shared some thoughts with me that early people are tending to be overloaded with more groups than they can properly support, either from the leadership or from the membership perspective. I know what he's saying, check out this wonderful page from the site. This gives you a lot of great information, especially about the pro-liberty groups who are working here.

It's impossible to support all of them effectively. And depending on one's goals, one may not be into any of them, or may want to start one's own. So a lot of these groups are going to seem low attended. Just keep in mind, the day is young. It's all relative. Back in Michigan, you have a tenth of the libertarian activity you have here, if that. Stay the course and develop individually as you wish, prioritizing your action so as not to burn out. Oceans of people are coming behind you.

Well, at least a tsunami or two. My friends, we are the thin edge of the wedge. The breaking open of the chains in New Hampshire is going to happen quickly in political timescape. Stand by for some serious excitement.

I don't have a lot more for you this week. My trip across Highway 90 was uneventful. I do want to comment on a peculiar New York state roadsign saying it's a state law to turn on your headlamps when you turn on your windshield wipers. Also, I believe in Pennsylvania it's a state law you have to turn on your headlamps in construction zones. (!) Does anyone issuing these Cider House rules really think people will take time to noodle them all out, much less conform to them?

Remember ignorance of the law is no excuse (unless, of course, the law you're ignorant of is the Bill of Rights).

By the way, here's a comical rule from our own Free State: I've joined the YMCA in Goffstown. In the locker room it tells you that it's a state law you have to take a shower before you swim in the pool. Good Gawd, what if I showered at home? They going to check up on me there? Is it a felony? These are important issues, folks, government at work for you.

Speaking of important issues, I find I do like the front license plate in New Hampshire. It's very artistic, as you can see from the following photo. See the vanity phrase: BWRIGHT, get it? As in "be right" with living free or dying. Oh well, you have to appreciate the laid-back subtlety of my approach to automotive signage. I don't want anyone here actually knowing who's writing all those letters nobody's reading or publishing.

I just don't think such an attractive license plate should be mandatory in front. When I finally receive my plates and am looking for attachment bolts, I go to a local auto parts store.

By the way, I think I've stumbled on another quiet truth of New Hampshire, at least southern New Hampshire: besides ice cream parlors and Dunkin Donut franchises, every third store is an auto parts supplier. I'll bet the Free State supports more than its fair share of—note, I did not say redneck—NASCAR aficionados. Funny, I never imagined oval-track race fans would go for the mountains around here; but it sure ain't Formula 1 they're interested in. Maybe some hard core rally (dirt surface and other irregular tracks) racing fans, I could see that.

Since the screws are for the back plate, I ask the young clerk at the counter, "Why front license plates?"

He says, "It's a communist plot."

"Well, what constituency could possibly support such a wasteful use of funds," I inquire.

He concludes, "Every law enforcement officer knows you have to have a front license plate to quickly identify a perpetrator as he's driving away from you."

(to be continued)

County Comparisons

County Comparisons

by Joe Swyers • 10/03

In October, 2003 Joe Swyers posted on the forum a series of reports comparing NH counties in various aspects. Those reports are reproduced here, with Joe's permission:

Week Four


New Pilgrim Chronicles:
One man's story of the trials and rewards of moving to Free State
Week Four: Depleted Uranium and Provisioning Return to the Former State

by Brian Wright (copyright 2005) t color=blue Sir, I can tell you it is catastrophically toxic and has afflicted untold numbers of US servicemen and women, caused birth defects in their babies, not to mention an even greater amount of radiological damage to the populations where the munitions have been used. Of approximately 600,000 soldiers who were part of Gulf War I, 11,000 are now dead and, as of 2000, 325,000 soldiers (>50%) are on permanent disability—the rate for soldiers in other 20th century wars is 5%.

DU kills and maims over a longer period of time than conventional weapons, four to five years are required sometimes to see the symptoms. DU in shells gives rise to intense heat upon impact and disperses untold numbers of microscopic ceramic radioactive balls, that spread in the atmosphere with an aerosol effect. By breathing, contacting with the skin, or merely being in the presence of unexploded DU shell casings, a victim picks up hundreds or thousands of times what is considered lethal radiation in conventional medical practice. (By the way the entire planet is damaged by DU.)

Imagine getting an X-ray at your dentist's every hour for months.

A Veterans Administration study found that in a group of 251 soldiers from Mississippi who had all had normal babies before the Gulf War, 67% of their post-war babies were born with birth defects.[1] They were born missing legs, arms, organs or eyes, or had immune system and blood diseases. Unfortunately, there is no treatment (at least not until nanotechnology advances).

Mr. Sununu, please check into this problem. Soldiers must be informed and tested, widescale decontamination procedures must be initiated immediately! We must also immediately stop manufacture and use of these weapons of mass destruction. Two bills are before the House, now, HR 202 and HR 2210. It's a start. If Congress does nothing, a cancer epidemic of epic proportions will occur in Southern Iraq—making the problems of American industrial asbestos poisoning seem trivial in comparison. Thousands more American soldiers will suffer and die young, producing many babies with birth defects. I know you deeply care about these men and women. Please be a leader.

I ask that you look at the website of Veterans for Peace, www.veteransforpeace.org, as well Dr. Moret's website below, and do some research of your own. Also, if you have time, please obtain and watch the new DVD film, Poison DUst[2]. Please help us combat this serious disease issue; how we handle it will define our virtue as a country.[3]

Sincerely,
Brian Wright


Sources:

[1] http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2003/DU-Leuren-Moret21apr03.htm
[2] http://www.iacenter.org/poison-dust.htm
[3] For a local contact in the anti-DU, anti-empire movement, please contact Women Making a Difference and Democracy for New Hampshire: http://www.democracyfornewhampshire.com/node/view/1073

I don't come to the Free State to sit on my hands while a massive injustice is being perpetrated. I'm finding the peace movement motivates me, because peace and freedom so naturally hang together. Also, I feel a little bit guilty for being prowar after 9/11… before I looked into the depth of our leadership's depravity. I want to redeem myself.

One of these days, I believe we'll see a permanent peace movement led by libertarians. The antiwar groups will have names like Free State Citizens for Peace and Small Government. The relationship between liberty and peace will become crystal clear.

We'll see if my FS legislators respond. Recently, in the Old State, I sent several missives to Washington and the state capitol, and only a couple of legislators replied. In the old days, 20-30 years ago, virtually every legislator would respond to a citizen's letter. Fat government is unresponsive government I guess.

Okay, midweek I drive back to the Old State (Michigan). By the way, I it would seem fitting to think of New Hampshire as Free State One, on the premise that we're going to be rolling out freedom pretty quickly to the other states after we achieve it here (Michigan will be something like Free State Forty-Two). Though in transit and cleaning things up for my return, I still have several observations pertinent to the general FS pilgrim.

One has to do with surrounding statist state conditions. My route out of the Free State is to head directly south along US 13, then west on the Mass. Pike. I leave early Wednesday a.m. and I'm looking for signs announcing my arrival in Massachusetts, which is only 30 miles south or so. When I witness an extraordinarily high number of dead businesses by the side of the road, I realize this is the Taxachusetts my mother warned me against.

Then stopping for coffee in one of the smaller northern Mass. cities, I notice something else: it occurs to me to name this condition "the droop factor." People in more statist states are discernibly droopier, as if carrying more weight on their shoulders. Remember my observation of people's expressions from the Week 1 column? This observation is similar. We're all under a big load of criminal, toxic government, but people in the Free State stand a little straighter.

The trip to Michigan I do in one day, a long day, 850 miles. On the journey, stream of consciousness naturally develops the significant concept we broached in Week 2's column:

As we proceed to self-government by the people, it will be necessary to have a widespread feeling of almost a quasi-religious consensus on the nonaggression principle. This principle will need to be raised in consciousness to a "sacred" essence of what makes America America, and ultimately what is seen to make humanity humanity.

A good share of my thoughts during the long day turned to this concept and how to move it forward. I came up with a tentative name and a schema for a future-history novelette; it fits with what we're all about in the FSP.

I'm thinking prophecy as history or vice versa, meaning the novelette takes a vantage point in the future from which it documents our emergence into a post-aggression solar-system political-economy. In that setting (~30 years hence?) disease, old-age, and scarcity are conquered; we control our own biology to the extent we can more or less manipulate our physical beings into the forms we desire; life becomes a constant flow of creative energy as we move toward the stars.

Or not… it's all about choices.

My point is I'm trying to have some big thoughts of how to supercharge the reason-liberty movement. I find it helps me to imagine these peaks of optimism as an antidote to the depressing Orwellian "droopiness" that threatens to smother us all today. One thing is certain: at the root of any future benevolent universe has to be this widespread sanctification of the nonaggression principle. The sine qua non as it were.

Funny how long-distance driving tends to shoot the 'ol noggin into freewheel mode.

###

My last FS-related observation for this week has to do with the pace of life in the Free State vs. other more populated areas. I don't think the lower pace, where people move quickly enough but are seldom in a hurry, is exclusive to New Hampshire. I recall being in Montana and feeling the same thing. You really notice the relaxed pace when you go back to alleged civilization and you don't have it anymore.

As I'm driving toward Michigan, and the next few days, too many people are "on my ass." Hurrying. Like them being two inches off my rear bumper is going to get them miles closer to where they're going. So maybe they can get out to their crummy job or home to their dysfunctional family a nanosecond quicker. Sorry to be negative. But it's extremely annoying. And this is one thing you FS comers will be ecstatic to put in your rearview mirror.

Again, I think a lot of the reasonable FS pace centers around having fewer people. Population density is something I want to discuss next week, along with population composition. Some people in the opposition might claim, "Sure, it's gonna be a good place to live when the largest town is 110,000 people and you have maybe three minority families in the whole state. Buncha cherry pickers is all you are. Doesn't matter squat how big the government is."

It certainly is a nice feeling to get into a nice rhythm here in the Free State. And I don't know if I've mentioned all the trees you're going to see out here in most towns have the effect of cleansing the air and rejuvenating the soul. So I'm not going to jump on the above statement until next time. In fact I'm not jumping on it at all. I will say what strikes me as underlying most strongly the population composition here is a tradition of self-government. Period.

(Sorry about having to bring up the depleted uranium issue.)

(to be continued)

Week Five


New Pilgrim Chronicles:
One man's story of the trials and rewards of moving to Free State
Week Five: Observations During Absence, Part 1

by Brian Wright (copyright 2005)

Back to the former home state now for a week, I want to take some time to reflect on the main differences between here and there. Especially, regarding pace of life, population density, and population composition. These are subjects I brought up in the previous columns.

Recall I mentioned that the pace of Free State and the pace of say, Montana, are similar. People don't hurry as much and in terms of driving, virtually no one climbs up your rear end as a matter of their daily motoring behavior. Is pace of life, a healthy rhythm or lack thereof, a function of population density, population composition, both, or something else entirely?

If you go by population density per state, New Hampshire ranks 20th at about 20 people per square mile from the top while Montana ranks 48th at about 1 person per square mile. Obviously, the much larger area of Montana, a lot of it uninhabited, skews the comparison when you do it statewide. All I can say is from experience, living in a small town like Bozeman or Belgrade, MT, feels similar to living in a small town like New Boston, NH.

You don't sense being hemmed in by people everywhere. A lot more elbow room. Driving through suburban Detroit areas this week, geez we got people everywhere. Dense-packed. It feels crowded. I'm pretty sure the sociologists have done studies that show bad karma—whether crime, stress, anxiety, accidents, fights, etc.—is exacerbated by population density. Imagine the effect in Southern California or New York City, or in the extreme, say, Third World cities.

When it comes to human population density, what's healthy?

My mom has always told me I was an easygoing, well-adjusted kid. But I would get uncommonly nervous and anxious, even start crying, in large crowds. Surely most people are sensitive to being pressed in upon by others. Part of the Free State's appeal has to be that masses of human beings aren't swarming you. Here, and in other lower-density areas, every individual becomes additionally special by virtue of the amount of space surrounding him/her.

So Free State has the quality of open space.

How long can that last? Good question. This is the classic conundrum we'll be facing as time goes by. To the extent our freedom from congestion is desirable. more people will want to immigrate for that reason alone, thus, at some point, possibly increasing congestion.

Every system has a limit to the number of individuals it can support without experiencing the overcrowding most of us would like to escape. Look at any white-flight suburb (WFS) surrounding big cities—by the way, WFS is largely a creation of eminent domain, federal highway money, tax policy, and subsidized mortgages—and you see how not to solve the problem.

I remember taking a drive one Saturday while I worked on a contract in Houston. Houston is a hub city, with wide circles of automotive pavement surrounding it; effectively, three of these rings are in place now. I picked a section of the second ring in the north where I knew the neighborhood would be affluently homogeneous. It took me an hour to travel five miles to the next spoke, where I hurried back south. I was suffocating!

This is another irony: reliance on automotive travel in big cities increases crowding. A good book on how the cities have been basically destroyed by the federal government (and its affiliate governments) over time, neighborhoods covered by asphalt, quality of life disintegrated, is Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. And the automobile, by virtue of state preference, is our fiat transportation (no pun intended). Reasonable, open-space market alternatives to one-man one-car are impeded by law.

Down here on Practical Street, I'm going to learn to do what I can to preserve the open-space feeling of the Free State. I'm wondering if I'll succumb to zoning or restrictive land-use policies implemented by the towns. Could be a dilemma. Obviously, any ideas readers of this column may have along these lines will be greatly appreciated.

In the long run, thinking of population pressure on the human race in general, we have to encourage a practice of quality vs. quantity in the procreation sector.


Note: At this point I went into "heavy columnist" mode for about three paragraphs. Backing off now, boss. We can deal with the whole "quality of humanity" issue some other day.

Like it or not, we Free Staters are representatives of the productive class. Producers are going to need to step up and make some important decisions regarding what to do about nonproducers. Here is an area where private initiative is sorely lacking, and the governments have created an illusion of humanitarianism. The response to Hurricane Katrina is grim evidence of the failure of the current system.

I look for Free State to make some imminent improvements to health, education, and welfare systems, mainly via government divestiture. Many regard the idea of taking HEW away from the state as mad ravings, but at one time many regarded the idea of freeing the slaves as lunacy, too. Guess what! We're on the leading edge of the reason-liberty movement, now, here. I believe these improvements are going to happen remarkably soon and quite quickly.

I want to end this week's ruminations by talking a little about ethnic composition.

Both Montana (91%) and New Hampshire (96%) are predominately white, and both have less than one percent black population and each approximately 2% Hispanic populations. Have opponents of the Free State Project pointed out the preference of the project for white-European regions? Don't some leftists want to tussle with us here?

The conventional wisdom has it that areas that are mainly white-European have less real crime, fewer sociological problems in general. A quick surf of the Web reveals little to confirm or deny the conventional wisdom.

Obviously, any scholar who produced a study that demonstrated conclusively a "more-white less-crime" thesis would be skewered by mainstream media. Posturing politicos would try to pass laws, kids would protest in the streets, the scholar's career would be in jeopardy. Personally, I think it likely a journalistic correlation exists between ethnicity and crime. That is a far cry from a causal connection.

If there is such a journalistic correlation, we owe it to ourselves to inquire as the reasons for it.

It is certain the drug laws have disproportionately destructive effect on minority populations. All the government aggression that keeps down minorities—especially the drug laws, minimum wage, forced government schooling, licensing and regulation rules—skews the data and our perceptions. My feeling is that race is a nonsignificant causal factor in real crime; rather a strong correlation exists between government aggression and race/crime. In other words, the amount of government aggression visited upon an ethnic group—especially "aggression for the group's own good"—makes members of the group more susceptible to social dysfunction.

What we find more in white-European communities in America is a traditional resistance to government aggression. Especially in New Hampshire we see this insistence on self-government, maintaining control of government by all the citizens at the level where we all live. Government on top of this self-government is largely viewed as aberrational. Less aggression, fewer social problems.

In other words, particularly in the Free State, we have highly functional, self-governing society. It happens to be mostly white-European because that's who founded it... and the day is still young! For the most part, that's where the historical ideas lie. Nobody needs to be defensive about this. Indeed, we have the privilege of extending the blessings of the freedom methodology—totally race-neutral—to all mankind. In the end, minorities will benefit the most.[~/1] Indeed, I look forward to the Free State becoming the multicultural haven/springboard for 21st-century freedom lovers.

[~/1] Remember what Rand said, "The smallest minority in the world is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." More positively, those who advocate and defend individual rights are minorities' true champions.

(to be continued)

Week Six


New Pilgrim Chronicles:
One man's story of the trials and rewards of moving to Free State
Week Six: Observations During Absence, Part 2

by Brian Wright (copyright 2005)

Getting back on track. Sorry for letting my ideological sails flap too vigorously in some of the former columns, my intention is not to proselytize for any particular libertarian point of view, rather to convey what it's like personally to transition to the Free State. It's only that, personally, I really am a cause-oriented ideologue. But I apologize if what I was talking about came off as an ego trip: my desire is for the general good of FSP and liberty only.

Paraphrasing my disclaimer from Week 4:

The Free State Project is nonsectarian, meaning the project doesn't endorse any particular political organizations or specific ideas—there is a general Project characteristic of attracting people who believe in individual rights and limited government, and you could call the people attracted small-l libertarians. So when I launch in these columns here on some political/philosophical issue, I'm not speaking for anyone but me.

Certainly many if not most of the people migrating to the Free State are cause people, too. But a fair number of you are coming simply to live better. Some noncause-oriented quality-of-life reasons for coming to the Free State:

  • Sit on the beach, soak up the rays, and pop bonbons (summer only)
  • Ride the roads on your Harley
  • Drive the roads in your sports car
  • Drink quality microbrew on a daily basis at Milly's in Manchester
  • Ski, hike, camp, enjoy the mountain life
  • Take recreational fun in lake country of unsurpassed beauty
  • Develop a livelihood, fall in love, raise children, teach, learn
  • Find yourself in the fresh air and solitude
  • Take part in New England history and community, ideas of "the Founding"
  • Watch the minor-league baseball team, the fearsome Fisher Cats
  • Play golf

Any pledger coming to the Free State just to have a good life is as welcome as the firebrands spitting nails against abusive state power. It almost goes without saying, but certainly bears repeating.

Still, just today I'm reminded of the "free" in the Free State.

I'm traveling to my dentist here in Michigan when I notice three Oakland County (SE Michigan) police cars and maybe a couple of local Batmobiles at a busy intersection. Plus a host of bulbous, uniformed popos trying to look busy and important there in the parking lot. "Whatever the heck are all these wonderful officers of the law spending their time on today?" I ponder.

On the way back, I figure it out: seatbelt checks.

The parking lot is perfect for a major fleecing operation. It's large and sits on the southeast corner, abutting to a restaurant that's gone out of business. Northbound drivers come around a bend and don't see the highwaymen until it's too late. Our state-franchised bandits nab the beltless pobrecitos who slow to enter the right-turn lane.

I see the cops pull over some uncomprehending young Oriental guy driving a beater, an old woman, a student, a redneck hillbilly from way back when... well you get the picture. By and large, the people they grab don't pay much attention to broad concepts of public policy, much less Big-Brother federal-government "Click it or Ticket" TV ad campaigns. They also tend to be least able to afford the fines.


Note: This latest assault on driver freedom is heavily funded by tax money from the federales. Since the national program began, hundreds of thousands of motorists have been clubbed. I've read numbers for Michigan something in the 80,000-person range, and at $100 a ticket, this is high tribute for official thiefdom.

As Free Staters, you know how absolutely destructive of liberty these public safety scams are. Virtually all the states have mandatory seatbelt laws, and virtually all the states now have laws that the police can stop and ticket you solely for not wearing one. New Hampshire is an exception. This is a very big deal, my friends. For me it's the straw that broke the camel's back, the icing on the cake, and several other pertinent clich鳊sending me to the Free State.


Note: Proving that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, we have radio ads in Free State that admonish us to wear our seatbelts... paid for by the state. We must continue to insist on motoring freedom. Otherwise, somebody will pass a law and take it away.

Put youself in the heads of the cops performing this duty. Believe me, the look on their faces today is anything but love for their fellow man, hoping to save him from harm. These county mounties strut and smirk, their mission to remind you they're in control. Well, they're out of control. And you know the time will come—if we sit back and acquiesce—when they knock on the door demanding you give up any Free State sympathizers you're hiding in the basement.

###

Let me make an appeal to the cops, here. Take a cue from libertarian Sheriff Bill Masters, author of Drug War Addiction. Just say NO! You will no longer enforce any unconstitutional laws. Become a full-fledged human being, absolutely refuse to initiate force. If it means you get fired, great. Join your local People's Front for the Liberation of <whatever state you're in>. The days of arbitrary state power are rapidly ending. Don't be evil. Be on the winning side.

I make the same appeal to any soldier.

I make the same appeal to any citizen:

At the risk of seeming too ideological again, let me just suggest all of us seriously consider discontinuing to "voluntarily" fund through our taxes the multifarious agents of our demise. If they won't uphold the Bill of Rights, why pay 'em? Question: has there ever been a general tax strike in America? Good question for the Randians.

Week 6 is a brief chronicle because I'm away from my newfound home for a couple of weeks of transition. Most of you coming to the Free State will need to leave some stuff behind, at least for a while. Recommendation: instead of storing your stuff in a storage facility, sponge off a friend with a big basement. Thanks to this friend of mine, my monthly fee goes from $170/month to $50/ month... and I think she'll let me slide until I get a job.

It's a lot of work, and my nephew, Josh the Good, travels all the way from Atlanta dodging the detritus of Katrina to be in SE Michigan on time. Another piece of experienced advice: every time you move, throw out a lot of things and give the Salvation Army the big things you really don't need anymore. A move can be an opportunity to introduce more and more efficiency into your life, and even to help your fellow man. At some point excessive "stuff" becomes a mental burden.

Well, I'm going to end this chronicle and write letters to the editor of the Oakland Press, the Detroit Free Press, and the Detroit News... with a copy to the New Hampshire Union Leader. The topic: seatbelt laws and how they contribute to the emigration of the libertarian-creative class.

Seriously, if the residents of Michigan can't rise up and pass an issue petition ending mandatory seatbelts for adults, well, what's that Biblical story? Get the heck out of there and don't look back lest you turn to stone.

Next week, some comments on how painful it is to leave people behind and how the Welcome Wagon and the other great groups of simpatico people can ease your pain.

(to be continued)

I Made the Move! -- Sandy Pierre

I Made the Move! – Sandy Pierre

Date of move: May 18, 2005

I joined the FSP back in February 2002, as a "glass eater", one of those zany people who committed to any of the ten states then under consideration. Alaska was my first choice, but sadly, very few Porcupines were with me on that.

I made my first exploratory trip to New Hampshire over Thanksgiving weekend 2003. My introduction to the Free State was less than glorious. I underestimated how hard it would be to find an open restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, and wound up "feasting" on Dunkin' Donuts, salted nuts and Slim Jims. It was too late in the season to see pretty foliage, and too early to see snow; I just saw a lot of rain and leafless trees. Despite the fact that it wasn't exactly love at first sight, I couldn't wait to make the move. However, family, work and school obligations held me back. It wasn't until early 2005 that I announced that I'd be moving "after the thaw".

After analyzing my various relocation options, I finally decided to just take what fit in my car (a Subaru Outback), and leave everything else behind in storage in California. I settled on a plan to drive fairly directly and quickly across the U.S., but to do a bit of sightseeing along the way.

My original plan had been to leave California on May 17, shrieking "Hasta La Vista, Baby!!" in the general direction of Excremento (the state capitol). Sadly, it didn't work out that way. My STUFF (see George Carlin, Theory of:) seemed to multiply as I packed, so that while the stacks of boxes increased, the quantity of unpacked STUFF remained static. Has a physicist ever studied this phenomenon in depth? I see Nobel Prize potential here. I delayed my departure by a day.

May 18, Judgment Day, dawned dark and very rainy. I took the last load of STUFF to my storage shed in driving rain, getting the interior of my car quite damp. I said teary and painful farewells to family and friends. The power went out, and I had to finish loading my car and walking up and down the stairs in darkness. I finally finished loading my car and waved goodbye to Oakland, California. Death or Glory! Free State or Bust!! Live Free Or Die!!!

Emotional state for first 30 minutes: kept repeating "Oh God" over and over like a mantra. Emotional state for rest of the day: erratic. There was laughter, there were tears, there were moments of blinding panic. There were moments of telling myself to get a grip and remember that I had been waiting for this day for a long time. There was a moment of telling myself this might well be the biggest thing I ever did, and it would make a great story, and damn I'm cool. That was a good moment; I liked that moment.

I've been here two months now, and I can honestly say that I love it. It's beautiful, people are friendly, traffic is like a pleasant dream, the architecture is amazing, there's no sales tax. I can walk the streets at night and not feel afraid for my life. I've met lots of other FSP participants, who are an amazingly affable, upbeat and politically active bunch. FSP meetings are well-attended, and everyone participates. Someone throws a BBQ almost every week. There are protests, petitions, people running for office (and winning!), Porcupines helping each other to move and care for sick friends, networking, schmoozing... and a lot of beer. If you want to fight for liberty, and be surrounded by others who do so as well, New Hampshire is definitely the place to be! Hope to see you here soon.


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Varrin & Edi Swearingen

We Made the Move! – Varrin & Edi Swearingen

Date of move: October 25, 2004

Reported by Tim Condon, FSP Participant Services Director


Two of the Free State's newest Porcupine residents have a secret: "We originally opted out of most of the states, including New Hampshire, because we could not commit to moving to them without taking a tour and giving it more serious consideration," recounts Varrin Swearingen, who lived in Fresno, California with his wife and two children up until recently. "After the vote, we took a week and a half trip to New Hampshire," he said. "In late November 2003, we decided to move to Keene, NH. The move was to take place in October 2004, and was accomplished right on time."

Meet Varrin and Edi Swearingen, refugees from the Peoples Republic of California, who "made the move" with their two children, Edison (age 4) and Erin (age 3), in late October 2004 to the Free State of New Hampshire. Although they had originally "opted out" of New Hampshire, that quickly changed. "Once we toured the state, we began working on the move as soon as practical," says Varrin. "It took roughly a year from the time we decided to move to the time we arrived, partly because we decided to build a house in New Hampshire, as well as because of work and other schedules."

It wasn't a hard decision for Varrin and Edi to move early, even though as FSP members they're not obligated to move to the Free State until after the organization reaches 20,000 participants. "We decided to move now because we were ready to get out of California and begin working in a less futile environment to promote liberty," explains Varrin.

Prior to the great state vote, he says, "We researched New Hampshire and the other candidate states extensively. After the vote, we took a week and a half trip to New Hampshire and that sealed the deal." During that time, in November 2003, they "drove all around the southern one-third to one-half of the state."

What was their first impression of New Hampshire? Says Varrin, "Favorable. The attitude is noticeably more liberty friendly, though there is certainly a need for the FSP. No state is libertarian, but New Hampshire is better than most. The scenery was beautiful, the roads were well-maintained, shopping was suitable, and there are a variety of sizes and styles to the towns. We were able to find something that fit our personality well."

What was the weather like when they visited on their exploratory trip in November? "The weather was variable but not very warm," says Varrin. "It was only noticeably cold-near or below freezing and/or windy-only a couple of the days. There were rainy days, clear days, calm days, windy days, and everything in between. The variety was nice, and the cool clear days were stunning." As for the winters, Varrin notes that central California where they moved from is "hot and dry. It rarely freezes there, and even more rarely snows. However, we lived in northen Kentucky near Cincinnati for several years, so we have at least lived in the snow before."

"I believe the weather in Keene will be colder and snowier, but overall nicer than the Cincinnati area," he continued. As for the supposedly fearsome winters in the Free State, Varrin says, "My stock response to the concerns about the cold is that they do have heaters in New Hampshire. We had our builder install heaters in our house, and our car, which we bought in California, already had one installed in it. Imagine that! So far the weather inside has been a comfortable 71-74 degrees."

Varrin is an airline pilot who will continue working for the same company, while Edi has a Mary Kay cosmetics business that she's already working on expanding in New Hampshire. While visiting and exploring, they met lots of other liberty-lovers, including Kelton Baker (then the President of the FSP), Amanda Phillips (now President of the FSP), and Alan Weiss (former VP of the FSP), not to mention other Porcupines from Derry, Keene, and Hudson.

Why did they settle on Keene as a place to build their home (a custom two-story colonial; "of course we love it, since we designed it")? After all, with his airline job, Varrin must fly in and out of Manchester. "While it's a longer drive from the Manchester airport than I desired," Varrin explained, "Keene has everything else we wanted in a place to live. Cost of house was a major factor, as was shopping, suburbia, eating out, and other creature comforts. In the end, we decided we would rather have lower cost, higher quality house, and meet all of our other needs, than be closer to Manchester."

Any new friends in the Free State? As always, the answer is resounding. "Yes! Many. They are scattered about, but several of them are in Keene," Varrin says. In addition, he met tons of Porcupines in the summer before their move. "At the Porc Fest I met a lot of them. It's probably impossible for me to name them all right now. We love 'em all!" He and Edi were also delighted to find that the freedom-lovers they met in New Hampshire are "surprisingly normal, for libertarians" (Varrin says with a wink). "The most noticeable favorable trait is the desire to actually do something positive rather than sit around and argue about what to do or how to do it."

The couple also found willing hands to help them move in once they got to Keene. "Big, big, big thanks to Kat and Kira Dillon, Dawn Lincoln, and David Murray, for the help moving in," says Varrin. In addition, "Double thanks to David for taking about 800 pictures of our house as it was being built, so we could watch it go up from afar." Varrin and Edi also hired their realtor's nephew to do most of the work of unloading the truck. They did excellent work for a reasonable price. Varrin recalls, "This is our third move into a new house in eight years, and the first time the load in was completed without dinging the walls or staining the carpet."

There were also some happy surprises for Varrin and Edi as they settled into their new house in Keene. "It was refreshing to hear this question," says Varrin. "'So who are you going to have pick up your garbage?' Having dealt with city garbage in Florida, Kentucky and California, it was music to my ears to hear that there's no monopoly trash pickup in New Hampshire."

"Also," he continued, "I've noticed many businesses here operate 'smaller', so they're more family and customer oriented. For instance, on our first full day here, Edi had to have a tooth extracted. The kids were sleeping in our hotel room, so I couldn't pick her up. So one of the people in the dentist's office gave her a ride back to the hotel. That would never have happened in California."

How will Varrin and Edi work to reduce the size of government in the Free State, as all Porcupines intend? "We'll be working on delivering the liberty message to the Christian community in New Hampshire," he says. "I'm also looking forward to the town social and recreational events. Even though Keene is roughly one-twentieth the size of the Fresno area, the atmosphere here is cozy yet lively." He's also looking forward to trying to hook up with a band in the Keene area (he plays mostly jazz drums), and figures he and Edi will be hiking and mountain climbing in the summers, while skiing in the winters. ("I've skied twice and enjoyed it quite a lot the second time," he said.)

Overall, the portents are good, Varrin and Edi feel. "We embrace change for the better," says Varrin with a laugh. "We radically embrace radical change for the better! Freedom is like good health. You don't appreciate it until it's gone. For the health of your family, it's worth it to live and promote freedom in a place where you can make a difference. As a result of the Free State Project choosing New Hampshire, this is now the finest place in the world to do that."

"Come and take a tour," he counsels. "Meet the people. Look for houses and jobs. Explore the towns and enjoy a family vacation. Then when you go home, start packing!"


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Dawn Lincoln

We Made the Move! –
Dawn Lincoln and daughters Jaclyn & Kelsey

Date of Move: April 2004

Reported by Tim Condon, FSP Participant Services Director


It's not easy being a single Mom, especially when you're responsible for homeschooling two nearly-teenaged daughters. But Dawn Lincoln makes it look easy. Dawn, together with her two daughters (Jaclyn, 12, and Kelsey, 10), moved from Newington, Connecticut in April 2004, only six months after New Hampshire was chosen as "the Free State" in the FSP vote of August and September 2003. This dynamo Porcupine was one of the earlier members of the Free State Project to move into the Free State, and made the move in spite of homeschooling laws in New Hampshire that are more backward than many other states.

"I am currently homeschooling my daughters," explains Dawn. "The major hesitation I had with moving to New Hampshire was the homeschool laws in NH. I decided that I'd just have to deal with the over-regulation of homeschoolers, and work to help make it better. Since then I've found that one of the least invasive methods of complying with the homeschool RSA's ("Revised Statutes Annotated," the NH term for statutes), is to use a private school as your "participating agency."

What about research? What kind of study did Dawn make of New Hampshire before making the move? "Not too much!" she responds. "I knew I wanted to follow the FSP and wanted to do it sooner rather than later. Being from Connecticut, I wanted to find a spot in New Hampshire where I could be relatively close to visit my family and friends in Connecticut, and have them come visit us too. I needed an area with decently priced housing and access to a gymnastics studio for my 12 year old, so I used the FSP web site to do some research, and met with Jim Maynard and Shelly Otterson, both of whom live in Keene in the southwest part of the state."

There were plenty of scouting trips to New Hampshire before the move, though, Dawn recounts. "I made quite a few trips to come house hunting. It took us about four months to find the right house in the right location for the right price. After a few disappointments, we finally found the perfect house. I focused on Cheshire County, wanting to be close to Keene but live in a little more of a rural area than the city of Keene."

Now that she's "gone and done it," what are Dawn's impressions of the Free State overall? "I love NH!" she responds immediately. "The people here have been very friendly and helpful. The only person I've had a problem with is the lady at the Department of Motor Vehicle, but that's pretty standard everywhere, isn't it? This is a beautiful state with many people who really do believe in Live Free or Die. In my area, I've found that a lot of people are from out of state, especially Connecticut, so I'm not so much of an outsider as might be true in other communities. The chair of our local board of selectmen is even from Connecticut, and has only been in New Hampshire for about three years, so 'outsiders' are definitely able to become respected members of the community rather quickly in this area.

Any fears about the weather? The weather is typical New England weather," explains Dawn. "Not much different from central Connecticut where we came from. I know because I looked at houses in the middle of winter when it was snowy and cold. Some areas get more snow than others, of course. My realtor told me about a 'snow belt' - an area that gets more snow than most of the areas surrounding it. We steered clear of there!

"There are lots of lakes and plenty of nice summer days to use them," Dawn continued. "But I was glad we ended up with an air conditioner from our involvement with Freecycle, when the temperatures were up around 90 in the summer! Now we're looking forward to snowmobiling with friends this winter, ice skating on the nearby lake, and snow skiing. We are fairly active - we like to ski, bike ride, camp, hike, horseback ride, do gymnastics, swim, and boat. As a result of moving, we'll most likely get into a few new things like snowmobiling and/or four wheeling. It's really cool in the winter when you see the snowmobiles riding along the trials near the roads!

"However, in the late spring/early summer, you do have to watch out for the New Hampshire "official bird" - the black fly (deer fly, gnat, whatever you want to call it!). They are annoying as can be and love to fly into your eyes and bite too. I haven't tried this remedy, but someone told me that putting ammonia on the bite will take the itch out - I'll be trying it next spring!"

When exploring the Free State for a house to buy, Dawn recounts, she also visited and met with other Porcupines, including Jim Maynard's girlfriend Pat, Shelly Otterson, Justin Somma, and Calvin Pratt. She ultimately ended up outside Keene in the small town of Winchester. Says Dawn, "I bought a house right off the bat because I didn't want to have to move again. I have a 3 bedroom cape on an acre lot, just perfect for the three of us. My realtor was awesome - Robin Smith at Masiello Group in Keene. Her work number is 603-352-5433 x 235. She worked very hard for me and helped us finally land in the right spot. I highly recommend her."

What about new friends in the Free State? Has Dawn linked up with any? "Yes! " she responds. "Luckily, there are many nice people involved with the FSP who have been very welcoming and nice too! The 'Meet-and-Greets' have been a great opportunity to meet people, as well as functions like the annual Porcupine Festival, the Liberty Dinner, the Coalition for New Hampshire Taxpayers picnic, the state LP convention, New Hampshire Liberty Alliance meetings and more. I've met so many, it's hard to list them all! Kat Dillon and her daughter Kira are two of my favorite FSP members. Kat is really sweet and hardworking and funny too!

"I have also met a lot of people in town," Dawn continued. "My daughters are volunteering at a nonprofit daycare center in town, and I volunteered to help out on the Winchester Pickle Festival committee. It was a great way for me to get to meet more people. Plus I know most of my neighbors too. For instance, there's a farm right around the corner from us that has a sign up for eggs for sale. So, our first day here we stopped in for some eggs. We are really lucky - our neighbors at the farm have three kids and they homeschool and are incredibly nice. So, the girls have been having lots of fun with their kids, and helping with the animals."

What about the people in the Free State overall, I asked. How do they strike her now that the move is complete? "Well, you have to go out and get involved to meet people," Dawn responded. "But I'm very pleased with the caliber of people that I've come across. They're nice, they're helpful and friendly, and they seem to like their jobs too. The waitresses and cashiers are even nice to you here!"

How did the move itself go, I wanted to know. Did anyone help Dawn and her kids get you moved in when they got to the Free State? Says Dawn, "I had plenty of offers but we moved in slow, one load at a time, so we were all set."

In the meantime, Dawn cautions, New Hampshire isn't perfect; there's plenty of work for FSP members to do once they get here. "I was most surprised that the Live Free or Die state is micromanaging their homeschoolers!" she said. "And was even more surprised that many of the NH homeschoolers I've corresponded by email with don't seem to think it's that bad!" Nevertheless, she's glad, excited, and delighted to have "made the move" to the Free State: "It's really cool to be part of such an awesome historical event like the Free State Project. It's nice to feel like I'm really going to be able to make a positive impact in New Hampshire, to help them retain and hopefully gain more of the freedom they want and deserve. It's inspiring to see so many hard working, intelligent, well-spoken individuals in this state, all working together on various projects and within different organizations."

If you're wondering if making a move to the Free State might be right for you too, and what it would be like, Dawn Lincoln has a few things to say for you: "Come on up! Find a way to make it work and move as soon as you can! We need more people here to make things happen. There are lots of hard working people here already and lots of excellent organizations to get involved in. I love New Hampshire! Personally, I keep the FSP stuff to myself until I really know someone. Some people know about the FSP and think it's great, others have heard about things like the Free Town Project and aren't so sure. But I don't want to be prejudged by people so I just go about my business and volunteer for things and get known that way, so I can be judged by who I am and what I do, not for what groups I do or don't belong to."

"If anyone wants to contact me, please email me."


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Dave Mincin

We Made the Move! – Dave Mincin

Date of Move: February 2, 2004


Dave Mincin here! I made the move from Pittsburgh, PA.

I must admit I was a bit hesitant, so I decided to attend the Escape to New Hampshire given last summer, before the FSP vote was taken. My intent was to check out these folks, see how they were and what they were about. Well, it didn't take long for those good folks to win me over, and I decided within an hour or so that they were my kind of people! From that point I decided I would do all I could to see that New Hampshire was chosen as the Free State! The rest is history, and New Hampshire is now my home!

After the election and announcement of the chosen Free State on October 1, 2003, I sat down and thought "Now what?" My research had consisted of getting to know some of the folks involved. I didn't really look at much of the data on the website, but did work with and get to know many of the folks during the Great Which State Debate. From my experiences then, there was no doubt in my mind that these were good folks!

Hell, in my book a place to live is just that. What is most important is the people that you choose to have as neighbors. I must admit that my decision as to where to live in New Hampshire came down to a choice between the Seacoast and the Keene area. But it was more about Jim and Pat in Keene, Michele and Jim in the seacoast area, and others. I had already made a decision that I would be in NH February 1, 2004. Yikes! The seacoast won, because I believe the job opportunities for me were better, and, well, I've never lived close to the ocean before.

Still, it was a big step, moving over to the Free State from Pittsburgh. But I remembered a note I had gotten from Michele Dumas, "Don't worry Dave, when you are ready to move we will help you!" "Hot damn," I thought, and went that route. I sent Michele a note, and she sent me some addy's of places to rent. I called the first one, then Michele and her daughter Nicole checked it out for me, and the rest is history.

I ended up in Dover, and I'm just finishing up my classes to get my real estate license. Hell, I didn't come here for a career change; fact is, I was real comfortable in my old life. However, I came here to help create a free state, and I figure the real estate business puts me in a position to make a buck and also help the folks get here. (At least I'm hoping I can help the folks get here!) Otherwise, I'm just living in a studio now, just playing it by ear! I've come to believe that we are really just one big family, a "freedom family," so I'm hoping my new way of making a living will be a win-win for all of us. After all, I'm thinking we are all immigrants – freedom immigrants – so, hey, we need to help each other! And as we know, "help" for us is different than "give me."

I figure I've talked to most of the folks who have made the move. And we all agree, "good move!" New Hampshire is the Free State, we are here, and every time a new Porc shows up and moves in, we all get the warm and fuzzies.

Do I have new friends in the Free State? Have I met new people? Hey, all of the above! Those of us who have made the move are all friends, and many of the local Porcs and other folks we have met have become friends too. If you want names, check out the Seacoast Porcupines. Most of those folks aren't on the FSP forums---many are not even FSPer's---but we are developing friendships and working to promote freedom.

We'll all have chances to tell our stories when we move to the Free State. There's a gal coming tomorrow to our Seacoast meeting who is doing her college graduate work on the FSP. I expect she's a liberal, but she's up for hearing our story, and so we'll give it to her. The point is, the folks in NH are open and receptive and if we really believe we have the answers, and freedom is the way to go, the folks up here will listen. Nevertheless, I've come to believe it is about action not talk! I've really come to believe the folks in NH are receptive to freedom, we just have to understand that confrontation will get us nothing, we need to just ask, in order to let us tell our story.

Resistance to moving? It's too hard? Too cold winters? "Freeze in the dark"? Oh come on! The weather? You just dress for it. So you live were it is hot? Go from hot to cool car to cool building, etc.? Hell, I've been down that road, where it's so damn hot you can't breathe when you're outside. So it is a bit different here you go from warm to cold, or cold to warm? Big deal, and the fall is to die for! Those who say it's too cold are just using a cop-out excuse! Do you really care about freedom? Do you really want to have the opportunity to make a difference? Laying out the weather thing is just a convenient cop-out! Oops! "It's too cold for me"??? Please, everyone should know I've talked to most of the folks that have moved to New Hampshire. As I said, the fact is that we all agree, "good move!" Get a grip folks. We have the opportunity---just us common folks, regular folks--- to make a historic difference! To bring freedom back!

Hell, it's everyone's individual call, but I do think we just might have a chance to make a difference. Think about it: "Yikes!!! Hey, the common folks brought freedom back!" I can't speak for you, but I want you to know that in my book New Hampshire is the One-and-Only Free State. I'm here, and I know that I'll do all I can to bring freedom back. Our numbers are small in New Hampshire now, but we are definitely players in the political process. I'm quite sure that as our numbers grow we will become a real force in New Hampshire politics.

The people in New Hampshire? Did I feel like a stranger moving here from Pennsylvania? Not at all. Check out the folks in the Free State. They have not in the least disappointed me. In fact, that's the best thing about New Hampshire. I like the folks! I'm going over to Carl's place tomorrow to play a little poker. And I like the super ladies we have involved in this project. The truth is, most of them are married, but they are all so much an asset to what we are doing. Hey, I try to get a hug from each of them as a reward for what I am doing! Fact is, I don't think we give enough credit to the super gals we have involved in the project.

Hobbies? Sports? Pastimes? Just an old hippy ... and I expect I'm going to learn how to shoot a gun straight.

The bottom line is this: I think we have a chance to be a part of something bigger than any of us individually. Think about it. You, just a regular Joe, have the opportunity to save freedom! I just hope everyone understands just how important our mission is. And hey, when you get to New Hampshire I hope you'll look me up!


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