How to make New Hampshire more free.

[Michael Fisher]

Here's my reply to a message from the FSP forums regarding the "socialist" seacoast towns:

It is true that these towns are seen as the worst in the state, and perhaps it is true, but I have very high expectations of what is possible here.  After moving from Burlington, Vermont and living in Newmarket for one year, I can say for a fact that the spirit of liberty is alive and well here.

The only resistance that exists between the status quo and our ideal society is the amount of people that do nothing in their communities to voluntarily help others and solve problems in their towns.

I moved here and immediately began to help with community events, fundraisers, charities, and other issues.  Because of my volunteerism, most people in the local business association do not prejudge me or my ideas.  They listen to me just as much as I listen to them.  We are all friends working together voluntarily to help the town, each other, and ourselves by creating a better community for the future.

Even though they know I'm a Free State Project member because of my recent arrest, they dismiss the FSP association because they know me personally.  Now that they know I'm an FSP member, they're asking me to push my ideals even further at the town level to stop new ordinances and help get rid of old burdensome regulations.  This is only seen as a "liberal" area because of prejudged political labels.  People I know who are liberal around here only vote that way because they hate the most extreme planks of the Republican Party's agenda.  Helping a conservative get voted into the town council will do little to help the current situation.

Forget party labels.  It's far easier to get people to distrust all politicians and bureaucrats rather than only some of them.  Tell people that if we trust the citizens to be responsible, they will be.

If you want to break the ice, move into a town and just help others with their existing volunteer projects, organizations, and fundraisers.  Help them and they will help you.  Consider their ideas and they will consider your ideas.  Practice the Golden Rule.

These principles work.  They are working for me right now.  That is why I have so much confidence in the future of liberty. 

[Kat Kanning]

That's what Dawn Lincoln did, also.  The people in town know her because of her volunteering efforts.  I think that's how she wound up being elected to town office.