My Response to Fritz’s Jessica Graveline

November 11, 2009 by Ian
Filed under: Response

I submitted a letter to the editor to the Keene Sentinel on Sunday in reply to a letter that appeared in Saturday’s paper, full of misinformation, from the owner of Fritz. Here’s her letter, followed by my reply:

Imagine my surprise when my boyfriend, a member of the Keene Fire Department, informed me that my restaurant, Fritz, had become the “Free Staters” Sunday meeting ground.

In an act that may have begun with good intentions, I am put in a position that requires clarification.

Despite the unwitting representation of my business on the Free Keene Web site, I never consented to their choosing Fritz as a new meeting ground.

In accordance with most restaurant business models, the use of Fritz’s dining room is a service I enjoy providing to individuals in exchange for the purchase of food and to groups in exchange for rent or catering services.

Until now, I have not had to enforce this most basic principle, but am saddened I may have to if I feel my services are being taken advantage of.

Upon reviewing the Free Keene Web site I found my business name juxtaposed with political content of which neither Fritz, nor myself are associated.

This coincidence has caught my business in the crossfire of a situation I have no intention or desire of getting directly involved in.

I’m not opposed to followers of the Free State movement eating at my establishment, as people of all political views and ideologies are welcome to patronize.

However, I am opposed to political groups using my restaurant as a place to organize and solicit new members, especially without my approval.

In response to the Free Keene’s plan to invite themselves to Fritz, Belgian Fries for their weekly meetings, my response is “No, thank you.”

JESSICA GRAVELINE
Owner
Fritz Belgian Fries LLC

Here’s my reply which now halfway through the week has not yet been printed in the paper. Hopefully it will appear at some point, as the existing letter from Jessica has gotten over 40 comments as of this writing and is the most commented article currently available on their site:

I was disappointed to see a letter from Jessica Graveline, the owner of Fritz, appearing in the 11/7 Sentinel. Apparently she has been the victim of misinformation that I’d like to clear up. She had written to express her frustration that “Free Staters” had chosen her establishment for regular Sunday gatherings and was concerned as she doesn’t want, “political groups using my restaurant as a place to organize and solicit new members”.

I don’t blame her! Were I in her shoes, I wouldn’t want political organizing going on without permission. I don’t think I would give permission for a group to solicit, especially for politics, which I generally find detestable. Please understand that our event, “Social Sundays”, is not at all what she is describing. As you may be able to tell by the name, it is a social event. There is no organizing or solicitation going on. This is nothing more than a group of friends and associates getting together to eat, drink, and be merry. In this case, we were eating and drinking Fritz’ delicious food and beverages.

Additionally, FreeKeene.com is a website involving a number of New Hampshire natives, so it is not just a “Free Stater” phenomenon. The people at Free Keene love freedom, but are not all participants in the Free State Project. Finally, most of the participants at Free Keene are quite apolitical, so I don’t really feel like the term political really describes the content there. Yes, our blogger and NH native Nick Ryder did run for city council this year, but if Nick’s campaign team wanted to have lunch at Fritz and talk amongst themselves, would they be disallowed?

I certainly respect Jessica’s property rights and won’t continue bringing Fritz regular business on Sunday afternoons if she doesn’t want it, but I hope I’ve made it clear that Social Sundays is a social event and not in any way political or intended as outreach. I had called in advance to ask their staff if they could handle 10-20 people and the nice girl that answered the phone said yes. I’m sorry for not reaching out directly to Jessica beforehand. (I have since reached out to talk with her about this.) It’s never been necessary in the past. We’ve been having this event at different locations around town in the past few years and have never encountered any trouble from the business we choose to patronize. Please join us for the next Social Sundays. You can check our calendar at calendar.freekeene.com for details on where we’ll be this weekend.

Ian Freeman
Blogger, FreeKeene.com

KDus

"I feel my services are being taken advantage of."

Sad that people exchanging money for goods and services would be percieved that way.

Seems like a good time to raise prices.
Johnson

Social Sundays WASN'T a political event before, but it sort of is now. Jessica certainly politicized a social event by making people like myself pretty disinterested in EVER setting foot into her establishment.

I haven't moved to NH yet, but when I get there, I now know of a business I am now likely to avoid.

What business owner says something like "don't come in here, your kind MIGHT abuse our services" before even seeing how things play out?

That to me sounded like the same sort of thing one would hear from a bigot. I kind of wonder how someone like that could be in charge of anything successful…
KBCraig

I don't know whether their comments thread by date posted or date approved, but when I clicked on the article link you provided, your response is Number 7 of 40-something (at this writing).

It gets pretty stupid beyond that point.
LSNL

“I feel my services are being taken advantage of.”

I would have assumed that was the point of her establishment. Jessica has little business sense.
S

It appears that the vast majority of comments to the Sentinel article support Ms. Graveline and her position. Maybe there is a message there about how much of the community thinks of you that you should take note of.
Vince

Noted that about 6 people out of Keene's population wrote posts critical of the Free Keeniacs.
http://freetalklive.com/ Ian

A few mean newspaper readers doesn't necessarily represent "the community".

Of course some people will be upset when the status quo is challenged.

"We hate you freedom-loving people! Go away!"

Guess what? More are coming.
http://freetalklive.com/ Ian

KBCraig: I submitted the letter as a letter and a comment. It was approved as a comment but has yet to be posted as a LTE.
Lpviper

That's ok, Ian, 6 angry newspaper readers is enough. That's how 'our' 'democracy' works around here…
S

Hmm, I sure counted a lot more than 6 responses (out of 61) supporting Ms. Graveline and her position. Just because other people have an opinion doesn't necessarily make them "mean". Sure some of the post were pretty extreme, but from BOTH sides. Despite that don't be naive in thinking that this wasn't a good snapshot of the community's opinion.
name(required)

Paul,

If what to conveyed to me is true, I commend you for your due dilligance. I would have to say though, your employer or clients must be very understanding indeed to retain your services given that at any time crucial deadlines could be missed due to your very childish public grandstanding and subsequent incarceration. It is difficult to move forward with projects in the private sector that neccessitate the expensive technical and logistical skills of an engineer in today's economic climate. Good luck.

As for the matter of our little baseball game in which you have me down two strikes, Im afraid not. I went to your link and my all of my points still stand. Goading me into your little maze of dillusional truisms isnt going to work. You construct the peramiters for the argument, they are loaded, overly simplistic and, as I said, draw to only one conclusion. The fact that this model gives you some sort of imaginary moral high ground is dishonest and speaks to the fragility of your philosoqhy. You are only right when you make the rules. If you think taxes are theft say so, if you believe the majority has no right to rule say so, tell me why. the burden of explaining human nature and its historical implications realative to how your philosophy can logisticly play it self out is on you, certainly not me. Your two rapists one victim metephor you addressed towards EG speakes to the insensitive shallowness and desparation of your thought process . Is this the language we use to persuade the uninitiated? Heres a little secret, your system only works if every one understands, respects and follows the NAP. It is the mirror image dillusion of Communism. Instead of the altruistic begnin hand of the state to protect us, the rationed self interest of the individual and the all powerful invisible hand of the market place will perserve the balance between human interaction, am I close? That is what makes this closer to a religion than a political movement. All we have to to is believe, Once your read the Market for freedom you will understand.

Reguardless of your myopic philosophy my origional problem with the Free Keene movement, isnt with what I see as a flawed thought proccess, It is with flawed behavior. If you had brought this movement to the White Mountain region and proved to the world your system works in and of itself on its own merits in a vaccume, shit I guess id have to pack up and move. You didn't though did you? You came to one of the strongest tax bases in the state to planted the flag. All of the creature comforts of home, 108 to be exact, but with none of the responsibility of actually being part of the community. If the tradgedy of the commons is such a philisophical lynch pin for for you, why the fuck are you on ours? The truth is none of you care what people in keene think of you. If you cant convert the locals we just have to import some of our own. It has been made pretty clear. Can you see how adversarial language like that would harbor any resentment? Peers judge based on what you do, not how you feel, or how moral you think you are. I read this site because of my origional reaction to seening your members act in public for the first time and a need to understand why. Get rid the "who the fuck are these idiots" reaction in rational adults and you may just have something. Keep up the 3rd grade grandstanding, keep up the divisive alolescant behavior and expect to continue to be recieved as the train wreck novelty you have represented yourselves to be..

I would at this point like to apologize for using free state and free keene interchangably. I don't so much have a problem with folks who want to come to the state to be free. I live here and live that way. There is lots of space, beautiful land, pretty good pot, when you take into account our proximity to Vermont and really great people if you stay out of their face and give a shit what they think. If becoming part of the political lanscape is what you desire, if you make a compelling argument and the people support you, good luck. This is not the path Ian and Co have taken, distancing yourselves would serve you well in the future.
http://www.qualityrental.com JamesButabi

Interesting business perspective from the young lady. Im working on bringing the rental business to NH. I certainly welcome "Free Staters" to my establishments. Gold and silver welcomed
name(required)

Shit,

better take my medicine, my post was a response to Paul on the other FK SS thread. Most of it, however applies to any thread on this site though. I will take 30 lashes for my mistake.
anonymous

"Jessica has little business sense."

Restaurant owner syndrome.
theKEENEofKING

…has it been a whole *YEAR* since *THAT*, already???…