“There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper, and it would vanish — it was that fragile. And I fear that it will not survive the winter.”

– Emperor Marcus Aurelius Caesar, in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator

In our time, there is a dream that once was, and is no longer there, much like in Marcus Aurelius’ Rome. The founders of the United States of America had something like this in mind when they separated themselves from the British empire. Even in its flaws, their great plan was noble, and for a time it seemed to work.

Then something went terribly wrong. Why? Because there was government, and lots of it. This was a fact I had come to realize years ago, but had felt like there was nothing that could be done to save myself or others from the inevitable police state. Then I heard the whisper, of a dream that was set into motion, and finally one day, I decided it was time to see for myself if this dream really could come true.

Late into the night on December 24th, I set out on the road, headed for Keene, New Hampshire. It was to be an 800-mile journey with long hours and seemingly endless freeways. The purpose of the trip overshadowed any notion that the task at hand would be arduous or unworthy of the attempt. I was going to New Hampshire to explore the nature of the third American Revolution. Yes, third: The American Civil War was the second, and although a failure, was a response to government becoming more vast and intrusive.

The Free State Project is a very simple idea that basically asks those people who believe in freedom and liberty to move to one place where they can be amongst like-minded people, and hopefully reverse the trend toward larger and more powerful government. The idea is to get at least 20,000 people to move there, to join in the activism already taking place, or begin their own. Once 5,000 people had signed the pledge, a vote was taken, and New Hampshire was chosen as the location.

My arrival into Keene was somewhat anticlimactic, as I’d driven all night, and had not slept. So at first I was too busy being tired to admire the scenery around me. This would soon change, as I’d no sooner driven into town and posted on the online forums that I was there, than welcomes and offers to assist me began coming in.

The immediate observation one can make about New Hampshire is that it is very nice and clean. The small neighborhoods are quite attractive around the town, with the rural outlying areas being even more picturesque. Every place I visited appeared to have come right off a postcard.

Having just arrived in town — on Christmas Day, no less — I was invited to a gathering of Free Staters. After getting the directions and making my way to the party, my trip to New Hampshire really came alive, and I in many ways also came alive for the first time in my 28 turns around the sun.

I was welcomed into the midst of about fifteen liberty-loving strangers, who made me feel like I had known them for years. There was no mistaking that these were “my people” — a revelation I’m sure many others have felt upon coming to the area. No longer was I isolated, nor was I made to feel as if I were crazy. All in just the first fifteen minutes of the evening.

As the gathering dwindled down, one person suggested going to the jail and singing Christmas carols. Most of those who were still at the party were willing, and after the plan was posted online, others wanted to join us. Altogether, ten activists got to the jail. I was humbled and amazed at the manner in which this took place. Here were people, many of whom have already lost or sacrificed enough themselves, going out of their way (and the jail was definitely out of the way, by about 15 miles) on this holiday occasion to show their support to other people whom they may not even know — at the time, only one other activist was in the jail.

After about twenty-five minutes of singing, the activity dispersed just as quickly as it had originated, serving the purpose of demonstrating that criminalizing people who have not actually harmed anyone is wrong. I returned to my hotel room. The day’s excitement had kept me awake despite not having slept the night before, but now it was time to rest. I would need even more energy for what was yet to come.

Having gone an entire day without sleep, I woke the next day about 5 P.M. and soon had several invitations to do something or other. Keep in mind that this was my second day in Keene, and other activists are already assimilating me into the local scene as if I had lived there for years. I don’t even feel that welcome in my own hometown, and it’s about 1/6 the size of Keene.

The people I was hanging out with took me to a place called Abunara. This is a social club that offers food, hookah, and a relaxing atmosphere. It is also fast becoming the prime social scene for Keene activists, particularly on Sundays, but for this night the place was quiet. We enjoyed a few games of chess, ate some good food, and most important, discussed politics and local activism. I was having an all-around enjoyable night — with people like me!

After parting ways with these folks, I returned to the hotel again. Before I went to bed, I called friends and family back home and was already relating my experiences to them as if I had settled into town permanently. It was becoming quite clear to me that I had to try to make the move much sooner than I’d originally intended.

Sunday would prove to hold even more excitement than my first two days in town. Upon waking, I wanted to drive around some and get a feel for the area. I’m still not quite sure where I was driving — somewhere out in the country — but it was picture-perfect. New Hampshire is a terrific place for those motivated by the outdoor life, with many trails and scenic areas. I returned to the hotel with plenty of time to spare, as one of the activists had asked about interviewing me for a podcast, in which I told a bit about why I was coming to New Hampshire. Shortly after this, it was time to head to the Social Sunday gathering, and I made my way downtown to Abunara.

Anyone who has read the online forums that describe Social Sundays in Keene is only reading a text description of what takes place. Sure, Social Sunday is a gathering of Free State activists to socialize, play games, and discuss politics and ideas — but it is far more! Imagine the feeling you have when walking into a place that holds many happy memories for you. The feeling comes from a knowledge that everyone in the room is on the same team. There were nearly twice as many people at this event as there were at the Christmas party, all of similar ideology and energy.

For nearly six hours I played board games, argued politics, discussed business ideas, and most important, felt at home. Abunara is a very Free State – friendly establishment, and will no doubt be the site for many discussions of ideas and plans for the liberty movement in New Hampshire. As the night was getting late, I headed back to my hotel room and crashed onto the bed once again, exhausted by all the excitement and energy of the Free State!

When I woke the next morning, I already had an idea of my own. I wanted a way to say a final farewell to those I had met, and posted online that I was inviting any interested Free Staters to dinner. On rather short notice, the particulars were arranged for later that evening. In the meantime, I took another sightseeing drive of the surrounding area. I wanted to really take a good look at the community, and what it had to offer.

Keene is certainly a smaller town, so if big cities are your flavor, then perhaps you might find Concord or Manchester more appealing, but I would not be so quick to write Keene off the map. The area offers its share of urban comforts, along with a very friendly, energetic community. All the people I encountered working in or running the local businesses were amiable folk — neither too hurried nor too lethargic. As Goldilocks said, they were just right.

In my perusal of local businesses I would tell them I was looking to move to the area and getting a feel for local shops. One business owner asked if I was a Free Stater. I said I was, and he told me that he was also involved in his own fashion. This caught me off-guard — in a good way!

While I was in his store, one of the more recognizable locals, who has a public access tv show, walked in. While there are plenty of Free Staters moving to New Hampshire, many of the people living there are already liberty-lovers — another reason New Hampshire was a good choice. This movement is real, and it’s about real people, who are making things happen every day.

After a stop at a rest area that boasted a short hiking trail, it was time to return to town for the food and fellowship. I had no idea how many people might show up, but I knew it could be anywhere between zero and a hundred. The restaurant had a rather good deal on pizza, and even if more people arrived, it was the least I could do to demonstrate just how truly welcomed I’d felt during my visit.

About ten people showed up, most of whom I had already met, all of them Free Staters. It was a pleasant way to end my last night, and would make the long drive I faced the next day much more bearable.

After the dinner party ended, I said a few last goodbyes, and headed to the home of some activists whom I had arranged to stay with on my final night. The night was capped with some wonderful political discussion and talk about future plans. The next morning, it was time to return home, and I truly did not want to leave. I actually kept stalling the inevitable departure and got on the road a little later than planned. There was a sadness about having to leave Keene, but with it came the knowledge that I would be returning, because I felt like this was where my home really should be.

The drive home was intense, taking nearly seventeen hours, and included more than one stop to rest. As I approached Kentucky, I felt I was farther away from home, rather than getting closer to it. Hopefully in the next few weeks, my big white Suburban will take me north once more, and I will hear my new friends and neighbors say, “Welcome home.”

We often confuse expediency with pragmatism. You can make a choice that provides immediate return and seems the pragmatic choice only to pay a higher price later. A person who commits a crime is getting some immediate reward but has an ever-increasing risk of being caught each time. He’s gambling. He’s also shitting where he eats by destroying the sense of trust in his community. Lying is similar. When you get caught in a lie, which is likely just a matter of time depending on how often you attempt it, you seriously undermine your reputation. Worse yet, if you lie now expecting some immediate gain from it, even if you correct yourself in the future, anything you say thereafter will be circumspect. Even when you get away with it, every lie you tell for some immediate benefit undermines your veracity because you know you’re a liar. Conversely, knowing in your heart that you are consistently honest and sincere shows through in the power of your convictions. It’s a rare talent to be able to lie convincingly.

(Read On…)

Public Notice

The Keene Police Department is scheduled for an on-site assessment September 13-15, 2009, as part of a program to achieve recognition by verifying that it meets professional standards. The recognition program requires agencies comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: Customer Satisfaction, Responsiveness to Citizen Requests, Solution Oriented Focus Addressing Root Causes, and Victim Restitution.

The public is encouraged to provide feedback ensuring our assessors get a complete picture of how this agency is impacting the community. Refreshments will be provided to visitors who may meet with our team during business hours this week, during the Saturday/Sunday sessions or other times by appointment. We look forward to hearing from you.

Janice Hartman, CALEA Team Lead

Okay, as you may have guessed, this is not a genuine draft of the press release. I wrote it to get you thinking about how police may be a bit  hypocritical and even delusional in their claim to protect and serve the interests of the public.

In Reality, if you want to “offer comments” you’ll need to . . . . . .do so between the hours of 1:00 and 3:00 PM  on Monday by calling(603) 757-0620 to talk with who I’m guessing may be the one the assessor assigned to take phone calls. Once you get them on the phone, take however much time you need! (10 min. maximum)

It goes on “Telephone comments. . .must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA’s standards.” The standard address: “policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services”

Who could miss the outward community focus in those standards?

To ensure as much feedback as possible, the standards – despite being a simple text document – were not made available online and can be ” reviewed at the Keene Police Department or  the Keene Public Library.”

This serves as an barrier to keep the public out of the process with roadblocks, hoops, and obstacles getting in the way of community involvement in the certification process. Without the system protecting itself, police might be faced with the harm they cause in the community. Instead the CALEA process seems to be reinforcing, “Were the good guys” propaganda to police and the public.

What good are certifying standards bodies that are unwilling to discuss the harm and unintended consequences the overall system is causing? (i.e. is the current “cure” worse than the dis-ease?)

I went to the library to take a look at the “state-of-the-art standards”. While most of them require only “a written directive”,  there’s one worth noting:

1.1.2 Code of Ethics – A written directive requires all personnel to abide by a code or canon of ethics adopted by the agency and mandates that ethics training be conducted for all personnel, at a minimum, biannually.

Of course this only requires that they have a written directive, and you can find that here . Let me share a few of my favorite highlights:

Law Enforcement Code of Ethics

. . . my fundamental duty is to serve mankind; . . . to protect. . . the weak against oppressionthe peaceful against violence or disorder; and to respect . . . liberty, equality, and justice. or intimidation,

I will. . . maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, or ridicule; . . .Honest in thought and deed. . .I will be exemplary in obeying the laws. . .

I will never act officiously or permit personal feelings, prejudices, animosities, or friendships to influence my decisions. With no compromise. . . I will enforce the law courteously and appropriately without fear or favor, malice or ill will, never employing unnecessary force. . .

I recognize the badge. . . as a symbol of public faith. . .to be held so long as I am true to the ethics of police service. I will constantly strive to achieve . . . my chosen profession – law enforcement.

To the Police, Prosecutors, Jailers and others  with friends or families in the profession: Take some time to read this and think about it. Do your actions measure up the intent behind this code? Is that what you spend your time doing all day? Would your family, friends, and neighbors answer this question about you in the same way?

Do you want a more compassionate and caring society that would come about by living this code of ethics? Sure you could go on urging others to “use the system” and “change the laws”. If that works, how did it get to this point?  I think Alfred Adler put it best, “It is easier to fight for one’s principles than to live up to them.“

What’s it like waking up one  morning wondering who your going to catch today? Knowing that you will be forcing others to live, not with liberty-in a way consistent with an individual’s morals- but by words written on paper by people who want to use you as pawns to control others, often to their own benefit or perceived benefit.

What’s it like to go out hunting your friends, neighbors, and fellow human beings believing it’s ok to extort money from then in an effort ensure they adhere to your belief system?

I’ve often asked myself these same questions. It must be like shooting fish in a barrel. You shoot that gun into the barrel and the shock wave reaches every fish letting them know who’s in charge. Sure your distorted view of the fish may cause you to hit the wrong one from time to time, but what can they really do? Jump up and bite your arm? You can laugh as they struggle to survive in the environment you dragged them into. It must be so easy to dismiss their claims of injustice. It must feel powerful knowing how well protected you are from the fish in the barrel.

Is that the difference you want to make in the world? Subjugating others to the will of the few in power who which to use force for personal gain? Government’s answer to everything seems to be more: more police, more weapons, more laws. Is that the gift you want to give your children – A police state?

For the rest of us, if you feel police don’t follow this code, then call and tell them on Monday. I didn’t see anything requiring KPD to follow the written guidelines in order to be accredited, so chances are they will discard your comments as irrelevant to the requirement for a written policy. At least the employees will not be able to go on thinking everyone loves what they do because hardly anyone complains!

I think this is the most powerful point an individual can make, a moral one. One that appeals to the humanity in each of us. I encourage those of you who share some or all of my beliefs to communicate those thoughts with the monopolists who work for the government justice system.

If not Monday, then the next time you run into them on the street, in the grocery store, or at the park. Let them know the importance of those ethics, and that you feel police can not possibly uphold such a code by enforcing laws written to serve politicians.

Burst the bubble for them, and hopefully one day they can put down their guns and start having a rational discussion about a more compassionate and caring, voluntary society.

(Read On…)

People come to the “ideas of liberty” through different routes.  These people think differently, grew up in different cultures, and have different values.  Different things attract their attention, different things make them think, and different things change their minds.

Therefore, if we really want to spread our message to as many people as possible, it is important we market ourselves in as many ways as possible.  Aside from certain actions which are bound to be utterly counter-productive (such as direct violence against the State, which leads to sympathy for the State, and is not worth even the small minority of people that may find it agreeable), all activism – political or otherwise – markets our ideas to different audiences.

Running for office, refusing to shut off your camera, gardening, holding marijuana, protesting in IRS offices, placing money in empty parking meters: all of these things market libertarian ideas to different people who believe different things.  Each of these activities catch the attention of different individuals and expose them to the philosophy of freedom.

Now, if it is true that different people our “turned on” by different activities, then it is certainly true that those same people are “turned off” by others.  However, let us measure the gains and losses of even the most controversial of activism and, based on that net gain or loss, decide what truly is “productive.”

“Productivity” we will define as accomplishing one of the following things:

1. Introducing our ideas to new people in a way that garners agreement or sympathy.
2. Changing the minds of people to support our ideas.
3. Getting people to move to New Hampshire to aid in the fight for freedom.

Let us define “counter-productivity” as the opposite:

1. Introducing our ideas to new people in a way that garners disdain or disagreement.
2. Changing the minds of people to fight against our ideas.
3. Getting people to move away from New Hampshire or to decide not to make the move.

Now, let us take, as an example, parking meter activism, which involves filling empty parking meters with change so as to help our fellow individuals avoid tickets.  Let us take Individual A who watches a video about this; and let us decide how this person will react.

If the individual is watching a video then it can be assumed he/she already agrees with our ideas (it is more likely that someone who agrees with us watches our videos then someone who disagrees).  Therefore, this person has just been introduced to a new type of activism.  It is assumed more than likely that he/she agrees with the message behind the activism – but what if he/she disagrees with the means of expressing it?

Well then, let us decide what is more likely to happen next.  Will this person, perhaps living in an outside state and, let’s say, planning to move to New Hampshire soon – is this person more likely to cancel his moving plans due to this one particular piece of activism?  No.  Of course not.  It is VERY rare that someone give up completely on the Free State Project, or the cause of liberty, after encountering one, or even several, activism events that they disagree with.

However, it is MUCH MORE LIKELY that this one event could garner even more of their support, and gain further sympathy for the cause.  Even still, it is more likely that this one event will CONVINCE THEM to make the move to NH!

Our activism has a selection bias within libertarian circles, and therefore is more likely to convince people to love our ideas even more – or to finally decide to make the move – then it is to drive them wholly away.  Especially when you take into account the fact that there are plenty of other different kinds of activism occurring in NH at the same time!  Even if a fellow libertarian discovers one protest he/she disagrees with, he/she is still likely to find so much to love about other activism in NH that he/she will still make the move.

In other words, activism – of every stripe – brings in more people then it turns away.

What about non-libertarians, you ask?  Well, again, our activism has a selection bias to have a great effect on those who agree with the idea behind it and less of an effect on those who disagree.  So long as we continue to market our ideas differently, we will appeal to different individuals.  This allows every individual to find their own way to the fight for freedom.  It also allows, in time, for individuals to not see us all as “Free Staters”, but to begin to recognize “us” as a very diverse group of individuals with different values and, even, different goals.

Activist A can always explain to Potential Libertarian X that Activist B is a “nutjob” or “out of the mainstream” or “not representative of average libertarians” or “someone who does things [Activist A] personally does not agree with.”  Therefore, Potential Libertarian X begins to discriminate between different libertarians, and see the subtle shades of gray between us.  Potential Libertarian X will then slowly gravitate towards the activism he/she agrees with, and AWAY from the activism he/she disagrees with – even finding more agreement with the agreeable activism after comparing it to the disagreeable activism.

At the end of the day, all these different types of activism – all these individuals expressing their ideas in different ways – will market our ideas to different people; and, as Potential Libertarian X sifts his/her way through the various activism and the various individuals behind the activism, he/she will come to more and more of an agreement with the libertarians he/she finds to be doing agreeable activism.

Trust me, the phrase that begins with, “You know, some of those Free Staters aren’t half bad…” is a wonderful phrase.  But it is one that will never be heard if we continue to push for homogenization within the movement.

In conclusion, I say:

Let the political people do their political activism!  And let it bring to the ideas of freedom all those who find that type of activism agreeable.  And let the out-of-the-system people do their out-of-the-system activism!  And let it bring to the ideas of freedom all those who find that type of activism agreeable.

At the end of the day, both forms of activism – and MOST subtle shades in between – will bring MORE people to the philosophy of freedom then it will ever turn away; because when Potential Libertarian X turns away from the “parking meter activism”, he/she suddenly finds himself seeing the libertarian running for office to be THAT MUCH MORE agreeable.  And when Potential Libertarian Y turns away from the “dirty political activism”, he/she suddenly finds himself seeing the libertarian putting quarters in a parking meter to be THAT MUCH more agreeable.

Either way, two more minds have been reached!  With any luck I will be able to successfully do in-the-system AND out-of-the-system activism, so that I can reach as many minds as possible in ways that excite and inspire them.

I wouldn’t go in there telling them to vote a certain way. I would simply use the platform of the meeting to talk about why they have no right to control the behavior or property of others. I wouldn’t give any moral support to the idea of the vote. I realize they are going to vote on it, but that’s their game. What it comes down to is I’m not going to go through the motions and essentially act out what is to me a big lie. It’s the same reason I don’t rise for a judge. They are hoping I’ll go through the motions and act publicly in accordance with their lies, reinforcing them, and in complete contradiction to my deeply held beliefs. It’s disgusting and offensive to me. On the other hand, simply taking the opportunity of the meeting and telling them they have no right to control others is as honest as I could be.

(Read On…)

I’m publishing this article here on the blog in the hopes that it will encourage similar activism other parts of New Hampshire, where honestly, there is no excuse for activists to not be doing this incredibly simple and effective activism. We’ve been challenging the activists in other areas to take this up for months now, and they haven’t. Which of course just makes Keene a more attractive destination in comparison.

Thanks to Chris Muskus for being the driving force behind this amazingly successful FIJA outreach, as it enters it’s second year this August.

In the last year, my fellow activists and I have distributed hundreds of Fully Informed Jury Association pamphlets into the hands of potential jurors as they arrive at the courthouse for jury selection. Month after month, we gather on the first Monday in front of the Cheshire superior court in Keene, New Hampshire and offer FIJA information to every single person walking into the courthouse. We arrive at 8am when the doors open and stay until about 8:45am, fifteen minutes after the potential jurors are supposed to be there, just to make sure we reach all the late arrivals. About 80-90% of the people we approach will take the flier. Usually I’ll smile and say something like, “Good morning, would you like some free information on your rights as a juror?”, and hold out a trifold. That’s all it takes!

I think it’s great that people are giving FIJA info to their friends, family, and co-workers. Reading the letters to the editor of this newsletter reveals to me that is happening a lot. I find myself wondering however, is Keene, NH the only place in the country where FIJA outreach is targeting potential jurors as they walk in the court for jury selection? I certainly hope we aren’t the first doing this form of FIJA outreach consistently, but in case we are, I wanted to share it with you as something you may want to consider duplicating in your area. Approaching potential jurors outside the courthouse is the most effective form of FIJA outreach, in my opinion. Here’s why:

1. Potential jurors are the best prospects for this message. They are about to go into the selection process and are more likely to be interested in matters regarding their rights as a juror at this time moreso than any other point in their life.
2. Jury selection usually involves a whole lot of waiting. People who have been before know this, but first-timers may not. They will really appreciate having something to read (the FIJA pamphlet) when they sit down in the waiting area.
3. Done consistently, you can reach every potential juror with FIJA information. That’s effective!

Yes, this does take a little time and preparation, but not much. The only costs are what you’ll spend either printing the fliers yourself using the .PDF files on FIJA.org, or ordering them from FIJA. (We print our own with our FreeKeene.com blog url printed in the area on the back.) Otherwise, you’re just spending a little bit of time. More populated areas probably choose juries more often than once a month, so go as often as you can. I also recommend you go with other activists. Don’t do this alone, or you risk police harassment. The more of you there are, the more likely you’ll be left alone. We find that four is the ideal number, with two being the bare minimum. We position two activists on each direction people can approach from, so we don’t miss anybody. If your courthouse has more than one entrance, you may need more people. In case the police or court bailiffs decide to harass you, make sure to have recording devices handy. Let them know they are being recorded as soon as they approach. Do not heed their demands to stop. If they are on the job and in public, they should be on the record. Assure them you are engaging in free speech and that you will not block entrances. Don’t be rude, but also don’t be meek and obedient. Practice asking questions of the officers rather than answering theirs. He who asks the questions controls the conversation. In our case, the first month we did this, two sheriffs came up and asked what we were doing, then went away and we never saw them again, but we had more than four volunteers right from day one. It helps if you outnumber them.

In most places in the country, it’s finding someone to help you that will be the biggest difficulty. When I used to do liberty activism down in Sarasota, FL, it was like pulling teeth getting people to volunteer to do things like this FIJA outreach. Up here in New Hampshire, we have more than enough volunteers show up every single month. Why? The Free State Project is the difference. In case you weren’t aware, thousands of people have pledged to move to NH and get active for liberty. That means everything from doing FIJA, to politics, civil disobedience, and creating our own media. It’s all happening and it’s happening now, since hundreds of people have already made the move and more are coming every week! So, if you’re frustrated by the lack of liberty activism in your area and really want a chance at liberty in your lifetime, you owe it to yourself to look into the Free State Project at FreeStateProject.org

I’m having the time of my life! The liberty activists moving here as part of the Free State Project are the nicest people and the best activists I’ve ever seen. To get a look at some of the other things happening our little corner of NH, visit our blog at FreeKeene.com and to get a wider perspective, the FSP features blogs from around the state on the front page of FreeStateProject.org

With that, I encourage you to get out in front of the courthouse while potential jurors are arriving for selection and get them much-needed FIJA info!

“Outlaw Journalist” defies order to stop recording

July 9, 2009

It is said that silence is often louder than speech, that a voice quashed is more powerful than one left free.

So, as I undertake the third night of a six-day civil disobedience imprisonment, there is no urgent crush to communicate. But it is fitting to outline the events which led here and the cause which fires so many others to suffer a similar path.

It is Christendom’s two thousand and tenth year. But within the nation where that faith once held greatest sway, a cruel epidemic waxes. It is not a pestilence of truly natural origin, not a pestilence at all by the traditional meaning of the noun. It is a millstone fervently worn – literally celebrated – by the plurality of those who endure its crushing weight. Through its privations hapless families are flung apart, innocent souls ripped from feeble bodies and innocence itself shorn from the hearts of its unaccountable enforcers. All unfolds on the dime of the hapless worker and plundered businessman, above the graves of twenty-five thousands who died fighting a three percent document tax.

It is the grand, hungry march of exploding government authority, parading around the prison gulag which grows with every step of its progress. As these words take form its advance unfolds exponential. No truce or parley checks its dark course. Beside the New England forts which stood or fell in the first revolution, all ’round the siege lines which still mark the British surrender, lights are going out…the lights of homes stolen by State forfeiture or eminent domain, of businesses ruined by growing tax and mandate.

But the most golden beams to dim have been those of personal liberty and peaceable rebellion. Like night-blind children compelled toward the isolated candles of a primitive village, we who live for such light have found ourselves drawn toward the places where it still feebly shines. And of those places, one has stood above the others, cast a truer shadow, made possible a greater hope. It is the land English invaders lamented, a jungle of prodigious hilltops and ruthless ice.

In this unborn country, a calm revolt – or rather a series of revolts – is undertaken. Its politicians rebel (selectively) against Washington control, its people against its politicians and its media pipelines against any of the above which would muzzle them. It is a place of constructive defiance. It has never been anything less.

Toward this partially wild East, America’s most deliberate migration project since the Homestead Act enters its sixth year. Five hundred over-active refugees from the authoritarian states of “Republikrat” America link arms with New Hampshire’s native liberty community and cobble a loose but increasingly potent defense against the seemingly unstoppable march of Authority. With a calculated desperation not seen since the days of Parks and King, some clumsily follow the path of the same. To the unjust they say: Ignore us and admit the wrongness of your victimless crime edicts, or seize us and amplify our message.

There are, it is believed, several lines of defense which must be held in this manner against the encroaching cancer. Perhaps the most valuable of these is the newly decentralized exercise of press freedom. The practice of camcording official activity and placing it upon the waves of the electronic web for all to support or decry, that practice has fallen into the desperate hands of the “little people.” As a check against government abuse it is indispensable. It is, in this land of so many hills, a good one upon which to die.

Across New Hampshire, the freedom to record exists, but only in a tenuous, ambiguous form. An elderly “wiretapping” law is often cited by officials wishing to frighten from their presence the troubling light of independent recording. In courtrooms, judges are encouraged by law to permit independent taping but granted a hazardous leeway to limit the same. Some choose to expand their mandate and exert censorship over the lobbies outside their force-funded chambers. Others permit relatively unfettered access, ban cameras altogether or moodily swing from one extreme to the next.

In the twilight of 2008, videographer Tom Caruso gently presses Keene District Court for leave to film the controversial trial of a victimless defendant. The defendant approves, but Caruso’s lens captures the judge in a fit of anger. The New York documentarian has driven four hours to record this proceeding, but four minutes into it the flustered jurist’s enforcers compel him to stop. Meanwhile the defendant is hustled away and tried in relative secrecy. In protest, I report to the court with a promised course of action. I pledge that come the next such proceeding, weeks hence, I will follow Caruso’s path and endeavor to film. But I will peaceably disobey any unjust order to turn my camera off.

In the event, upon arrival, press recording is forbidden completely…both in the court itself and in the lobby outside. Lawful or not, the unsigned order has the weight of a smalltown army behind it. I am seized in the lobby, camera in hand, perhaps the first journalist to video-broadcast his own arrest live. Much of what ensues is well-known to our liberty community: The five arrests surrounding my arraignment, the more heroic and robust stand of videographer Sam Dodson, the eventual re-admission of our cameras to Keene District Court.

But it is our purpose which gives meaning to these deeds:

The purpose of accountability, holding “our” officials before the cleansing glare of a camcorder’s sunlight and saying to all who would interfere: “On the job means on the record.”

The purpose of liberty…the right of each soul to do all she pleases that harms or threatens none against their will…

And, as unprecedented government growth brushes a nation toward the cliff of collapse, the purpose of ensuring it may never be said we did nothing.

Decades after the largely peaceable struggles which brought partial liberation to the bonded peoples of India and the American South, children still asked “What did you do in the Struggle, grandpa?”

From this concrete box it is appropriate only to ask: Please do what you are able, while there is still time, to ensure that when you stand before this question, you may proudly provide a convincing answer.

Dave Ridley
RidleyReport.com
Grafton

I believe in rules on private property. I believe in peaceful, consensual interactions between human beings. I am a voluntaryist. I understand that others in this movement are still enamored (as I once was) by the “macho flash” feeling they get from calling themselves an “anarchist”, or by walking around wearing an anarchy symbol t-shirt, but look at the destruction and the people that symbol is associated with! I know, I know, you’re trying to rescue the term by showing that you are peaceful and respectful of others’ property, in hopes of changing people’s preconceived notions about it. While I understand where you are coming from, I think it’s as futile and counterproductive as walking around wearing a swastika t-shirt because you know that historically the symbol stands for good luck and you want to change peoples’ perceptions of it!

If you love liberty, please stop trying to rescue the long-destroyed term of “anarchist”. Embrace change and choose a label for yourself without preconceived notions. Try, voluntaryist or consensualist – anything but “anarchist”. This sort of labeling is counterproductive and only serves to confuse people about who you are and what you believe. Using an unknown term like voluntaryist leaves minds open. People will ask you to explain it, rather than jump to conclusions.

Also, Hope Chapel’s Pastor Joseph Mabe took the time to post a comment here and I’d like to thank him and his church for being forgiving towards the anonymous coward that did the damage. It’s rare to see organized religions actually practicing what they preach. (Of course, they likely won’t be able to prevent the government gang from continuing the cycle of violence if they ever catch the culprit, as the state can press charges without the consent of the victims.) From what Mabe has said to fellow blogger Nick Ryder, Hope Chapel is very liberty oriented, and they understand that taxes are slavery. For liberty-minded newcomers looking to church themselves, you may want to pay them a visit at 667 Main Street in Keene (aka Rt. 12 on the way to Swanzey).

Here’s our forum thread for discussion on this.