Anti-FSP flyer being circulated in Winchester

[Michael Fisher]

The true story of Professor Dennis Littky who took the job of principal at Thayer High School in Winchester, New Hampshire. With understanding and compassion, Littky turned a group of downtrodden students into super achievers.

Actors:
- Carole Galloway
- Jill Eikenberry
- Linda Griffiths
- Michael Tucker

87 minutes

[afishercat]

Do you know why they called it a "Town Torn Apart"?

[Michael Fisher]

http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/resources/view/ces_res/83

Update on the story:
http://www.bigpicture.org/publications/2001archives/projo101.htm

"Here, Thayer, and Everywhere" TV program:
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/awards.html?id=3617

[Michael Fisher]

Maybe we should contact Thayer.  He seems to know the value of educational alternatives. 

[AlanM]

Maybe we should contact Thayer.? He seems to know the value of educational alternatives.?

I am dubious of a program that Harvard seems to approve of. Small changes are not what is necessary. Wholesale changes are in order.

[Michael Fisher]

True.   

[John]

Another fisher cat?

[afishercat]

Did you think there was only one?    New Hampshire is full of fisher cats.  That's how we keep the rodent population down. 

[SethCohn]

This thread was dug up by Russ Marten. 
My directly emailed reply to his commentary on it is below (along with his original comment).
Just in case someone out there decides to check it out as a result of his linkage.

My email to Russ:

Mr Martens, since you've decided I'm a real person, I guess I should
stand up like a real person and point out the distortions you've made
in your email, which was kindly passed onto me, since I was mentioned
by name.

The original flyer in question was a very distorted view of 'Free
Stater beliefs' meant as an attack piece against a single person,
using a broad tar and feather stroke.  Of course, you and Pam continue
to ignore the fact that truly wacky folks like Mr. Pendvaris don't
truly represent 'Free Staters' or our views. (Given he was thrown out
of the FSP, a rare task indeed, since we're a very accommodating group
with lots of room for diverse opinions, it's fair to say that if
anyone doesn't, he certainly doesn't.  He did not move to NH, btw.  I
wouldn't want him as my neighbor either.)

Ron Helwig's 'rewrite' was his attempt to counter those distortions,
by turning the 'attack flyer' around into what he felt were more
positive items but, still, as a _parody_ of the original.  Like any
partisan opinion, he's entitled to his own take.  Keeping that in
mind, the only thing Free Staters _all_ have in common is we've all
agreed to the Statement of Intent:

"I hereby state my solemn intent to move to the state of New
Hampshire. Once there, I will exert the fullest practical effort
toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil
government is the protection of life, liberty, and property."

What a crazy and radical idea: "the maximum role of civil
government is protection of life, liberty and property."  Why, it
sounds almost like something that wacky Thomas Jefferson and that gang
of his, the Founding Fathers, might think up.

Any other opinions, or interpretations of how to achieve that society,
are solely personal opinions.  There is no groupthink, there is no
central planning, there is no consensus.  If you get 50 Free Staters
in a room, we don't _all_ agree on much.  In fact, you would probably
boil the sole agreement point we have down to that idea above.  We
have political types on all sides of the aisle, and apolitical types
who merely want to lead quiet lives as far from the Town Hall and
State House as possible.  We have religious folks who attend Church
every Sunday, and are good pious Christian souls, and we have atheists
and agnostics and pagans of all flavors. THERE IS NO CONSENSUS view on
much... are there overall views, that many tend to agree on?  Yes.

And some of us understand that and try and keep that in mind,
especially when claiming to speak for 'Free Staters', which none of us
do officially, in any way.

So when someone like me rewrites what someone like Ron wrote, I'm not
just 'water(ing) down the statement to make it more palatable to the
public,'  I'm rewriting it to better fit the views of OUR OWN
membership (which after all, was the point of the flyer), some of whom
would still probably disagree with my rewrite.
Yes, I made very clear that "buzzwords like 'socialist' and
'communist' are preaching to the converted, and not to those who don't
understand the issues," because isn't the point of being a good writer
to communicate to those who don't understand, and once reading, will
understand the issues?

As for The Free Lunch Project website, Pam's name was clearly put on
in response to her highly biased article in CounterPunch.  A complete
analysis of what was wrong in that article were posted on the FSP
forum (google for it), but Lou's parody was another individual's
response to what was obviously an attack piece, and what goes around,
comes around.  Satire is long traditionally a good response, going
back centuries.  Or are you going to accuse Jonathan Swift of being a
Free Stater, as well?  After all, he wrote a famous piece advocating
the eating of Irish children.

Bill Campbell, a native of New Hampshire, whom I'm proud to consider a
friend, had his personal views long before he ever heard of the Free
State Project, or met Dawn.  His being a 'supporter' of the FSP isn't
a radical notion, given that many native New Hampshire folks feel that
same way.  In fact, if you asked many native New Hampshire people if
they agreed with the beliefs in the flyer as I reworked it - bringing
it to the points of common ground, you'd likely get a lot of nods in
agreement with many of those positions.

The core values of most Free Staters tend to be core New Hampshire
native values: local control, low taxes, personal responsibility,
staying out of other peoples business, being a good neighbor.
I know Bill stands for those values.  I try to stand for those values.
How about you?

Yours,
Seth Cohn
and yes, I'm a real person.

Permission to reproduce/forward this email or it's contents is granted
only if in full.  No excerpts allowed.

> From:  Russ
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 8:14 PM
> Subject: It's Foolish to Say Bill Campbell is Not a Free Stater
>
> Here's the bombshell link to the discussion board called New Hampshire
> Underground.  This is a forum for Free State Project supporters run by Kat
> and Russell Kanning who publish the New Hampshire Free Press.  This is a
> cache of the discussion that took place when Dawn was outed as a Free Stater
> in Winchester, with Dawn herself participating in this forum. (Note that the
> person who outed her in Winchester is the "coward" but lying about her
> agenda is apparently okay.)  It says that Bill Campbell is a Free State
> supporter and Dawn doesn't dispute that.  If you read each page, clicking to
> the next page at the bottom, you will see the maniacal way this group
> works.  First they want to issue a rebuttal with their true agenda,
> legalizing prostitution, gutting public education, social security, etc.
> Ron Helwig who drafts this rebuttal is a real person as are all the full
> names listed here. (Helwig was involved with trying to get New Hampshire
> businesses to use a currency created by these "freedom lovers" instead of
> the U.S. currency.)  Notice Dawn has no argument with this outrageous agenda
> mapped out by Helwig.  If you keep going from page to page, you see that
> Seth Cohn then waters down the statement to make it more palatable to the
> public. (Seth is a real person.)
>
> http://nhunderground.com/forum/index.php?topic=1324.0

[Friday]

Ian may be poisoning the well, but Seth is watering it down!   

[SethCohn]

Ian may be poisoning the well, but Seth is watering it down!   

ROFLMAO...

[Sam A. Robrin]

I had the feeling last summer when I wrote this that it would continue to remain relevant:

YA BEEN TARGETED ("Ya Got Trouble"  (often called "Trouble in River City"))
COPYRIGHT 2009 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it (Hey, I lifted the melody!), but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

http://forum.freestateproject.org/index.php?topic=17641.msg210811#msg210811
http://www.counterpunch.org/martens04272009.html

Either you've remained tolerant of
An invading army using buzzwords of "liberty" and "freedom,"
Or you've rolled out the red carpet
To tens of thousands of free market extremists.
We-e-e-l-l-l, you've been Targeted, m'man, blown back!
I say, Targeted, POW! in seventeen cities.

Yes the US has some problems,
Sure as shootin', and I'm the first,
You bet!, the first one to admit it.
And the time that I've spent
Writing Congressmen will prove I am.
Used the system to change things,
Help the pooor folks, and keep orrrder.
Ever take time off from work
To petition your senator
For a brand-new spending bill?
Well, let me tell you,
You need adult perspectives in the real world
Of partisan politics.
You know, anyone can criticize
Without a plan for change,
And that's immature--
Your first clue of their insidious plot
To promote pure anarchism!
You'll see--first they're challenging speeding tickets in court--
Then unlicensed puppets!
Then it's one short step
To supporting can't-win third-party candidates
Like Ron Paul,
And taking cash bribes from behind-the-scenes special interests.
Getting talking points about unfettered markets--
Not a state-run industry, No!
But a free-for-all where they do as they please.
Some tailored, gem-fingered mogul stealing
Bread from the mouths of widowed orphans--
Not in my America!
And in case you still don't get it:
We've got one, two, three, four guaranteed freedoms (speech, worship, want, fear)--
If anyone asks for more,
He's a flat-out Terrorist
With a capital T,
And that rhymes with "free,"
And that flouts the law!

And the area residents of New Hampshire,
Known for their tolerance,
No end to their stoic, granite tolerance!
Tolerating Free State protests, ar-rests, PorcFests, too!                                                             
Make a bid for attention,
And to Hell with the laws that they don't like,
And the jobs they don't have, and their scruffy clothing,
To Hell with paying their fair share of taxes
Till the babies are starved and the cops unfunded
And the crooks run wild, and you're Targeted--
You're the outside agitators' Targets.
And they started the Grafton GAY-zette newspaper,
Spoiled children, hawking the agenda,
And silencing the opposition--Targets!
In seventeen cities,
Targets!  With a capital T
And that rhymes with "free,"
And that flouts the law!

See, New Hampshire wasn't picked for its "Live Free" motto--
It was chosen because of you:
The most ignorant residents of any state;
Defenseless as schoolgirls when it comes to politics!
They'll be open carrying!  Free speaking!
Doing whatever they want because it's their property!
And crowing all about
How they're going to eliminate the Nanny State.
Which to their way of thinking includes public education
To be replaced with home schooling!  Unabombers!
No zoning boards, no building codes,
Inspections, and every essential government function
That's protecting their right to swarm New Hampshire--
In-vasion!
It's the most audacious corporate-backed social experiment in living memory!

CROWD:     We've been Targeted!
      In seventeen cities!
      With a capital T,
      And that rhymes with "free"
      And that flouts the law!
      They've drawn a big bull's eye
      On the "Live Free or Die" State
         Let's kill 'em!
      It's the most cynical, sneaky
      Coup we ever saw!

People of New Hampshire!
These promises of more "freedoms" sound eerily familiar.
Coming from uninvited liberators secretly backed by special interests!
They've decided to come into towns
Presenting themselves as "mainstream,"
Then get elected to local boards and civic organizations,
And slowly chip away at established society
By gutting funding!
Soon, they'll legalize Gambling!  Drug handling!
Price gouging!  Dueling!
Incest!  CANNIBALISM!                           

Well, that proves, my friends,
You've been Targeted!
In seventeen cities!
With a capital T,
And that rhymes with "free"
And that flouts the law!                                                                                                                 
We've been targeted!
In seventeen cities!
Got to call them out in the middle of Main Street and tell them to "Draw!"

CROWD:     Oh, we've been Targeted!
      By terrible terrorists!
      These courtroom antics they're pulling now are the last damn straw!
      We've been Targeted, by Terrible Terrorists!
         T!  T!  T!       And the rhyme is on "Free"
      And that flouts the law!

Listen, folks, I'm outing this plan just in the nick of time!


YA BEEN TARGETED (REPRISE)
COPYRIGHT 2009 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it (Hey, I lifted the melody!), but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

Shifting into damage control mode!  Damage control!
I can stop this scheme to take over by force,
   With the first in-depth look at their plan.
      I pounded a twenty-year beat
      As a journalist on Wall Street
   And I can institute a total Free State Project ban.

The self-reinforcing spiral of growing unemployment and home foreclosures
Creates an urgent need to reinforce sound, but reasonable, zoning ordinances.
"Designationandreservationunderamasterplanoflanduse . . ."
We can fight this extremist brand of free market capitalism
That the corporate backers hope will lead
To a gutting of business regulations,
And return the state to the right wing of the Republican fold.
Zoning laws'll do it up right, you bet!
Just some zoning laws, nice-n-legal.
I vow New Hampshire's going to have zoning laws
As a means to a bright new tomorrow.
I'll rescue you all from their grasping claws
With a convoluted code of new zoning laws,
We can weed out the undesirable element,
Clear the way for right-thinking types:
Taxpayers, conformists, followers, sheep!
And you'll be part of something greater than yourself,
And no better or different than anyone else,
And you'll swell with pride!
"My country 'tis of thee . . ."
And you'll experience the same patriotic surge I did
During my internship when Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy,
John McCain, Newt Gingrich, and Barack Hussein Obama
Taught me the ropes of writing legislation:
      [Segue into]                           

SEVENTEEN HUNDRED PAGES  ("Seventy-six Trombones")
COPYRIGHT 2009 by Sam A. Robrin or whoever the hell it is who writes these things. Go ahead and use it (Hey, I lifted the melody!), but if you make a little money on it, I want some!

Seventeen hundred pages of zoning codes,
   And you'll need six thick law lexicons.
      It's a relentless trudge
      Through the bureaucratic sludge--
   We can make it tougher than Bataan's.

Seventeen hundred statutes, and more to come--
   See: "as amended from time to time."
      And if you miss just one,
      We'll come for you with a gun.
   Non-compliance is the basest crime.

There'll be coppers watching every minuscule detail,
   Rifling, stifling all signs of dissent;
Children trained as snitches following your trail
   If you fail serving the government.

We'll found secret agencies to haunt your every move,
   Tailing you, jailing you if you won't conform,
      Taking orders from above,
      To ultimately rid us of
   The weirdos who differ from the norm.

Seventeen thousand outcasts run out of here,
   And a million and four more blocked coming in.
      We can at last create
      A right-thinking people's state,
   Only no one remains now to begin!

[Russell Kanning]

maniacal is a bit of a stretch ..... some of us are just crazy

i guess this guy found out that Dawn moved because of the FSP .... wow what a scoop

that then leads him to find that some of us want complete personal freedom for ourselves and many persecuted minorities ... well ... get used to the idea

[Pat K]

That is going to be my new tag line.

Seth Cohn watering it down for the rest of us.

[Russell Kanning]

who elected seth to speak for us .... we actually do all the stuff they accuse us of and patk is the shadowy character known as  Mr Big