New mover from NY, Chris Cantwell describes one of his first activism experiences living in the Shire:
Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining Kelly Voluntaryist, Ian Freeman, Darryl Perry, Jason Repsher, Rich Paul Freeman, and over a hundred other activists for the 4/20 rally, at the State House in Concord, NH.
Activists from Keene, NH met at the Keene Activist Center, as we so often do, a week in advance and discussed what we would do, who wanted to go, and who could provide transportation, signs were made, channels for two way radio communications were decided on, and by the time we loaded into our cars, everything was ready to go. Other activists from across the state and political spectrum also made plans and attended.
Some people had arrived early, to clean up the streets. Liberty activists performed a litter pickup, as agents of The State wrote parking tickets nearby…
As we arrived, there were about a hundred people there already, holding signs, smoking weed, and making new friends, just a few feet from where the New Hampshire legislature meets to conspire against them. I was happy to see that a number of parents had brought their children, in hopes they might grow up in a freeer society than they had the opportunity to grow up in. The case for spontaneous order was made no better than by one such parent suggesting that anyone smoking (legal or otherwise), do so on one side of the rally so that parents could keep their children away from the smoke on the other, nobody needed to be coerced, threatened, berated, assaulted, kidnapped or robbed (as The State so incorrectly believes is necessary for order) they were more than happy to respect the wishes of the young mother.
Up to this point we had been on the sidewalk outside the building, we heard a few inspiring words by several speakers, before Rich Paul Freeman asked if we were ready to take the steps, to which I loudly yelled “Yeah!”. Perhaps a bit unsure as to whether the rest of the crowd heard him, Rich asked again, and the crowd this time responded in kind, and we crossed through the gate onto the lawn of the State House and made our way up to the steps, just outside the front entrance, where police where inside waiting.
This didn’t stop us from lighting up joints and pipes right in front of them. If you know me, you know I’m not much of a pot smoker, but on this day, I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to smoke up on the steps of the State House with my fellow freedom fighters. I was reminded quickly why I stopped smoking pot, as cotton mouth and the inability to concentrate or communicate set in…
Keene activists came with an abundance of propaganda, handing pamphlets out to the people who came, but might not have had a full grasp of what it really means to be free, information on jury nullification, “Never Take A Plea”, and voluntary solutions to societies ills were warmly received by people who had perhaps come simply thinking that medical marijuana should be decriminalized.
Ian Freeman held the attention of the crowd as if they had all paid to see him, he spoke charismatically about the bigger picture and what people could do to make things better, it was obvious he was making people think. When one bullhorn failed, we had another ready to keep the action going.
A paper was handed out containing Christmas Parody songs written by Richard Onley, and the Shire Chior was formed. Outside we sang to the tune of “Santa Clause is Coming to Town” a powerful parody called “Drug War Cops are Raiding the School”
And you know, that was a lot of fun. It was so much fun, that Ian suggested, maybe we should go inside the State House and do it! Ian opened up the door and I followed Kelly Voluntaryist inside. The police asked us to be quiet, and Kelly assured them quote “I’ll see what I can do about that”, dozens of people entered the lobby of the building and formed a circle, where we performed such classics as “Hands off Weed-a-claus” “War on Drugs” “A Lay of Anslinger” and “Violent Blight”, along with another round of “Drug War Cops are Raiding the School”.
Certainly the dozens of voices enthusiastically belting out anti government propaganda songs was not what the police would have defined as quiet, but for that handful of cops to drive off that many activists would have been quite a task, and so they endured our display throughout the duration, after which, Ian encouraged everybody to hug the police on their way out, and several people did.
To some of the people tagged, none of this is news, they were there… For others who may be reading, I have 3 words.
MOVE TO KEENE!
Well, if you’re set on a solution that involves a compulsory government of any sort, then you might be better off in Nashua or Manchester or something, but you should still come to New Hampshire.
If you’re ready to stop asking permission to be free, if you’re ready to renounce initiatory force as a valid method of problem solving, if you’re ready to meet awesome people and be surrounded by people who know how you feel, then don’t waste any more time swimming against the tide.
It is entirely possible, and even likely, that your state is too far gone. The only chance I see for us to be a free people is to be in one place, and make it ungovernable by rejecting their authority and supporting eachother in so doing. The infrastructure for a free society is here, you are all that is missing. Once you move, that will serve as encouragement for others to move, when they move, the same process occurs, and this can grow exponentially. And hey, even if it doesn’t, there is still no state income or sales tax, and you can still get a concealed carry permit for $10…
Flee your oppressive governments, as I did. Come here with resources to get you by for at least 3 months while you look for work. Know Freedom, or No Freedom, you decide.
