I’ve just returned from the 2013 Liberty Forum in Nashua, NH hosted by the Free State Project. Let me tell you, it was amazing! To be honest I went in with low expectations, but came out a bigger fan of Liberty Forum than Porcfest. I’d like to share with you some of the highlights of my trip.

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I know there are a lot of libertarians and anarchists that doubt the efficacy of the Free State Project. But if I had to take a guess the Free State Project’s biggest critics within the libertarian community are people who aren’t really activists anyways. They’re more like anarcho-complainers than anarcho-capitalists. That being said I haven’t met any fellow Free Staters since I’ve been in New Hampshire that think the project is a failure. The thing that excites me the most about the Free State Project is that so many new and exciting endeavors are only possible once a critical mass of activists come together in a small location. Take, for example, this latest bit by Free Keene residents to out undercover cops and foil their plans for entrapment. I would really love to see more of this sort of thing happen. Enjoy!

At last! My wife and I have finally made it to the part of New Hampshire where we’ve long wanted to live. Before leaving California in the middle of summer, last year, the goal was to move to Grafton County where the population is sparse and the mountains and trees abound.

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Today, the Free State Project has achieved five percent of its goal to get twenty thousand liberty-minded individuals to move to the state of New Hampshire. These early movers, including myself, decided that they couldn’t wait to reap the rewards of living in close proximity to many of the world’s most die-hard libertarian activists. At the time of this writing there are nearly twelve thousand participants, or more than half, of the people necessary to spark a mass migration of libertarians to the “Live Free or Die” state.

If you’re uncomfortable with the lack of freedom in your life or the direction things are headed in your locality, consider moving to a state that liberty lovers are moving to, instead of fleeing from. I can attest to the many opportunities, both social and financial, that await you in New Hampshire. Sign up today!

My wife and I have safely arrived in New Hampshire! Thanks to the help of my father’s packing, towing and driving we made the more than three thousand mile journey from the People’s Republic to the Free State. I have some observations about the trip as well as the arrival that I would like to share with you.

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My hat goes off to James Schlessinger Jr. and the Keene, New Hampshire activists that have created their own public access television show. It is no easy feat to do a thing like this. Even better is that their first episode was well done and interesting. It will only get better with time.

There are two quick things I would like to mention about this video. Firstly, I think it is great that an activist is willing to risk his house over refusal to pay property taxes. That takes serious courage and will help to give me the strength to persevere if I am ever in a position of losing something of much lesser value. Secondly, the “average Joe” interviewed at the end is proof positive that concentrating a critical mass of libertarians in a small area has profound effects in our conversion rate.

Enjoy episode one of Free Keene TV!

I’ve written my last letter-to-the-editor for my local paper. I did my best to list some of my grievances with the state. Normally, when people flee a dying state they keep their opinions to themselves, or at most share them with close friends and family. But I thought the people of California deserved to know why I’m leaving. Unfortunately, I was only allotted two hundred words for my article. I could have written a book.

As usual, the comment section is filled with statists, this time rejoicing at my departure. Others sympathize with my views and cheer me on, like a convict who takes pleasure in one of his fellow cage-birds successfully escaping prison. The truth is, everybody is happy that I’m leaving. I no longer like California and California doesn’t want me. I’m not the first person to flee this dying state and I won’t be the last. I’m just escaping while I still can.

Here’s my final letter. If you believe you would receive similar sentiments by those left behind in your state, please consider joining me, and so many others, in the Free State.

Update: There have been two letters published in response to my own. They can be read here and here.

You know your movement is starting to get big when the mainstream media is willing to go to the middle of nowhere to report on your activities. Here is a quality podcast done by NPR that gives a shout out to anarcho-capitalism and the Porcupine Freedom Festival. In contrast to the rabidly anti-libertarian comments left by many of the listeners, I think the podcasters themselves gained a good amount of respect for our movement during their visit. And it would be hard not to. It is quite a unique experience to be surrounded by several hundred down-to-earth, fun, compassionate, intelligent and resolute individuals that shatter all preconceived notions about how society can function. Granted, the podcasters did get some jabs in, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. For starters, people often poke fun of those for whom they have respect. Secondly, the fact that we are being ridiculed at all is better than being ignored, right? You be the judge and tell me what you think. Was this a net positive for our movement or net negative?

NPR-The Tuesday Podcast: Libertarian Summer Camp

Well, after several years of pondering, two years of conviction, one visit, and a year later than hoped for, my wife and I are finally moving to The Shire. I found a Porcmanor apartment in downtown Manchester. This means that I will be living in a building owned by a Porcupine, occupied by Porcupines. And we should be arriving by the end of July!

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Here is a nice little interview of Stephanie Murphy of New Hampshire. She is a well known voluntaryist activist and Free Stater. She helps to dispel some myths about libertarian anarchism to the Concord, New Hampshire region. Notice that the host of this public access television show is also a political refugee. Could it be, too, that Free Staters will end up infiltrating New Hampshire’s major newspapers? If you are currently a journalism major and wondering where to seek employment after graduation I hope you will consider reinforcing your comrades in the Shire.