The Free State in Winter "Freedom Elite" meet and greet
in customary real-people style
Transit To | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
| Transit Fro
The Free State Project (FSP) Porcupine Festivals have been three in number thus far: 2004, 2005, and 2006; and they've been summer events in scenic northern New Hampshire campgrounds to keep costs down. This year the poobahs decided to add a winter gathering more in the nature of a convention... at a hotel setting.
So welcome to the New Hampshire Liberty Forum at the Holiday Inn in Concord, NH, February 23-25, 2007. The head ramrod is Irena Goddard, who with her host of volunteers —Chris Lawless, Sandy Pierre, Denis Goddard, Jeff Jordan, Michelle Levell, Jean Alexander, and Rich Tomasso—and several others. Featured guest speaker: ABC's unique "libercontrarian" John Stossel.
Transit to Scene
Formally I'm a Free State early mover and I have an official pad in Amherst. Lately, though, I've been spending quite a bit of time for various reasons in my origin state of Michigan. I've been to every FSP event and will keep the streak alive.
My route is via I-90 via Ohio, a sliver of PA, to Albany, NY, followed by bouncing up to winding Vermont HW 9, which turns into US 101 when you get to Keene. Sometimes getting there is half the fun. This time maybe 1/16. Mostly scenic EWay, then enthusiast's fare in the Green Mountains.
During the drive, I listen to Mary Ruwart's CDs on on how to communicate to liberals, environmentalists, and Christians. Mary, whom I've known and appreciated from early Libertarian Party days in Michigan, declined to endorse my New Pilgrim Chroncles because of its "too judgmental" approach to faith.
I do feel "you're being a little too hard
on the Beaver, Ward." My intent in those brief passages is simply to emphasize the urgency of reason—let's just call it the importance of the freedom argument making sense. Granted I come down on the Abrahamic religions (particularly Christianity and Islam) too generally. Next edition, it's gone.
As for Mary's tape, it's fine work. She shares so many good observations coming from her core trademark insistence we make our freedom case to people wihout morally judging them. I love so many of her key observations, especially about about what liberals tend to think, e.g.:
• Laws make it so. Want better schools, better wages, less
poverty, better health care, etc., pass a law.
• Gun control means less crime. Mary proposes that if
you really feel that way, post a sign on your front door,
"This dwelling is a gun-free zone."
Anyway, I love you, Mary. We do so much better for our cause when we "create a comfortable space" for the people we're trying to persuade. That's my main deep thought for the trip over, but let me drop out a handful of other miscellaneous road-warrior nuggets that come to me:
• After we free the political prisoners, to keep the economy
going for prison communities, excavate an area the size of a
couple of football fields, haul in truckloads of sand, place a
big golf dome above it, then announce you're hiring. Pay
minimum wage, hand each job seeker a ball peen hammer,
and have them pound away all day.
• This speed enforcement deal is a joke, especially along I-90
in New York. Talk about
pounding sand! Each of you LEOs
(law-enforcement officers) needs to take a reality pill, man
up, then quit.
• Let's be constructive though. We should end the speed
limit laws and post suggested speeds. If anyone sees
someone driving recklessly, they call a three-digit number
using their cellphone. Then a trained citizen-driver is
dispatched to apprehend.
• My antidote to rejection and depression: Beanie Power!
Righteiuous Beanies of the world unite! I have brought
some Coffee Coaster bumper stiickers for my table at the
forum.
• Strange coming back, feel like I was just here.
I arrive in
New Boston in time Have for a haircut. I want to plug Kim
Cahill, haircutter extraordinaire, just look her up in the New
Boston phone directory.
Have some great Thai food at The Orchid in Manchester with my former roommate and gourmet-troubadour activist Matt Simon.
He fills me in on all the latest, especially progress in rolling back drug prohiibition at NHCommonsense.org.
Day 1—Friday
Transit To | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
| Transit Fro
Got a slow start from the crash pad this morning. As an author and a Web columnist, I had purchased some table space, but forgot my wares and had to go back. On the way to the Concord HI, I get some encouraging job-prospect news that may mean I can return to the Free State for good, and relatively soon. Yippie!
First impressions of the Holiday Inn: too small for conditions. Indeed, the hotel is completely booked. With conference rooms in use from morning 'til night, the literature tables—I'd estimate we have a dozen lit tables immediately as you come in from the cold. Not including the registration table.
You can see young Katelyn Bradwell of the Marijuana Poilicy Initiative bundled up against the frigid blasts from the double doors. My table section is set up next to the tiny reservations desk, just behind the sign welcoming everyone to the Liberty Forum.
After several events, I'm getting used to seeing half the men and a good share of the women at these events walking around nonchalantly with .45 automatics holstered to their belts. (The percentage probably isn't that high, more like 1 in 10.) This doesn't jar me any more, and in fact, I'm beginning to like it. It removes one more worry from the list: the odds of some nutcase opening up with a gun on the motel guests are effectively zero.
I don't understand why the government doesn't launch an anti-terrorism gun-carrying (and training) program. If the government doesn't care about real methods of protection from terrorism, you have to wonder if its heart is in the right place. Speaking of where the government's heart is, today I get an education from Ron Jacobs about Ed Brown and his wife, who have decided to ignore a court order to come in. A lot of our people are openly supportive of Brown, who champions the end of the income tax. Eventually, we'll find out whether the tax is truly as voluntary as the government says it is.
But I agree with Christopher Gronski, featured later in this article, and others: it would be sad to see him die in a confrontation with the federales. So far, they seem to be laying off.
I don't attend all the sessions, but on Friday afternoon, I first catch the tail end of Gentleman Jim Babka's talk about what they've been doing in Washington with Downsize DC. The title of his talk is "New Hampshire Can Change the Federal Government Forever," and he's supporting a new Read the Bill Act that requires Congress to know all the laws they pass.
In the next session, two high-level NH Democratic senators (D'Allesandro and Hassan) and two high-level NH Republican representatives (Weyler and Wendelboe) spar on the issues. For the first time in decades, NH has a Democratic majority in both houses. What does that mean for liberty?
Not a pretty picture.
Nationally most of us were glad to
brush back the Republicans at the 2006 election because of the war, the occupation, torture, kidnapping, arbitrary detentions, elimination of habeas corpus, etc. Unfortunately, this pasted a lot of good freedom-oriented Republicans with the same brush.
What this session confirms to my naive sensibilities is
(most) Democrats in NH are the same as Democrats anywhere else. Just as the first business of Congressional Dems was minimum wage and ... not impeachment of constitutional criminals
Get a kick out of the Dems giving lip-service to fiscal responsibility and civil liberties, but supporting the smoking bans, minimum wage, helmet laws, seatbelt laws, making kids stay in school through 18, and they don't check out the revenue.
D'Allesandro per Matt is 100% wrong on all issues, and he's proud of it.
On the positive side Hassan gives nod to getting out of Real ID, but she talks about balancing freedoms.
In NH people expect their candidates to go door to door.
Con with John Barnes, saying "as if we're slaves on the southern plantations, our bodies don't belong to us.
Spoke with Ron Jacob, now a Constitution Ranger, also Dave Ridley who doesn't like confronts, and takes his .45 home before going to the Ed Brown support protest.
Notice the Bartlett Room is elegant, but the facility is rather small and not enough room in the area just as you go in.
Badnarik:
Kelo vs. Connecticut
MCA 2006
Patriot Act
NAIS (S/Ns for animals)
"Voluntary unless 100% compliance is not achieved."
Dec of Independence => duty to throw off tyrannical government. Tyranny is no longer academic.
The book 1776, when we start feeling sorry for ourselves. Trans Texas Corridor, 584,000 square miles to be taken by eminent domain.
Ron Paul is running. We'll die for our beliefs, but you have to understand a lot of people aren't that far along.
Later, Fran Wendelboe is cool.
Before was watching Stossel's two hour special on Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death? The Fear Industrial Complex.
Media makes it worse. Likes to scare people.
Winners go to market, losers go to Washington.
Day 2—Saturday
Caleb drops by and informs Michael Ruppert has gone to Venezuela to escape the spooks, they're after him.
On my Shuvom table, next door is Michael Muise, probably from Homeland Stupidity. Lydia seems to be coming on to me, but she's married. Later I meet her daughter Angela. Shuvom on Sat. shows up with Lolly, another book suggested by Michael Muise, what was it?
Selling a few books.
Lunch on Sat. at the
Tea Garden Chinese Restaurant next door. I decide to go the We the People Congress talk by Christopher Gronski. God speaker www.givemeliberty.org. They're working on the "redress of grievances" legal approach, and he's pretty cool bringing up tthe moral choices we make, e.g. SS, working for the govt, welfare. What are we interested in:
income tax
institutionalized vigilance
Frederick Douglas: "Power never yields. The limits of tyrants are proscribed. Wonderful quote. Drew applause.
Leadership needs to be shared, egos have to cooperate. He would be sorry to see Ed Brown die.
Always have to use the right terms when dealing with the government and the income tax.
Freedom fellowship in every county. Know your neighbors. Freedom to Fascism. Jury instruction. Use free cable. Some people do ask dumb questions.
Back at the tables.
Gave my talk, Steve Goodale talking, 911 truth way cool.
Notes on the Stossel talk.
He's funny! Just a wonderful presence. He started by reading Human Action. Just kidding he couldn't getthrough it. Read Reason Magazine. Patrick Henry did not say, "Give me absolute safety or give me death.'
Every new law requires you repeal two.
the only thing worse than a government monopoly is a highly unionized governmnt monopoly. Free society not natural.
He really appreciates the FSP.
10,000 per student.
Horace Mann, KIPS schools.
The cocktail reception.
Day 3
Per someone, Steve Goodale, Jack, the Peace Pilgrim.
Breakfast, Chris Lopez, manager, takes LCs.
Irena, closing ceremonies, Ron Paul. 350 registered.
We need a prez who' strong enough to resist the temptation to ake power that he shoulnd't have.
Goldman greeted me and said good work.
Paul is so knowledgeable. But he does ramble. Congress people should have to fill out their onw tax forms. 1913 was a very bad year.
Initiative bundled up against the frigid blasts from the double doors. My table section is set up next to the tiny reservations desk, just behind the sign welcoming everyone to the Liberty Forum.