by Sam Dodson | Jun 3, 2009 |
I’m writing in response to Keene Sentinel columnist Michael Schuman’s story titled “Will the Free Staters Please Sit Down?” I must admit, a couple of years ago, before coming to understand the message of liberty, I would have agreed with Schuman’s opinions.
Schuman’s views are consistent with what many would describe as main stream America. Unfortunately many of his ideas are based in ignorance and misunderstanding that stems from a lack of critical thinking. Like most of us, Schuman probably attended government indoctrination centers where school children are taught to stand on their X, respect authority, and do as you’re told without question.
Take a look at the pledge of allegiance. How many other countries have one? How many of you know it was written by Fancis Bellamy, a National Socialist (Nazi) flag salesman, to “instill a strong belief in the state.” Dont believe me? Look it up on the internet. You’re likely to find the same picture I did of school children doing a Roman salute – the same one Hitler’s army used – before that was changed after WWII.
Schuman’s description of a classical libertarian is severely flawed and his examples display an ignorance of private property vs. individual rights.
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by Ian | Jun 2, 2009 |
Submitted to the Keene Sentinel:
There is so much misinformation in Michael Schuman’s recent opinion piece, “Will the Free Staters please sit down?”, I felt the record should be set straight. First, let’s actually define what a “Free Stater” is:
The Free State Project (FSP) is an organization that promotes the idea that liberty-minded people move to New Hampshire and get active. A “Free Stater” is nothing more than a liberty activist, and could even be from NH. Schuman, incidentally, is from Connecticut.
Schuman claims the NH Free Press is a “media outlet” of the FSP. The NH Free Press is a newspaper run by two liberty activists, but the FSP has no control over what activists do when they get here. No one ordered me to respond to Schuman’s ill-informed piece; I didn’t ask permission from, and nor do I speak for the FSP. Russell and Kat Kanning, the publishers of the NH Free Press, may consider themselves “9/11 truthers” but I don’t know many liberty activists in the Keene area who feel the same way. We are individuals with divergent beliefs but with the common thread of loving freedom so much that we’re willing to take action for it.
As for his suggestion that liberty activists are akin to the rude person who stood in front of him at a concert once, I certainly haven’t met them all, but those I know are friendly, respectful, and are good neighbors. They also range from small government minarchists to those who are voluntaryists and absolutely oppose the initiation of force against peaceful people. (more…)
by Sam Dodson | Jun 1, 2009 |
Thursday, May 28:
Hello everyone! I’ve taken a few days off from the blog posts to do some internal spiritual development. I’ve also been working out 1-2 hours a day and eating lots of food to replenish my body’s natural reserves and begin building back the ~15 pounds of muscle I lost. The workouts wipe me out, so I’ve also been sleeping an hour or two during the day.
I’m writing primarily to say “Thank you!” to everyone who contributed to getting me on Freedom Watch. I feel like the interview went very well. On my end it seemed like it was over in 2 minutes! Time flies when having fun. I heard about an email Shelly Roche sent out to 20,000 Break The Matrix viewers, that was titled “The Camera Is the New Gun.” That’s such a true statement. Cameras combined with new technology and the power of the internet is reshaping society in the same way the printing press reshaped society in ways few peasants could even imagine.
Again, thank you all for working so hard to bring my situation to the attention of Freedom Watch. I think it’s going to bring a lot more national attention to what’s happening in the Free State.
I have several more stores, and I’ll get back to them soon. The self development and insights about myself are incredibly valuable and need to take priority. I’m also getting indications that my time here is coming to a close in the next week or two. I don’t know how exactly, all I can say is it feels like I have learned what I came here to learn. It may be another month, maybe three, I’m content to wait if that’s the case. I could be misinterpreting all the little signals the universe has been sending me, but if I’m correct, I’ll be seeing everyone soon without the glass partition in something other than orange.
SamIAm
by John Smith | May 28, 2009 |
Robin Hood of Keene doesn’t rob anybody, but does like to help out those in need: particularly patrons of downtown Keene whose parking meters have expired. By adding extra coins, Robin Hood saves those patrons from the hassle and extra expense of parking citations given by the orders of the Crown of Keene and distributed by his sheriffs. After all, what business does the Crown of Keene have demanding money to park your car in a public place?
I’m one of Robin Hood’s merry men, and I’d like to tell you a story that happened to me the other day while carrying out Robin Hood’s mission. Two fellow merry men and I were checking the meters around Central Square when we found an expired one in front of Pepper Pete’s Hot Shop. I put in some coins, deposited a note on the car’s windshield to alert the driver, and was on my way. But as I left, I noticed Pepper Pete come out of his store and stand on the sidewalk. He said nothing but I was alert, because in the past Pepper Pete has accosted some merry men, accusing them of acting illegally and berating them for soliciting money.
I walked to the end of the street, finished my metering duties, and returned from whence I came, passing Pepper Pete again. Again, he said nothing. I was a little suspicious, so after I turned the corner, I stopped and peered back down the street through the window of the corner shop. I saw Pepper Pete walk to the car that for which I had deposited coins and remove my note.
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by Chris Muskus | May 27, 2009 |
The last Sunday of the month is quickly approaching us and you know what that means, it’s time again for the Free Keene Food Drive.
Last month we managed to collect just slightly over 300 cans & assorted food for the Community Kitchen in Keene.
Let’s see if we can break 350 cans this time around!
Join us this Sunday, at Vendetta 43 Central Square in Keene to help feed the hungry.
Chris M.
by Sam Dodson | May 22, 2009 |
Tuesday, May 19:
On “The Hill” at the Cheshire County Correctional Facility.
The Hill, as they call it, is working on the dairy farm, reportedly owned by the jail. I was wrong in my original assumption. According to the other prisoners, no milk from the farm is used at the jail, and it’s sold at cost. Here’s where i gets interesting. The farm is run by Dave Potnam, a local selectman for Westmoreland. It appears at least on its surface to be another example of government granting monopoly privilege to the bureaucrats’ friends and family – or themselves in this case.
I’m left wondering what his management fee is for a farm that requires no personal investment of his own for equipment, seed stock, facilities, repairs, etc. He gets the benefit of a paycheck – I wonder how much – without any of the risks other farmers take, while getting a never ending supply of free slave labor from the jail.
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