ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Last week the John Birch Society came to Concord to alert Representatives about what they view as one of the biggest threats to America today! According to the Birchers, there’s something called Agenda 21 that’s seeping into American society and will completely strip us of our rights! Since, all I know about the John Birch Society was that in the 60’s they were anti-communists who also opposed Civil Rights, I thought I’d attend and see firsthand who and what they were about. Actually, until a couple of years ago, when a republican state representative made known his membership, I thought the John Birch Society was defunct. Their heyday was in the 1960’s where they were viewed as a fringe extremist group best known for promoting various conspiracy theories. They were also anti Civil Rights which they described as being a tool of communism. Back then among their biggest enemies were the United Nations and something called the Tri-Lateral Commission.

If their informational forum is any indication – little seems to have changed with the JBS in the past half century (50 years). According to the Birchers – Agenda 21 is a devious attempt by the advocates of a One World Government to strip Americans of their freedoms like owning private property. However, after researching on the internet and talking with local planning and land use specialists dealing with municipal planning and community development, I learned that Agenda 21 is a planning tool dealing with sustainable development. It seems that Agenda 21 is a non-binding product of a 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The document has 40 chapters dealing with economic development and how to manage resources and the "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st century.

I remember growing up how my mother and the good Sisters of Mercy used to say that “actions spoke louder than words”, and that I shouldn’t be confused by clever phrases and phony patriotism. As stated, the JBS in the 60’s were reputed to be racists & anti-civil rights, and if last week’s actions are any indication – maybe nothing’s changed. Latter in the week, while talking with an African-American State Rep, I learned not everyone was made to feel welcome. Although she had informed them she’d be attending, upon arriving she was told that she couldn’t partake in the lunch that was provided. One of the individuals at the entrance confronted her and said “who are you” and then he pulled back her coat to see if she had a legislator’s badge on her chest! Thinking they might be running short on box lunches, she proceeded to sit down but after a few opening remarks by the speaker she chose to get up and leave the event. Interestingly, I arrived after her but was provided a box lunch. Although I was unaware of what transpired, I did note that many people were leaving early, and not wanting to be late for my afternoon meeting, I also left before the speaker finished. As I was working my way across the room to the exit, I noticed that I seemed to have been the last remaining democrat in the room. If last week was any indication – not only do they seem to be still consumed with exposing non-existent conspiracies, but if the actions of these members are reflective of the organization – the racist tag may still fit. So what did I learn from my John Birch Society experience – that it was my last and I won’t be back!

ENTRANCES - EXITS
For more than two decades, I have admired Hillary Clinton. Her ability to clearly outline an issue in a logical, common sense manner has always been refreshing and explains why she was ranked one of the nation’s top lawyers. As someone who supported her for president, I was pleased when she accepted the appointment as Secretary of State. For the past four years, I’ve watched in amazement how she has crisscrossed the globe promoting American foreign policy and meeting with foreign leaders as well as regular people. I’m convinced there has never been a Secretary of State in recent history who has worked as tirelessly as Mrs. Clinton, but I was pleased when she announced she’d be stepping down after the New Year. Quite frankly, I was genuinely worried about her health and maintaining the pace. It’s clear that Hillary Clinton has set the bar pretty high for those coming behind her.

Therefore, her visit to Capitol Hill last week, as Secretary of State, to meet with Senate and House committees investigating security at US Embassies was possibly her final public appearance and finest hour. For months’ members of Congress, some who should know better, have been making a lot of noise regarding the lack of security and the death of four career Foreign Service workers including the Ambassador to Libya. Mrs. Clinton stared them in the eye and took no prisoners. Displaying a spectrum of emotions – from taking naughty school boys to the proverbial wood shed – she clearly outlined the administration’s position as well as provided a very human touch. I don’t know what the future will bring her – but last week she exited with style and class.

Free State = No State

I find it interesting how incidents that get a lot of attention by NH politicos, often receive minimal notice outside the statehouse. One incident that has been under the general public’s radar screen is a December blog posted by a state rep who wrote that among the biggest problems facing the state is the Free State Movement, and how she supposedly is prepared to draft legislation that would make it more difficult for them to operate. Apparently, she wrote that “Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today. There is, legally, nothing we can do to prevent them from moving here to take over the state, which is their openly stated goal. In this country you can move anywhere you choose and they have that same right.” Hardly anything terribly offensive so far, but then she added that “what we can do is to make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave. One way is to pass measures that will restrict the” freedoms” that they think they will find here. Another is to shine the bright light of publicity on who they are and why they are coming.” While I certainly don’t endorse taking away anyone’s freedoms, I don’t especially want to silently standby and watch as an outside group attempts, under the radar screen, to infiltrate government and take over New Hampshire. Furthermore, if I happened to live in Cheshire County, like the rep that authored the article, where individuals claiming to be Free Staters routinely disrupt Keene City Council meetings, or regularly hold marijuana smoke fests as a common occurrence on the Keene City Common, maybe I too would also be a little less diplomatic.

In looking at the uproar her article caused among the conservative side of the political spectrum, one would have thought that she was promoting internment camps and soviet style gulags. The upshot was a tsunami of rancor erupted – even Rush Limbaugh got in the act attacking and chastising the representative for suggesting that freedoms be denied and the insensitivity of her comments. Who knew Rush was so sensitive!

Perhaps, you’re asking who and what is the Free State Movement? In researching them, I googled the term and according to Wikipedia “the Free State Project (FSP) is a political movement, founded in 2001, to recruit at least 20,000 libertarians to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire, selected in 2003) in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideas.” I then learned that participants sign on and commit that they will move to New Hampshire. Apparently, as of January 2013, over 13,000 people have signed this statement of intent, and now have five years to move here. It seems that the Free-State movement was started by a Yale PhD student who advocated getting a relatively small number of like minded people (20,000) to move to a place (New Hampshire), who would put in motion a process that would result in their taking over the State and implement a libertarian society. Needless to say the idea of a group of people moving here under the radar screen and taking over is very troubling.

The background article went on to state that in 2010, at least 12 "Free Staters" were elected to two-year terms in the 400-member New Hampshire House of Representatives. Interestingly, how many survived the last election and if any new “colleagues” were elected is not fully transparent, since when it comes to elective politics free staters tend to keep a low (invisible) profile. For the most part, they rarely admit when running for office that they’re FS or fellow travelers committed to libertarian principles. Although a few were publically exposed last session, after being discovered they opted to not run for re-election. Despite these bait & switch tactics, we do know that this past election at least two new free staters have been outed. Interestingly they ran as democrats, so we should assume that political affiliation (party) does not matter – Free Staters will run as anything that will get them elected. According to all accounts, Free Staters support a libertarian philosophy that advocates for a radical redistribution of power from the state to individuals. Translation: government programs for the least among us would be no more – everyone would be on their own.

The migration of people to New Hampshire is nothing new – foreign immigration from Canada and Europe in the 19th century is what built this state. The 20th Century movement of people from other parts of the country to the Granite State, as well as the influx of new foreign immigrants, has only made us more diverse and successful. However none of these groups came to “take over” – nor did they hide who they were and why they came. So, in closing, the most alarming fact about the Free State movement is concealing from us, the electorate, who they are and what they plan to implement that makes this most disconcerting. So remember - remain resolute.