Free Staters Talk Drugs, Activism, Immigration and Real Money

For Immediate Release

January 4, 2008

PORCUPINES TALK DRUGS, ACTIVISM, IMMIGRATION AND REAL MONEY

Nashua, NH - The first day of presentations for the 2008 Liberty Forum covered the broad themes of the War on Drugs, citizen activism, school choice, immigration and real money. "All these topics are important for moving liberty forward, which is the overall theme of the forum", said Forum organizer Chris Lawless.

Over the afternoon, attendees had the choice of presentations, covering drugs, activism and immigration. The session on the War on Drugs was led by Peter Christ, former undercover narcotics officer, who highlighted the origins in the government policy and what it has done to policing in America. In short, it has made everything worse.

Those interested in citizen activism at the federal level could hear Bob Schulz of We The People, which currently has a writ in front of the U.S. Supreme Court being heard today to hear a case to validate the right to petition for redress of grievances against the government; the Court will issue its decision on Monday morning. The writ was filed after all prior petitions concerning the income tax, the Iraq war, the Patriot Act and the Federal Reserve were ignored by the federal government.

For more local activism, Don Gorman, former state legislator and political director of the NH Liberty Alliance, gave a stirring appeal for people to move here and how they can become effective activists right away. Carla Howell of the Center for Small Government, discussed the ballot initiative in Massachusetts to eliminate the state income tax and what effect that could have on the rest of the country.

The panel on Education Choice covered homeschooling, private schools and public school choice. Gardner Goldsmith discussed the history of immigration laws and the repeated arguments of the 1800's being used today against foreign workers. He outlined his federalist position to let the states handle immigration rather than the federal government, since it has no constitutional authority to do so.

Rounding out the day was a session on the NH real estate and job market, which is a primary interest to the many would-be movers. Artist Peter Bagge of Reason Magazine related many funny stories of his journalistic endeavors.

A full exhibitors' hall featured many local citizens groups, a job placement agency, political parties, presidential campaigns and even silver merchants.

The keynote dinner featured Bernard von NotHaus, founder of the Liberty Dollar. He spoke about sound money, and how "we cannot gave good government without good money". He pointed out that the last time the global economy collapsed was the fall of Rome, which resulted in 1000 years of no liberty and no money, and how we are headed for a similar disaster if we do not take control of our money. "We are Americans. It is our duty to fix it" he said, stirring the crowd to applause.

NotHaus also announced that the Liberty Dollar is still in business with a new 2008 minting featuring an MSRP and a private barter currency marker. He said a $1 silver liberty from 1999 recently sold for $700 on eBay, showing the huge demand for an appreciating currency in contrast to the depreciating federal reserve note.

The Liberty Forum continues until Sunday at the Crowne Plaza in Nashua. Full details are at http://www.freestateproject.org/libertyforum

Free staters recruit angry residents in SC town

Free staters recruit angry residents in South Carolina town

CONCORD, N.H. -- A heavy-handed drug sweep in a high school has made a South Carolina community the first target of a New Hampshire-based freedom-minded advertising campaign.

The Free State Project says that whenever there is such an "egregious overstep" of government powers, it will run ads that essentially say, "Come to New Hampshire, we don't have this problem."

The project, which aims to bring 20,000 liberty-minded people to New Hampshire to work for smaller government and greater individual liberties, has reached about 6,000 people who say they are committed to moving to New Hampshire.

The first ad will run Wednesday in a weekly newspaper in Goose Creek, S.C., where police with guns drawn ordered more than 100 Stratford High School pupils to the floor and restrained some with plastic handcuffs during a Nov. 5 raid in which no drugs were found.

"They basically terrorized the students for no good reason," said James Maynard, a project spokesman in New Hampshire. "So we will be running ads in towns around Goose Creek or even Charleston."

A second federal lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of 20 pupils stemming from the incident. Earlier this month, a suit alleging constitutional violations was brought on behalf of 18 other Stratford students.

The first add depicts a grainy surveillance video frame of the raid, showing students crouched on the hallway and police with weapons drawn.

Above and below the frame reads: "Some people feel this is an appropriate way to protect our children... You may feel there's a better way. We think you're right. Discover for yourselves how the members of the Free State Project have pledged to make a difference."

"Governments who overstep their constitutional bounds should beware that when they do, we're going to be right behind them to recruit their citizens from under them," Maynard said.

But Ed Haas, spokesman for the South Carolina Libertarian Party, doubts the project will find any new takers in the southern state.

"What is mind boggling to me is how many people down here are actually in favor of what they saw on that surveillance tape," said Haas, who issued a statement condemning the raid.

"I don't know if (the ad) would be money well spent," he said.

The ad cost nearly $300, said Kelton Baker, interim president of the Free State Project.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has called it an issue of police violence. A South Carolina state senator said the raid was racial profiling.

Police conducted the sweep early in the morning, at a time when many minority students are at the school because they are bused in early.

"There is definitely a large segment of the minority community down here that are very concerned about police conduct," Haas said. "Whether they would seize the opportunity to participate in the experiment in New Hampshire, I don't know."

More media articles about the FSP

These media articles are maintained on a non-commercial basis by The Free State Project, a non-profit organization, for historical, educational, scholarship, and research purposes. (For information regarding "Fair Use", see US Code Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107).

Questions of the Week

Self-Sufficiency Living

Past "Questions of the Week"

• Q: Dear Andrew,

  Your Question of the Week and Rant of the Week this week look a lot like last week's. I think that's weak. What happened? Did you lose the fire, or are you just taking a break, or what? I was just getting interested, don't stiff now!

  Jason in Colorado

  A: Dear Jason,

  You caught me, pal. I have been neglecting my duties a little bit lately, but not for lack of motivation. Time has been at a particularly high premium the past few weeks, but, even so, excuses are lame. Thanks for keeping me honest, Jason.

  Andrew

• Q: Are you some sort of cult-based radical extremist? Every time I hear about people going back to the land or some such foolish thing, they turn out to be some sort of moon worshipping utopians.

  Matt in New Jersey

  A: Dear Matt,

  You must be a Bruce Springsteen fan, right? And Bon Jovi, too? Everybody in New Jersey loves The Boss and Bon Jovi, right?

  I can assure you I am not a radical extremist of any kind, nor are most other self-sufficiency enthusiasts. On the contrary, most of us are about as down to earth individuals as you're likely to meet. Sure, a bit eccentric, maybe, but that's only because of the keen intelligence of which most of us are possessed.

  One thing I've learned is that radical extremism is almost always a bad thing. Worthy causes turn into crusades, peace turns to conflict, then people start gettin' blowed up.

  Obviously I care a great deal about self-sufficiency – enough to sponsor a web page – but I know two very important things: perfection can never be attained, and what's right for me isn't right for everyone.

  The closer you get to perfect, the harder it becomes to make any more progress. It's called the law of diminshing returns. That's just the way it is.

  Not everyone can become self-reliant, and not everyone should try.

  As strongly as I feel on the subject of sustainability and renewability, I have enough sense to know it's not worth taking a hard line, either with myself or with others. This hasn't always been the case. But recently I learned that taking a hard line on nearly anything is less a sign of commitment to principle than it is a sign of one's capacity to annoy people.

  Ultimately, you'll have to decide for yourself if I'm a foolish utopian. As I've explained in these pages, I believe self-determination and self-reliance are like two sides of the same coin. I only ask that you judge me on my merits, not on some ill-conceived stereotype.

  Now if you'll excuse me, I must go prepare the incense for my Moon worship ritual.

  Andrew

• Q: I know of several off-grid homesteaders out here in the Southwest who rely for their electrical power on solar electric panels. What kind of off-grid systems will work best for New Hampshire?

  Joe Padula, Scottsdale, AZ

  A: Dear Joe,

  Out in the Southwest where it is mostly sunny and flat, it is quite realistic for a homesteader to make all his electricity from solar power. In New Hampshire, in case you're not aware, it is mostly not sunny, and mostly not flat. Every specific application will vary, of course, but in general the best systems will be hybrids. The solar exposure during the summer is very good, and because of the long days during which electric lighting will not be used, a relatively modest solar array will be able to keep up with the needs of a small family if wisely managed.

  During winter months, the sun only shines for as little as nine hours a day. But this also tends often to be a very windy time of year, particularly in the hills and mountains and near the coast. Except during periods of heavy snow, a small wind generator mounted in the right place can take advantage of these currents and actually generate more electricity than the homestead can use.

  Because of the very uneven terrain of the state, there may be places where a ridge or hillside takes away your best solar exposure. But that same terrain that may make a solar array unsuitable may also provide a fast-moving stream which can support a hydroelectric generator.

  In general, most homesteads will rely on more than one source for power. Once you have a site, then you will be able to assess what means will work best for you. The southwest and the Northeast are actually two of the most active regions for those who practice self-reliance by living off the grid. No doubt you will be able to find many homesteaders already in New England from whom you can draw advice and experience.

• Q: I've been raising llamas on my independent homestead for years, and so naturally I was interested when I saw your web page. Why don't you write more about off-grid power setups and food production? Why do you have to tie everything in to this liberty movement thing?

  Barney, North Carolina

  A: Barney,

  There are a couple reasons why I don't concentrate more on the applications of self-reliant living. One is that I simply can't speak as authoritatively on subjects such as canning and freezing, or deepcycle battery maintenance, as the numerous resources on the web and on the newsstand that deal with the nuts and bolts of the lifestyle.

  Secondly, I must always keep in mind that the purpose of this liaison is to be that bridge between the two communities. It is my task to keep the subject matter interesting to both the self-reliance community and the Free State Project.

  And thirdly, if there is a subject where you have some expertise or would like to contribute, all submissions are welcome, whether they be of practical interest to the homesteader, or gardener, or of political interest. Do you have a unique story or interest that would be appropriate for this page? Are you conversant in a traditional skill or craft that would have value to the independent homesteader? Share your knowledge! Let us hear from you. If you are interested in writing a piece for this page, please contact me, Andrew Wiegand, at penguinsscareme@yahoo.com.

  And finally, Barney, the tie-in to liberty is a natural one. Did you decide to go into homesteading because you couldn't see living life on someone else's say-so? Do you love making your own decisions, taking responsibility for yourself, and setting your own course? That sounds a lot like porucupine thinking to me!

• Q: Becoming self sufficient is a nice idea, but it seems such a huge and unattainable change with the life I live now. What are some smaller things that I can start with if I'm not in a position to buy 40 acres in NH and start growing my own food? Or if you happen to be like me and can't keep a plant alive to save your life?

  Janis, Massachusetts

  A: Dear Janis,

  That's a great question. First of all, you don't really need 40 acres or even 30. I just figured as long as I was dreaming, that's how much I'd like. Truthfully, if the land and soil are at all decent, 5 acres is probably sufficient if managed carefully and field crops are augmented with greenhouse gardening.

  Of course, most people don't have several acres of arable land, don't garden much, and for most people it just isn't practical to erect an array of solar electric panels, or a 50 foot tower to support a wind generator. And most modern houses are not designed to be heated with renewable fuels. As with committing to the Free State Project, making the move toward self-sufficient living presents a number of inconveniences that will test your resolve.

  The best way to start living the self-sufficient life is with your money. It teaches you the principles that will apply to self-sufficient living in all other aspects of life, and if you try it and don't like it, it's much easier to switch back to the mainstream than it would be had you already moved out to the woods and built an off-grid homestead!

  First, try to go one billing cycle without using any credit cards. If you can do that, try to go longer. Try brownbagging your lunch using either a cooler or lunchbox, or reusing shopping bags. Every time you pull out money to pay for something you didn't leave the house planning to buy, think about whether it is something you need, or what you could maybe do next time to avoid having to buy it. Could you have brought a bottle of pre-mixed iced tea or water from home instead of putting money in the vending machine?

  See what sort of lifestyle changes begin to occur. Do you begin to eat out less? Are you dropping some bad spending habits? How does it feel? Do you sleep better at night knowing you don't have to be afraid to look in the mailbox? Does it sting a little when you forego a new pair of shoes or a "high performance accessory" that you didn't really need? Is the sting followed by a swell of pride at your newfound liberation, or an excruciating emptiness from the knowledge that your friends' clothes or cars are newer and shinier?

  We started practicing financial self-reliance 8 years ago, and we're still not quite ready to take the leap into homesteading. And realistically, I don't know how close we'll ever get to total independence. But we're a lot closer to financial freedom than our friends who have mountains of debt from school loans, car loans, mortgages and credit cards. We've also endured setbacks and detours along the way, but we have persevered.

  We have two credit cards; I despise them, and can count on my fingers how many times I've used them. I have never, ever, ever carried a balance. My rule of thumb is to never finance anything that depreciates in value unless I both cannot pay for it up front and absolutely, positively cannot live without it.

  This attitude comes from my staunch yankee upbringing, and the old saw, Use it up/Wear it out/Make it do or/Do without.

  Now, in case I have given the impression of being self-righteous, let me be the first to point out that I have done many foolish things with money. But it was always money that I already had, never borrowed.

  If you've gotten this far along, you've probably noticed that your friends mostly tend to have nicer things than you. Now if you are prudent, you will always be able to find a way to keep a decent standard of living. But perhaps your friend's kitchen has a new ceramic tile backsplash and the latest dishwasher, or maybe your friend has a new car and a big tv. This is to be expected. I'm not an ascetic by any means; I could sit here all day and name things I want but don't have and not get tired. But the lifestyle I have chosen precludes me from obtaining everything I want when I want it. This has its own benefits, though they are less conspicuous. I savor the anticipation of getting what I want, I truly cherish the nice things that I do have, and I take pleasure in small rewards.

  To survive in this lifestyle, it is imperative to NOT tie your self-esteem to your possessions.

  If you are a perceptive student of the voluntary simplicity method, as it is sometimes called, you will begin to notice that there is pride, and then there is vanity. These are often confused for one another, but they are two distinctly different things. To spend an afternoon cleaning out and tuning up an old Ford shows pride; to trade your old Ford for a new Mercedes shows vanity. Nothing against Mercedes, mind you! But such a grand acquisition should come as the reward for achieving wealth, not the pursuit of a facade.

  If you're still practicing self-reliance with your money at this point, you're ready for some advanced strategies. Good news! This is where your longsuffering really starts to pay dividends.

  By now you're well aware that it's measurably more difficult to live this way than to live the way your friends do. No, duh! The hard way is always harder than the easy way, that's why it's called the hard way. Suck it up, because it's finally about to start lovin' you back.

  Now it's time to put your money to work for you. Crack that whip, Sally! Each and every dollar bill that you don't have to spend in order to live, is an employee, ready to do your bidding. Make that money earn more money. This is graduate level financial self-sufficiency, Holmes. This is where, with a wise investment here, the acquisition of an asset there, your thrift repays you with wealth.

  Your simple financial portfolio will begin to expand, slowly at first, then faster and faster. If you are at all prudent -- and you are -- you will form a corporate entity, and retain the services of an attorney, an accountant, and a financial advisor. Yeah, it gets complicated. But don't worry -- these are really nice problems to have.

  Just starting down this path is going to require a complete overhaul of the consumerist mentality that has been pummelled into your skull since you were old enough to watch tv. To take the first step, I recommend reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. It opened my eyes. It'll open yours. It's all very general, non-specific kind of mindset advice. Depending on your interests, you can go from there to find more specific advice on planting and cultivating your own money garden.

  Achieving self-sufficiency in any arena of life is always a long, difficult gauntlet of sacrifice. But if you stick it out long enough, it's like cresting a hill. You will be repaid so many times over that you'll never be able to go back to being "plugged in."

  Whether it's food, fuel, energy, money, or government -- or all of the above! -- there's no education in liberty like being self-sufficient.

• Q: I have always dreamed of living "off the grid." So why exactly should I sign on to the Free State Project?

  Sincerely,
  Rugged Joe from Idaho

  
  
  

  A: Dear Rugged Joe,

  The reasons for joining the FSP are as varied as the reasons for wanting to live a life of energy independence. Do you want to be surrounded by people who cherish the values of simplicity, freedom, individualism and prosperity? You will find these characteristics in the constitution of most every porcupine.

  Are you mistrustful of the government-subsididies and shortsightedness that plague the modern mass energy cartels? Among the Free State Project membership you will find bright minds who are every hour pursuing avenues of change in the way our government is run to give energy alternatives a level playing field on which to compete.

  Even if your highest ambition in life is just to be left alone, you will find that the Free State Project holds the right of the individual to privacy to be absolutely inviolable.

  These are but a few of the reasons you may want to give porcupines a close look. I invite you to visit a forum and meet some members. You may be surprised how much you didn't know you had in common. Or contact me directly (I am, after all, a liason!) and let's talk about what you want to achieve.

  There's no state like the Free State to make it happen.

  Andrew

• Q: Hey Andrew, I hear they've found more oil – like, a lot more oil. Like, maybe more than they've found under the whole of Saudi Arabia. It's near a Russian island called Sakhalin, to the north of Japan. Now we can have plenty of cheap oil without being beholden to the Middle East. Doesn't that make you want to give up hope on renewable energy?

  Sincerely,
  Boris
  Kamchatka Peninsula

  
  

  A: Dear Boris, Heck no, buddy!

  Indulge me for a moment. If the government tomorrow discovered a huge vein of gold underneath the Capitol, I mean one that could erase the federal deficit as if by magic, would the Free State Project then be rendered a moot point?

  Ah, I see it now. Flush with newfound wealth, the government adopts a strict policy of thrift, almost to the point of miserliness (miserdom? miseracity?). Instead of metastasizing new tentacles reaching forth into every aspect of daily life, the government decides to contract its sphere of influence, scale back foreign policy, strip down domestic social programs, cut payroll, roll back taxes, repeal all but the most fundamental of regulatory legislation, and embezzle only one tiny little stack of bills to finance a retirement cottage in the Finger Lakes region.

  Well, that would be nice, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, I think such a development would make the current predicament of liberty-loving people resemble a trip to the ice cream parlor.

  Just as more money makes the government more powerful, so does more oil make the oil companies more powerful. And just as it is in the government's own interest to make the public dependent on it, so is it in the oil companies' interest to make the consumer base dependent upon it. Instead of going to the polls to cast "votes" for either a Republican, Democrat, Green or Libertarian, though, we go to the quickie-stop to "choose" Mobil, Texaco, BP or Hess. But BP is just kind of a little cult thing, and everyone believes Hess is circling the drain, so there's really pretty much just Mobil and Texaco. They're pretty much the same thing, anyway.

  No one is into the Free State Project because they have to be. They are into it because they can be, and because they want to be. For some people, it's just not within the realm of practicality, but they still fervently support the effort from outside, in whatever way they can. It's about independence, individual empowerment and self-determination, and decentralization of power. It also happens to be our best hope for long term survival and security.

  In case you haven't figured it out, Boris, read that last paragraph aloud to yourself, only instead of "the Free State Project," say "renewable energy."

  Dependency is dependency.

  Just because it's slightly quirky, largely experimental and mildly eccentric, doesn't mean it's not viable.

  I've lived my life by that.

  
  Note: the above is a metaphoric comparison. If the reader would like to comment on the validity of that metaphor, any such input is very welcome. However, the author does not wish to receive comments asking what about Citgo, what about Getty.

Back to self-sufficiency page

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."

Back to We Made the Move!

Real Activism

Real Activism

HomeSchooling Outreach success

by Will Albenzi · 9/10/04

The HomeSchoolers in San Diego had a fair today from 10am until 2pm. SoCalFSP reached out to them at their event. It went pretty well and we made several very valuable discoveries. We also made contact with about a hundred people who already knew the government shouldn't be trusted alone in a room with their kids.

The Story

We made contacts in the San Diego HomeSchooling community by building a database for the HomeSchooling Resource Center to manage their Library. In exchange for that work, they agreed to make sure our presentation (50 HomeSchooling tri-folds) were placed in view by the checkout desk. A few weeks ago, they contacted us to let us know that we were welcome to set up a booth at an event they were having. We only knew about it because they contacted us. Well, the SoCalFSP decided to go there and dry-run the booth we were going to set up for a gun-show in October while meeting people interested in the FSP message.

At 8:30 I arrived with the materials. It took about 40 minutes to make sure that everything was neat and the projector was working. We had several flyers and the projector was looping "101 reasons to move to NH". Phil Boncer arrived and we finished folding the HomeSchooling Tri-Folds. The room we were in got VERY hot. From about 10am until 11:30am we spoke to maybe a half a dozen people. We saw them zoom past, never making eye contact with us. Around 11:30, Mary Albenzi arrived, and we decided that Phil could take off and to get something productive done, while I pondered what went wrong (we thought this was a bust). Of course things then really picked up. It got to the point were I had to manage three conversations at a time. That afternoon we spoke with about 50 people. We managed to introduce the FSP to a lot of people who were very receptive.

The Lessons

1. Bring a woman to HomeSchooling Outreaches – I was talking with my wife about what a coincidence it was that stuff picked up right after Phil left. My wife pointed out that it probably wasn't a coincidence. She said that it was most likely two things: First, seeing two men at an event with lots of little children might have set off the creepiness detectors in some cautious parents. Second, two men sitting behind a table saying "freedom", "Live what you believe", "Reason # 7... citizen's right to revolution" positively SCREAMS unbalanced and dangerous militia-type organization to that group. It might have been that my wife's presence made us "more normal".

2. Change the Slideshow – The slideshow has great information, but most people only glanced at the slideshow for a few seconds. Some possible changes might involve reducing wordiness while keeping the subject matter, or use a flash presentation like Introduction to the Philosophy of Liberty with moving images and few words to grab attention and keep it.

3. Bring more membership packets – I walked in with the idea that more people would take the color "targeted" tri-fold than the color "general" tri-fold, and more color "general" tri-folds than black and white Membership Packets. So we kept count and observed. It turns out that at this event, with very few exceptions, that when a person took a Tri-Fold, they took all the available materials. When a person only grabbed one item, it was the membership packet. The caveat is that this may be an unusual audience. HomeSchoolers may be more interested in "content" than other groups we are trying to reach. This should be tried several more times with different groups before we can extrapolate behaviors from this data point.

4. Create material that specifically invites "friends" to help the FSP. We ran into many people who thought it was a great idea, but could not commit to a move. When I explained to them that there are ways to help even if you cannot move, they became excited.

Materials Used

• 1 folding table
• 2 folding chairs
• 150 FSP HomeSchooling tri-folds
• 1,000 FSP General tri-folds
• 50 Membership packets
• A laptop that had 101 reasons to move to New Hampshire set up as a slide show
• an FSP banner, and
• some rope