Irregularly for weeks, Matthew “Boston Strong” Schmidt has driven by the intersection of Leverett and River streets in his Amari Plumbing work truck and personal vehicles, laying on his horn and screaming “Get a job!” at the top of his lungs. Rich Paul, who lives in one of the homes at the intersection, decided to go down and confront Boston yesterday after he again drove by honking angrily.
To be clear, Boston has been engaging in this un-neighborly behavior long before his wife Jennifer Schmidt was recently issued a temporary stalking order for allegedly threatening to kill a 10-year-old boy with a knife. WMUR covered that story after it broke here on Free Keene, but WMUR did not mention any names in the case. WMUR also said that Jennifer Schmidt would not talk to the media until they speak to their attorney. In the video of Rich’s confrontation taken by activist David Crawford, Matthew broke the family’s silence in the case, alleging the boy in question was a bully, presumably towards their daughter.
When informed multiple times that his honking had disturbed children from their slumber, Boston was unapologetic. In fact, he further promises to, “make their lives a living nightmare.”
Despite seeming to have some grievance against what he calls the “shithole” on the corner, the Shire Free Church-owned LRN.FM studio and Keene Activist Center, Boston seems to think that all the neighbors who aren’t liberty activists really appreciate his loud honking and screaming. At one point he even claims, “Everybody loves what I’m doing. They love it.”
This delusion is typical of the local hater – because the people who they are close to appear to agree with them, they believe that “everybody” agrees with them. The reality is that people have different opinions. Some people in Keene dislike some things activists do, but like others. Some people like some activists but dislike others. Some love what we do. Some hate what we do. Anyone who’s not in an echo chamber of hate would understand that. Of course if any of his friends or acquaintances actually disagree with him, they probably keep their mouths shut for fear of his wrath.
On Sunday November 24, 2014 I had the honor to join Amanda Bouldin’sShire Sharing in their delivery of food to families in need for this Thanksgiving. Shire Sharing delivered Thanksgiving meals to over 300 families in New Hampshire. Most deliveries were conducted by activists using their own vehicles to routes around the greater Manchester area. A bus and trailer were used to deliver food to concentrated areas such as apartment complexes. Around 10 am, activists who were mostly Free Staters piled into a bus and spent the next few hours delivering food. The playlist above is what I documented on Shire Sharing’s noble journey. I also posted photos of the charity in action which can be found on my instagram account.
Shire Sharing Foundress Amanda Bouldin and Chris Lopez help facilitate today’s deliveries.
Now in its fourth year, the charity created by Free State Project early mover Amanda Bouldin, Shire Sharing, has this year alone provided Thanksgiving dinner for over 330 families across New Hampshire!
Of those 330+ meals, the newly-formed Shire Sharing Keene presided over the delivery of nearly two dozen bags of food and turkeys across the Monadnock region. Outside of the Monadnock region, hundreds of families received the meals, in an amazing fourth-year effort. Though the main Shire Sharing organization made its fundraising goal of feeding 500 families, sadly one of the agencies from which family addresses were supplied apparently dropped the ball, leaving extra funds and supplies. Amanda says Shire Sharing will be distributing those extra supplies to Liberty House homeless shelter in Manchester.
Free Keene’s Darryl W. Perry released this video today which complied some scenes from the Keene-area bag assembly and the subsequent deliveries to happy recipients:
Today close to 50 people, mostly Free Staters, came together for the voluntaryist charity Shire Sharing. Shire Sharing was created by now NH State Representative Amanda Bouldin in dedication to her father. The goal of the charity this year is to feed up to 500 families in need this Thanksgiving in the Shire. Today was the assembly phase where activists put together bags of food for families. Tomorrow is the deliver day where all the bags created will be delivered to different families through out the Manchester area. I will be there to help deliver and to document deliveries. I have also been posting photos of the charity in action which can be found on my instagram account.
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