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Essay: Free States Movement

2015-07-23T23:33:45Z

SamImamEli: corrected spelling error

'''Free state''' has two common meanings. One is the older meaning in the [[Antebellum]] period where a '''free state''' was a state where [[slavery]] was outlawed.

The second meaning of '''Free state''' refers to the [[American]] '''Free States Movement'''. This is a newer and more common meaning in use since the late 1970's in [[America]] among [[libertarian]]s, [[conservative]]s, conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Patriot]]s, and [[Prepper]]s-[[Survivalist]]s.

==Modern "Free States" in the USA==

''See also:'' [[Free states]]

A modern '''Free state''' in the [[USA]] can be defined by what it is not, more than what it is.

A free state is not:

* [[Gun control]]
* [[Welfare state]] - [[Nanny state]]
* [[Mass surveillance]] and [[Big government]] of the [[Police state]]
* [[Deficit spending]]
* High [[taxation]]
* [[Liberal values]]
* [[Blue state]]

===List of Free States===
[[File:238868166 ef70731f85.jpg|right|100px]]
The Free States Movement is is picking up steam.

* [[American Redoubt]]:
** [[Idaho]]
** [[Wyoming]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
** [[Montana]]
* [[Arizona]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
* [[Kentucky]]
* [[Louisiana]]
* [[Alaska]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
* [[Mississippi]]
* [[Kentucky]]
* [[Louisiana]]
* [[Alaska]]
* [[Mississippi]]
* [[Texas]]
* [[Utah]]
* [[Kansas]]
* [[New Hampshire]]
* [[North Carolina]]
* [[Georgia]]

===Qualities of the Free States===
A free state suggests:
* Respect for the [[unalienable rights]]/[[civil rights]] of the [[Bill of Rights]], especially the [[gun rights]] / right to [[self-defense]], [[home security]] and [[deterrence]] against [[tyranny]]
* [[Libertarianism|Libertarian values]]
* [[Conservative values]]
* [[Ludwig von Mises]]' [[conservative]] [[libertarian]] [[Austrian economics]] and [[Fiscal conservatism]] -[[Capitalist]] [[Conservative economic policies]] of [[Ron Paul]]
* [[Essay:Modern Survivalism]]: "[[Essay:if times get tough, or even if then don't]]", [[Essay:Debt is financial cancer]], [[Essay:Tax is theft]], [[Renewable energy]], [[Financial security]], [[Essay:You are in control of your life]]
** [[Essay:Invest in tangibles]] - [[Precious Metals]], [[Copper-jacketed lead]] and [[Firearms]]



== Unfree State List ==

See also [[Most liberal American cities]]

The list of [[Unfree states]] - [[Nanny State]]s was established by polling readers/listeners of [[:Category:Conservative Blogs|conservative blogs]], [[:Category:Conservative Podcasts |conservative podcasts]], [[:Category:Conservative Websites|conservative websites]], [[:Category:Conservative Forums|conservative forums]], [[:Category:Libertarian Blogs|libertarian blogs]], [[:Category:Preparedness Blogs|preparedness blogs]], and [[:Category:Gun Blogs|gun blogs]].<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=2.0 Accessed March 28, 2014 </ref>

Below is the list with some of their [[gun control|gun grabbing]] [[Constitution]] violating, [[Oath]]-[[treason|breaker]] [[liberal]] [[Democrat]] [[elitist]] [[politician]]s<ref> http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th-2012.html Accessed March 29, 2014</ref> <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_richest_American_politicians Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref><ref> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref>:

===California===
* [[California]] - [[Diane Feinstein]] (worth $41.78 million), [[Nancy Pelosi]] (worth $26.43 million), [[Barbara Boxer]], [[Henry Waxman]], [[Alan Lowenthal]] (CA-47), Howard Berman, Bob Filner, Jane Harman, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Tom Lantos, Susan Davis, [[Los Angeles]] Mayor [[Eric Garcetti]], [[San Diego]] Mayor [[Bob Filner]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/california_restrictions.pdf is the 5th worst state for Firearms Restrictions]
** According to a 2005 study of the 25 [[most liberal American cities]], [[San Francisco]], [[Berkeley]], [[Oakland]] ranked #1, #2 and #4 respectively.<ref>Phil Reiff, Director of the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] Center for Voting Research says, "While there are a few liberal cities without large [[African American]] populations, these wind up being the exceptions. College towns like [[Berkeley]] and [[Cambridge]] have modest black populations but remain bastions of upper [[middle-class]], white, intellectual [[liberalism]]." "The list of Americas most liberal cities is dominated by cities with large African American populations that are concentrated in the [[Northeast]], [[Midwest]] and [[California]]. Conversely, the study found that the staunchest [[conservative]] cities are clustered in [[the South]] and interior [[:Category:Intermountain West|West]] and have extremely low numbers of African American residents." "[[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] Center for Voting Research (BACVR) ranks the political leanings of every American city and finds that [[Detroit]], Michigan is the most liberal and [[Provo, Utah]] the most conservative." "The Bay Area Center for Voting Research is a nonpartisan" ('liberal') "[[think tank]] based in [[Berkeley]], California. A full copy of the report and the complete list of rankings for all 237 cities are available at http://www.votingresearch.org." [http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>

===Colorado===
* [[Colorado]] - [[Jared Polis]] (worth $72.09 million)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/colorado_restrictions.pdf Colorado Firearms Restrictions] since 2014.

=== Connecticut===
* [[Connecticut]] - [[Richard Blumenthal]] (worth $79.11 million), [[Joe Lieberman]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/connecticut_restrictions.pdf Connecticut Firearms Restrictions]

===Delaware===
* [[Delaware]] - former Sen. [[Joe Biden]]<ref>"[http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/middle-school-kids-taken-hear-louis-farrakhan-call-violence-against-crackers Middle School Kids Taken To Hear Louis Farrakhan Call For Violence Against The 'Crackers']" [[Ben Shapiro]]'s ''Truth Revolt''. "Administrator at Booker T. Washington Middle School in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]], took forty young teenage students as young as eleven-years-old to the 2nd Annual [[African American|Black]] United Summit International (BUSI) conference where they heard [[racist|bigoted]] purveyor of hatred [[Louis Farrakhan]] reference [[caucasian|white people]] as "crackers” and a call for “retaliation” for [[Michael Brown]]'s death. When asked by Clark why the children were taken to this conference, Anthony Pena, the Middle School administrator who took the forty students between the ages of 11 and 15 to the conference, said, "At the end of the day… it’s about how we connect to our youth and help develop them to become our future.”" (See [[Public school values]]. Accessed January 5, 2015</ref>

===Hawaii===
* [[Hawaii]] - [[Brian Schatz]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/hi_ak_vi_guam_restrictions.pdf Hawaii Firearms Restrictions]

===Illinois===
* [[Illinois]] - [[Chicago]] Mayor [[Rahm Emanuel]] (worth $12 million with $6 mil salary)<ref> http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1426034.html Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref>, [[Brad Schneider]] (IL-10), [[Jan Schakowsky]] (IL-9)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/illinois_restrictions.pdf Illinois is the 4th worst state for Firearms Restrictions]

===Maryland===
* [[Maryland]] - [[Benjamin Cardin]],
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/maryland_restrictions.pdf Maryland Firearms Restrictions]

===Maine===
* [[Maine]] - [[Chellie Pingree]] (worth $28.58 million)

===Massachusetts===
* [[Massachusetts]] - John Kerry (worth $193 million), [[Ted Kennedy]] (was worth $163 million), [[Barney Frank]] [D, MA-04]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/massachusetts_restrictions.pdf Massachusetts is the 2nd worst state for Firearms Restrictions]
** [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] was ranked #5 most liberal city in America.<ref>[http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>

===New Jersey===
* [[New Jersey]] - [[Frank Lautenberg]] (was worth $116.1 million), Steve Rothman
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/michigan_restrictions.pdf New Jersey Firearms Restrictions]

===New York===
* [[New York]] - former Sen. [[Hillary Clinton]], [[New York City]] former Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] (worth $31 billion), [[Charles Schumer]], [[Mario Cuomo]], [[Jerrold Nadler]], [[Anthony Weiner]], (sexting scandal), [[Gary Ackerman]], [[Steve Israel]], [[Eliot Engel]], [[Nita Lowey]], [[Jerrold Nadler]],
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/new_york_restrictions.pdf New York is the 1st worst state for Firearms Restrictions]

===Oregon===
* [[Oregon]] - [[Ron Wyden]]
** [[Portland]], [[Oregon]] was ranked #3 most liberal city in America.<ref>[http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>
**Of the 36 counties in Oregon, only 7 generally vote along a liberal ideological line. Those counties are located in and around the larger metropolitan areas of Oregon, namely Portland, Salem, and Eugene. Rural Oregon remains relatively conservative and is likely one of the reasons Eastern Oregon is named as part of the American Redoubt.<ref>http://survivalblog.com/redoubt</ref>

===Rhode Island===
* [[Rhode Island]] - [[David Cicilline]] (RI-1)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/washington_dc_restrictions.pdf Rhode Island Firearms Restrictions]

===Vermont===
* [[Vermont]] - [[Bernie Sanders]], the only avowed [[socialist]] member of Congress.

===Washington State===
* [[Washington State]] - Maria Cantwell (worth $5.56 million)
** So-called [[Universal background check|"Universal" background checks]] implemented on January 1, 2015 thanks to [[Bill Gates]] and [[Michael Bloomberg]] millions of dollars of donations.

===Summary of the Unfree States===
"The [[East Coast]] and [[West Coast]] ([[Left Coast]]) had the most [[liberal states]] including [[Vermont]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Delaware]], [[New York]], [[Hawaii]], [[Oregon]], [[Washington]], [[Maine]], [[California]] and [[New Jersey]]." <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brie TheHill.com] Accessed March 28, 2014</ref>

==Other Unfree Geographic Entities==

===Washington D.C.===
* [[Washington DC]] - [[President]] [[Barak Obama]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/washington_dc_restrictions.pdf D.C. Firearms Restrictions]
** Best description of Washington D.C. gun grabbers propaganda and gun control is found in the book by [[Emily Miller]], ''[https://amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920 Emily Gets Her Gun, But Obama Wants to Take Yours], 2013. Washington Times columnist Emily Miller finally got the gun she wanted after her Nanny state ordeal of spending "four months of jumping through regulatory hoops and $435 in fees."<ref>"In the wake of tragic shootings in [[Newtown]] and [[Aurora]], the [[gun control|anti-gun]] [[lobby]] has launched a campaign of lies, distortion, misrepresentation, and emotional manipulation that is breathtaking in its vitriol and its denial of basic facts. Their goal is to take away our Second Amendment rights and then disarm law-abiding Americans. Emily Miller tells her personal story of how being a single, female victim of a [[home invasion]] drove her to try to obtain a legally registered gun in Washington, D.C. The narrative—sometimes shocking, other times hilarious in its absurdity—gives the reader a real life understanding of how gun-control laws only make it more difficult for honest, law-abiding people to get guns, while violent crime continues to rise. Using facts and newly uncovered research, Miller exposes the schemes politicians
on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and around the country are using to deny people their Second Amendment rights. She exposes the myths that gun grabbers and liberal media use to get new laws passed that infringe on our right to keep and bear arms. The gun rights debate isn’t just about firearms. It’s about protecting a fundamental right that is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It’s about politicians who lie, manipulate, and outright break existing laws to get what they want. It’s about President Obama wanting a bigger federal government to control you. Not just your guns—you. The fight for gun rights is the fight for freedom. Emily Miller says stand up and fight back now because your Second Amendment will only be the first to go." ''[https://amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920 Emily Gets Her Gun, But Obama Wants to Take Yours on Amazon.com]. Accessed March 10, 2015</ref><ref>Scarry, Eddie, [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/18/this-newswoman-got-a-gun-for-protection-even-though-her-gun-carrying-dad-didnt-want-her-to/ POLITICS
This Newswoman Got a Gun For Protection…Even Though Her Gun-Carrying Dad Didn’t Want Her To], [[The Blaze]], Published September 18, 2013. Accessed March 10, 2015</ref>

==Anything by a Big City in an Unfree State==
[[Alex Barron]] suggests the following, "There are many people who write me who suggest that they cannot move to [[James Wesley Rawles|JWR]]’s perfect [[self-sufficient]] remote, defensible [[survivalist retreat|homestead]]. The reasons are often similar, money and wife issues. My recommendation to them is often similar. Think of moving to a [[small town values|small town]] or even the “big [[city]]” in a [[red state]]. It is my opinion that [[conservative]] more [[traditional values|traditional]] leaning states with balanced budgets and a “[[libertarian|leave me alone]]” style will weather what comes next better than many more [[progressive]], heavily [[national debt|indebted]], people are use to a [[entitlement mentality|safety net from cradle to grave mentality]]. Would you rather be in [[Los Angeles]] or [[Boise]] when a significant [[depression|economic downturn]] starts? BTW, the first time I visited Boise I thought “where is the city.” Then when we went out to drink later own, I was like, when do we get downtown? They were like, you are “downtown.” Boise doesn’t qualify as a [[suburb]] of a major city like [[Chicago]], but it is one of the fastest growing cities in [[the West]]. When [[Idaho]], [[Montana]] or [[Wyoming]] says “big city” it is not what first comes to mind."<ref>[[Alex Barron|Barron, Alex]], "[https://charlescarrollsociety.com/2015/01/19/orofino-idaho-prepper-homesteading/ Orofino, Idaho #prepper #homesteading]". [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]] [[Charles Carroll Society]] [[:Category:Preparedness Podcasts|Podcast]]</ref>

===California in Not a Free State===
[[Alex Barron]] reports, "In many parts of [[California]] people are paying more than $1,000 a month in [[property tax]] and what they call Mello-roos. Mello-roos is some form of supplemental tax for things like fire departments and [[law enforcement|police services]]. You know what you think your tax dollars already cover. That is $12,000 a year, every year for the privilege of owning property in the state. Many [[red state]]s have much lower property taxes."<ref>[[Alex Barron|Barron, Alex]], "[https://charlescarrollsociety.com/2015/01/21/the-advantageous-of-a-modern-neo-homestead-prepper-homesteading/ The advantageous of a modern (neo) homestead #prepper #homesteading]". [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]] [[Charles Carroll Society]] [[:Category:Preparedness Podcasts|Podcast]], Published January 21, 2015. Accessed January 23, 2015</ref>

==Walking to Freedom Project==
'''Walking to Freedom''' is an initiative created by [[libertarian]] [[survivalist]] [[podcast]]er [[Jack Spirko]] ([[The Survival Podcast]]) where [[citizen]]s are encouraged to pull up stakes and to move to a more open and [[free state]] -- to [[vote with your feet | vote with their feet]]. States are broken down into two categories, the "naughty list and all the rest. People moving out of [[:Category:Oppression|oppressive]] states are asked to post a "goodbye letter" addressed to the state and state government officials regarding their decision to move out of their state. On the [[website]]'s (http://walkingtofreedom.com) [[Forum]] groups for the "non-naughty" states are used to welcome people considering or actually moving to that state.

==== Vision ====
For a few years Jack Spirko worked with and supported The [[Free State Project]] of [[New Hampshire]] (http://freestateproject.org) Spirko says, "While it is not in the cards for me to move to New Hampshire the concept to me is the hallmark of a [[republic]]. Individual member states band together to form a Federal Republic of States. In our case we call this 'The United States of America'. [[Citizen]]s have [[freedom]] of movement from state to state and the citizen is seen as the most [[sovereign]] entity with the most [[unalienable rights|rights]], next in the chain is the sovereignty of the member states and at the bottom of the sovereignty chain is the [[Federal government]].

He continues, "Much of this system is broken today, the [[Federal government]] is filling many roles it isn't supposed to fill (see [[Tenth Amendment]]). State governments then fail to stand up for their citizens or worse they often pile on more [[big government]] [[Nanny state]] restrictions and encumbrances upon [[liberty]]. There is one component of the system though that is still functioning, movement between the states. The final act of a citizen [[voting]] in a [[republic]] is to [[vote with their feet]]. While I love the work being done in [[New Hampshire]], I realized like me there were many people who just can't for one reason or another move there. What dawned on me then though was if we simply create an exodus from the 5-10 worst states it does many things.

# "It sends a message to ALL state governments, your citizens understand a republic and their power and are damn well willing to use it. [[:Category:Oppression|Oppress]] your citizens and your most valuable producers (citizens and companies) will leave for a better environment." (See [[Atlas Shrugged]]'s [[Galt's Gulch]])
# "States with more [[liberty]] like [[Idaho]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Texas]], [[Arizona]], etc. will attract more liberty oriented individuals. Not for the purpose of transforming their new home states states but to at minimum hold the line and prevent said states from becoming less [[libertarian]]."
# "It makes the entire movement far larger then just The [[Free State Project]] or other groups like [[Free State Wyoming]] or the [[American Redoubt]] movement. By gaining maximum exposure and reach, Walking To Freedom, is a rising tide that will float all boats. It will actually bring more people to states like Wyoming and New Hampshire by fostering competition among the member states."
# "Most current oppression in the US is actually at the [[Big government|Federal level]]. There are a handful of states that go above and beyond that, it is easier to target those 5-10 on the 'naughty list' and let the other 40-45 states make their case as to why you should move there, then it is to try to get anyone upset with their state to choose a single option as a way out."
# "[[Freedom]] is highly personal. To some [[taxation|tax freedom]] is the main concern, others are more concerned with freedom over types of housing, some with [[Second Amendment|freedom to keep and bear arms]] yet others simply want what I call 'operational freedom'. Operational freedom is simply the freedom to conduct business. Many [[entrepreneur]]s are less concerned with the overall [[tax rate]]s and more concerned with the permits, [[license]]s, fees, hoops one must jump though just to open the doors."
# "By fostering [[competition]] among all the states not on the 'naughty list' we have a much larger influence. It brings public awareness to the issue and starts making many states that are at the far end or middle of the spectrum to start thinking about the [[cause and effect|consequences]] of being on the naughty list or having the list grow just because they have encouraged us to do so. Yes the list can get bigger in time if necessary. We use 'disapproval voting' to establish the list."

Spirko elaborates:
{{cquote|"When I consider all of the above it is clear to me that Walking To Freedom is a true manifestation of the principle of a [[republic]]. Sure many states may not make the 'naughty list' that many of us feel should. We can only hand out so many demerits you know but, the other side is those states will find that far less citizens choose them as a place to move to. I am quite sure in time that this movement will result in tens of thousands of 'goodbye letters' to state and local officials. While that is half of the equation, I wonder how the [[Chamber of Commerce]] of say a state at the bottom of the receiving end will feel if they see hundreds or even thousands choosing state relatively close to them."<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.msg4#msg4 Accessed January 17, 2014</ref>}}

Spirko also wants to help with yet another problem:
{{cquote|"I have constantly heard in this debate how citizens of State X leave and move to State Y due to being fed up. Yet they turn around and then try to turn State Y into the very State X they just left behind" For example, [[retirement|retiring]] [[California]]ns moved to formerly [[conservative]] [[Oregon]] and turned it into a [[liberal]] [[Nanny state]] just like California. "Perhaps if citizens were to move for more than one reason this would be mitigated? By fostering conversations between movers and for lack of a better term stayers (perhaps recruiters) those who are fed up can find a state that is most closely aligned with who they are."

It is often the case that a person will move over a [[economic|fiscal]] issue but not agree with a social issue where they land. The state where they moved to may resent them and feel they are trying to turn where they moved to into the place they just left behind. The reality though is different, they likely have no desire to increase taxes they just want more social freedom, they don't necessary want you to pay for it. If such a citizen were able to find both more fiscal freedom and more social freedom, likely they and their new neighbors would be more happy. In the end we all must learn to get along but good match making is a great place to start.

The key is either way, the oppressive state loses a producer and are denied the opportunity to tax them and denied the privilege of having them conduct business and participate in commerce within their state. Did you get that word? Privilege! Yes the states should understand when citizens have freedom of movement, the presence of a productive member or society in that state is a state's privilege not a states right.

In the end I feel our members will agree that it is relatively easy to identify the 5 or so worse offenders when it comes to liberty. The states that are just a few shades above them are not something I feel we need to be very worried about. Likely free states are going to attract quite a few of their citizens anyway. The key is to zero in on a small naughty list and give the citizens of those states a message, your fellow Americans would love to have you as neighbors. We all have some unique things to offer, each state has pluses and minuses but flatly about 40 of us look like entirely different nations then the 5-6 at the very bottom.

For instance I have no desire to return to my home state of [[Pennsylvania]], it has fallen too far for my taste from the ideals of our founders. Yet if I compare Pennsylvania to [[New Jersey]] it is like Comparing East and West [[Germany]] during the [[Cold War]]. I mean if you are a freedom loving citizen of New Jersey I would love to have you in Texas and I am sure the folks in New Hampshire would as well, but to be blunt the Delaware river isn't the [[Berlin wall]]! Escape is easy and not far away. If Pennsylvania is as far as you can manage it is still a move away from one of the most oppressive governments in the nation. A state where you can't even have a unloaded and cased [[gun]] locked in your trunk without being considered a [[felony|felon]]. For that matter New Jersey is a state that won't even let you pump your own [[gasoline|gas]].

In the end though liberty is personal, it can only really be defined at the individual level. Yet when some governments encroach too far measures must be taken. Our [[Founding Fathers]] knew all [[government]]s do this, they founded a [[republic]] so the citizenry would have many options. You can [[vote]] with dollars and do business with companies you agree with. You can vote with a ballot and elect your leaders. When you serve on a [[jury]] you have a final check on unjust law and a jury can indeed [[jury nullification|nullify]] such a law with a simple vote of not guilty. The ultimate vote though is simply walking away. The states on the naughty list are already by and large on the verge of fiscal crisis if not all out [[bankruptcy]], they can't afford to have their most productive citizens leave. Yet they should all be warned that the citizens well, they can by and large very well afford to leave. Not only can they afford to but they can often increase their quality of life by doing so. In other words they need you a hell of a lot less then you need them.

The vision of Walking to Freedom is simple, to encourage tens or even hundreds of thousands of citizens to simply walk away from the most oppressive and [[national debt|fiscally irresponsible]] states in the union. To allow them to find the best new home, to find friends, jobs, [[church]]es, communities, etc that will welcome them with open arms. Many people feel moving is too hard to accomplish, we simply want to show them that it is far more difficult to live in oppression and abuse than to rent a U-haul and make some new friends.

Once the naughty list is established we will move into action. All the naughty list states will have a dedicated 'goodbye letter' board. Where we encourage all of their citizens to leave a letter to their governor, state and federal reps, local officials and local news outlets telling them why they are leaving and what is being lost by their exodus. All other states will get a board where their citizens, officials, chambers of commerce etc. may freely make a case as to why their state is a good choice. Those looking to move can discuss what different states have to offer, job availability, local communities, finding housing, etc.

If you are an official in a state on the naughty list be warned. This movement may seem like the vision of one "[[redneck]] in Texas" to you, but this red neck isn't alone. He is also smart enough to know this is bigger then himself or his state of Texas. As much as I want my fellow [[American]]s to join me in the Lone Star State, I want them to leave behind oppression even more. If I could throw a level that moved 5 million productive freedom loving people out of the five most oppressive states tomorrow and Texas wouldn't get a single one of them, I would do it at once.

In summary I always say a [[American Revolution|fight for liberty]] anywhere is a fight for liberty everywhere. While that is true it is also a fact that when oppression is sufficient, everywhere but where you are is better. For those on the 'naughty list' that is the choice you have given to your citizenry, we simply aim to help them make the best choice for them and assist them with their walk to liberty. Simply put for those states on the list, this isn't something we did to you, it is something you have done to yourselves, we are just shining a light on it."<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.msg4#msg4 Accessed January 17, 2014</ref>}}

==See Also==
* '''[[Vote with your feet]] - [[Strategic relocation]]:''' [[Essay:Owning land is true wealth|Owning land is true wealth]] and [[Essay:Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global|Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global]] - Move to a [[Free state]] with [[Essay:State Firearms Laws Ranking|Firearms freedom]], [[Free market]]s and low [[population density]]
* [[American Redoubt]] - [[Idaho]], [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Utah]]
* [[Free State Wyoming]] - [[Molon Labe!]] by [[Boston T. Party]] and [[Free State Project]] - [[New Hampshire]]
* ''[[Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places]]'' by [[Joel Skousen]]
* ''[[Rawles on Retreats and Relocation]]'' by [[James Wesley Rawles]]
* [[Cumberland Redoubt]] - [[Tennessee]] and [[Kentucky]] - [[M.D. Creekmore]]
* [[Essay:If I wanted to save America]]

==Bibliography - Further Reading==
* [[Joel Skousen|Skousen, Joel]], ''Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places''. 3rd Edition Perfect Paperback, 2011, ISBN-10: 1568612621, ISBN-13: 978-1568612621

* [[James Wesley Rawles|Rawles, James Wesley]], ''[[Rawles on Retreats and Relocation]]''. 1st. Clearwater, [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]]: The Clearwater Press, 2007. Print.

* [[Boston T. Party|Party, Boston T.]], ''[[Boston's Gun Bible]]''. [[Wyoming]] [[American Redoubt]] [[Javelin Press]], 2008. Contains an entire chapter devoted to why Christians, conservatives and libertarians are preppers and contains [[Essay:State Firearms Laws Ranking]].

* [[Boston T. Party|Party, Boston T.]], [[Molon Labe!]]. [[Wyoming]] [[American Redoubt]] [[Javelin Press]], 30 January 2004, 454 pp (first edition, paperback), ISBN 1-888766-07-7 - Conservative [[Christian]] [[Libertarian]] [[dystopian]] fiction novel entirely based around the issue of [[States' rights]] and the [[Tenth Amendment]]'s connection with the [[Second Amendment]] right to [[firearms|armed]] [[citizen]] defense against federal [[tyranny]]. Contains many long discussions on why Christians, conservatives and libertarians are preppers.

==References==
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[[Category : United States Political Terms]]
[[Category : Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category : American Redoubt]]
[[Category : Strategic Relocation]]
[[Category : Anti-Communism]]
[[Category : Politics]]
[[Category : Conservatism]]
[[Category : Conservative]]
[[Category : Conservatives]]
[[Category : Libertarianism]]
[[Category : Libertarians]]
[[Category : Idaho]]
[[Category : Wyoming]]
[[Category : Montana]]
[[Category : Arizona]]
[[Category : Kentucky]]
[[Category : Louisiana]]
[[Category : Alaska]]
[[Category : Mississippi]]
[[Category : Texas]]
[[Category : Utah]]
[[Category : Kansas]]
[[Category : New Hampshire]]
[[Category : North Carolina]]
[[Category : Georgia]]
[[Category : American Civil War]]
[[Category : United States History]]
[[Category : Lists|List of Free States versus Unfree States]]
[[Category : Political Movements]]
[[Category : United States Political Movements]]
[[Category : Immigration]]
[[Category : United States Political Terms]]

Essay: Free States Movement

2015-07-23T21:13:37Z

SamImamEli: /* Oregon */

'''Free state''' has two common meanings. One is the older meaning in the [[Antebellum]] period where a '''free state''' was a state where [[slavery]] was outlawed.

The second meaning of '''Free state''' refers to the [[American]] '''Free States Movement'''. This is a newer and more common meaning in use since the late 1970's in [[America]] among [[libertarian]]s, [[conservative]]s, conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Patriot]]s, and [[Prepper]]s-[[Survivalist]]s.

==Modern "Free States" in the USA==

''See also:'' [[Free states]]

A modern '''Free state''' in the [[USA]] can be defined by what it is not, more than what it is.

A free state is not:

* [[Gun control]]
* [[Welfare state]] - [[Nanny state]]
* [[Mass surveillance]] and [[Big government]] of the [[Police state]]
* [[Deficit spending]]
* High [[taxation]]
* [[Liberal values]]
* [[Blue state]]

===List of Free States===
[[File:238868166 ef70731f85.jpg|right|100px]]
The Free States Movement is is picking up steam.

* [[American Redoubt]]:
** [[Idaho]]
** [[Wyoming]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
** [[Montana]]
* [[Arizona]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
* [[Kentucky]]
* [[Louisiana]]
* [[Alaska]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
* [[Mississippi]]
* [[Kentucky]]
* [[Louisiana]]
* [[Alaska]]
* [[Mississippi]]
* [[Texas]]
* [[Utah]]
* [[Kansas]]
* [[New Hampshire]]
* [[North Carolina]]
* [[Georgia]]

===Qualities of the Free States===
A free state suggests:
* Respect for the [[unalienable rights]]/[[civil rights]] of the [[Bill of Rights]], especially the [[gun rights]] / right to [[self-defense]], [[home security]] and [[deterrence]] against [[tyranny]]
* [[Libertarianism|Libertarian values]]
* [[Conservative values]]
* [[Ludwig von Mises]]' [[conservative]] [[libertarian]] [[Austrian economics]] and [[Fiscal conservatism]] -[[Capitalist]] [[Conservative economic policies]] of [[Ron Paul]]
* [[Essay:Modern Survivalism]]: "[[Essay:if times get tough, or even if then don't]]", [[Essay:Debt is financial cancer]], [[Essay:Tax is theft]], [[Renewable energy]], [[Financial security]], [[Essay:You are in control of your life]]
** [[Essay:Invest in tangibles]] - [[Precious Metals]], [[Copper-jacketed lead]] and [[Firearms]]



== Unfree State List ==

See also [[Most liberal American cities]]

The list of [[Unfree states]] - [[Nanny State]]s was established by polling readers/listeners of [[:Category:Conservative Blogs|conservative blogs]], [[:Category:Conservative Podcasts |conservative podcasts]], [[:Category:Conservative Websites|conservative websites]], [[:Category:Conservative Forums|conservative forums]], [[:Category:Libertarian Blogs|libertarian blogs]], [[:Category:Preparedness Blogs|preparedness blogs]], and [[:Category:Gun Blogs|gun blogs]].<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=2.0 Accessed March 28, 2014 </ref>

Below is the list with some of their [[gun control|gun grabbing]] [[Constitution]] violating, [[Oath]]-[[treason|breaker]] [[liberal]] [[Democrat]] [[elitist]] [[politician]]s<ref> http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th-2012.html Accessed March 29, 2014</ref> <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_richest_American_politicians Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref><ref> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref>:

===California===
* [[California]] - [[Diane Feinstein]] (worth $41.78 million), [[Nancy Pelosi]] (worth $26.43 million), [[Barbara Boxer]], [[Henry Waxman]], [[Alan Lowenthal]] (CA-47), Howard Berman, Bob Filner, Jane Harman, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Tom Lantos, Susan Davis, [[Los Angeles]] Mayor [[Eric Garcetti]], [[San Diego]] Mayor [[Bob Filner]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/california_restrictions.pdf is the 5th worst state for Firearms Restrictions]
** According to a 2005 study of the 25 [[most liberal American cities]], [[San Francisco]], [[Berkeley]], [[Oakland]] ranked #1, #2 and #4 respectively.<ref>Phil Reiff, Director of the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] Center for Voting Research says, "While there are a few liberal cities without large [[African American]] populations, these wind up being the exceptions. College towns like [[Berkeley]] and [[Cambridge]] have modest black populations but remain bastions of upper [[middle-class]], white, intellectual [[liberalism]]." "The list of Americas most liberal cities is dominated by cities with large African American populations that are concentrated in the [[Northeast]], [[Midwest]] and [[California]]. Conversely, the study found that the staunchest [[conservative]] cities are clustered in [[the South]] and interior [[:Category:Intermountain West|West]] and have extremely low numbers of African American residents." "[[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] Center for Voting Research (BACVR) ranks the political leanings of every American city and finds that [[Detroit]], Michigan is the most liberal and [[Provo, Utah]] the most conservative." "The Bay Area Center for Voting Research is a nonpartisan" ('liberal') "[[think tank]] based in [[Berkeley]], California. A full copy of the report and the complete list of rankings for all 237 cities are available at http://www.votingresearch.org." [http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>

===Colorado===
* [[Colorado]] - [[Jared Polis]] (worth $72.09 million)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/colorado_restrictions.pdf Colorado Firearms Restrictions] since 2014.

=== Connecticut===
* [[Connecticut]] - [[Richard Blumenthal]] (worth $79.11 million), [[Joe Lieberman]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/connecticut_restrictions.pdf Connecticut Firearms Restrictions]

===Delaware===
* [[Delaware]] - former Sen. [[Joe Biden]]<ref>"[http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/middle-school-kids-taken-hear-louis-farrakhan-call-violence-against-crackers Middle School Kids Taken To Hear Louis Farrakhan Call For Violence Against The 'Crackers']" [[Ben Shapiro]]'s ''Truth Revolt''. "Administrator at Booker T. Washington Middle School in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]], took forty young teenage students as young as eleven-years-old to the 2nd Annual [[African American|Black]] United Summit International (BUSI) conference where they heard [[racist|bigoted]] purveyor of hatred [[Louis Farrakhan]] reference [[caucasian|white people]] as "crackers” and a call for “retaliation” for [[Michael Brown]]'s death. When asked by Clark why the children were taken to this conference, Anthony Pena, the Middle School administrator who took the forty students between the ages of 11 and 15 to the conference, said, "At the end of the day… it’s about how we connect to our youth and help develop them to become our future.”" (See [[Public school values]]. Accessed January 5, 2015</ref>

===Hawaii===
* [[Hawaii]] - [[Brian Schatz]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/hi_ak_vi_guam_restrictions.pdf Hawaii Firearms Restrictions]

===Illinois===
* [[Illinois]] - [[Chicago]] Mayor [[Rahm Emanuel]] (worth $12 million with $6 mil salary)<ref> http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1426034.html Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref>, [[Brad Schneider]] (IL-10), [[Jan Schakowsky]] (IL-9)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/illinois_restrictions.pdf Illinois is the 4th worst state for Firearms Restrictions]

===Maryland===
* [[Maryland]] - [[Benjamin Cardin]],
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/maryland_restrictions.pdf Maryland Firearms Restrictions]

===Maine===
* [[Maine]] - [[Chellie Pingree]] (worth $28.58 million)

===Massachusetts===
* [[Massachusetts]] - John Kerry (worth $193 million), [[Ted Kennedy]] (was worth $163 million), [[Barney Frank]] [D, MA-04]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/massachusetts_restrictions.pdf Massachusetts is the 2nd worst state for Firearms Restrictions]
** [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] was ranked #5 most liberal city in America.<ref>[http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>

===New Jersey===
* [[New Jersey]] - [[Frank Lautenberg]] (was worth $116.1 million), Steve Rothman
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/michigan_restrictions.pdf New Jersey Firearms Restrictions]

===New York===
* [[New York]] - former Sen. [[Hillary Clinton]], [[New York City]] former Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] (worth $31 billion), [[Charles Schumer]], [[Mario Cuomo]], [[Jerrold Nadler]], [[Anthony Weiner]], (sexting scandal), [[Gary Ackerman]], [[Steve Israel]], [[Eliot Engel]], [[Nita Lowey]], [[Jerrold Nadler]],
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/new_york_restrictions.pdf New York is the 1st worst state for Firearms Restrictions]

===Oregon===
* [[Oregon]] - [[Ron Wyden]]
** [[Portland]], [[Oregon]] was ranked #3 most liberal city in America.<ref>[http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>
**Of the 36 counties in Oregon, only 7 generally vote along a liberal ideological line. Those counties are located in and around the larger metropolitan areas of Oregon, namely Portland, Salem, and Eugene. Rural Oregon remains relatively conservative and is likely one of the reasons Eastern Oregon is named as part of the American Redoubt.<ref>http://survivalblog.com/redoubt</ref>

===Rhode Island===
* [[Rhode Island]] - [[David Cicilline]] (RI-1)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/washington_dc_restrictions.pdf Rhode Island Firearms Restrictions]

===Vermont===
* [[Vermont]] - [[Bernie Sanders]], the only avowed [[socialist]] member of Congress.

===Washington State===
* [[Washington State]] - Maria Cantwell (worth $5.56 million)
** So-called [[Universal background check|"Universal" background checks]] implemented on January 1, 2015 thanks to [[Bill Gates]] and [[Michael Bloomberg]] millions of dollars of donations.

===Summary of the Unfree States===
"The [[East Coast]] and [[West Coast]] ([[Left Coast]]) had the most [[liberal states]] including [[Vermont]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Delaware]], [[New York]], [[Hawaii]], [[Oregon]], [[Washington]], [[Maine]], [[California]] and [[New Jersey]]." <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brie TheHill.com] Accessed March 28, 2014</ref>

==Other Unfree Geographic Entities==

===Washington D.C.===
* [[Washington DC]] - [[President]] [[Barak Obama]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/washington_dc_restrictions.pdf D.C. Firearms Restrictions]
** Best description of Washington D.C. gun grabbers propaganda and gun control is found in the book by [[Emily Miller]], ''[https://amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920 Emily Gets Her Gun, But Obama Wants to Take Yours], 2013. Washington Times columnist Emily Miller finally got the gun she wanted after her Nanny state ordeal of spending "four months of jumping through regulatory hoops and $435 in fees."<ref>"In the wake of tragic shootings in [[Newtown]] and [[Aurora]], the [[gun control|anti-gun]] [[lobby]] has launched a campaign of lies, distortion, misrepresentation, and emotional manipulation that is breathtaking in its vitriol and its denial of basic facts. Their goal is to take away our Second Amendment rights and then disarm law-abiding Americans. Emily Miller tells her personal story of how being a single, female victim of a [[home invasion]] drove her to try to obtain a legally registered gun in Washington, D.C. The narrative—sometimes shocking, other times hilarious in its absurdity—gives the reader a real life understanding of how gun-control laws only make it more difficult for honest, law-abiding people to get guns, while violent crime continues to rise. Using facts and newly uncovered research, Miller exposes the schemes politicians
on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and around the country are using to deny people their Second Amendment rights. She exposes the myths that gun grabbers and liberal media use to get new laws passed that infringe on our right to keep and bear arms. The gun rights debate isn’t just about firearms. It’s about protecting a fundamental right that is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It’s about politicians who lie, manipulate, and outright break existing laws to get what they want. It’s about President Obama wanting a bigger federal government to control you. Not just your guns—you. The fight for gun rights is the fight for freedom. Emily Miller says stand up and fight back now because your Second Amendment will only be the first to go." ''[https://amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920 Emily Gets Her Gun, But Obama Wants to Take Yours on Amazon.com]. Accessed March 10, 2015</ref><ref>Scarry, Eddie, [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/18/this-newswoman-got-a-gun-for-protection-even-though-her-gun-carrying-dad-didnt-want-her-to/ POLITICS
This Newswoman Got a Gun For Protection…Even Though Her Gun-Carrying Dad Didn’t Want Her To], [[The Blaze]], Published September 18, 2013. Accessed March 10, 2015</ref>

==Anything buy a Big City in an Unfree State==
[[Alex Barron]] suggests the following, "There are many people who write me who suggest that they cannot move to [[James Wesley Rawles|JWR]]’s perfect [[self-sufficient]] remote, defensible [[survivalist retreat|homestead]]. The reasons are often similar, money and wife issues. My recommendation to them is often similar. Think of moving to a [[small town values|small town]] or even the “big [[city]]” in a [[red state]]. It is my opinion that [[conservative]] more [[traditional values|traditional]] leaning states with balanced budgets and a “[[libertarian|leave me alone]]” style will weather what comes next better than many more [[progressive]], heavily [[national debt|indebted]], people are use to a [[entitlement mentality|safety net from cradle to grave mentality]]. Would you rather be in [[Los Angeles]] or [[Boise]] when a significant [[depression|economic downturn]] starts? BTW, the first time I visited Boise I thought “where is the city.” Then when we went out to drink later own, I was like, when do we get downtown? They were like, you are “downtown.” Boise doesn’t qualify as a [[suburb]] of a major city like [[Chicago]], but it is one of the fastest growing cities in [[the West]]. When [[Idaho]], [[Montana]] or [[Wyoming]] says “big city” it is not what first comes to mind."<ref>[[Alex Barron|Barron, Alex]], "[https://charlescarrollsociety.com/2015/01/19/orofino-idaho-prepper-homesteading/ Orofino, Idaho #prepper #homesteading]". [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]] [[Charles Carroll Society]] [[:Category:Preparedness Podcasts|Podcast]]</ref>

===California in Not a Free State===
[[Alex Barron]] reports, "In many parts of [[California]] people are paying more than $1,000 a month in [[property tax]] and what they call Mello-roos. Mello-roos is some form of supplemental tax for things like fire departments and [[law enforcement|police services]]. You know what you think your tax dollars already cover. That is $12,000 a year, every year for the privilege of owning property in the state. Many [[red state]]s have much lower property taxes."<ref>[[Alex Barron|Barron, Alex]], "[https://charlescarrollsociety.com/2015/01/21/the-advantageous-of-a-modern-neo-homestead-prepper-homesteading/ The advantageous of a modern (neo) homestead #prepper #homesteading]". [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]] [[Charles Carroll Society]] [[:Category:Preparedness Podcasts|Podcast]], Published January 21, 2015. Accessed January 23, 2015</ref>

==Walking to Freedom Project==
'''Walking to Freedom''' is an initiative created by [[libertarian]] [[survivalist]] [[podcast]]er [[Jack Spirko]] ([[The Survival Podcast]]) where [[citizen]]s are encouraged to pull up stakes and to move to a more open and [[free state]] -- to [[vote with your feet | vote with their feet]]. States are broken down into two categories, the "naughty list and all the rest. People moving out of [[:Category:Oppression|oppressive]] states are asked to post a "goodbye letter" addressed to the state and state government officials regarding their decision to move out of their state. On the [[website]]'s (http://walkingtofreedom.com) [[Forum]] groups for the "non-naughty" states are used to welcome people considering or actually moving to that state.

==== Vision ====
For a few years Jack Spirko worked with and supported The [[Free State Project]] of [[New Hampshire]] (http://freestateproject.org) Spirko says, "While it is not in the cards for me to move to New Hampshire the concept to me is the hallmark of a [[republic]]. Individual member states band together to form a Federal Republic of States. In our case we call this 'The United States of America'. [[Citizen]]s have [[freedom]] of movement from state to state and the citizen is seen as the most [[sovereign]] entity with the most [[unalienable rights|rights]], next in the chain is the sovereignty of the member states and at the bottom of the sovereignty chain is the [[Federal government]].

He continues, "Much of this system is broken today, the [[Federal government]] is filling many roles it isn't supposed to fill (see [[Tenth Amendment]]). State governments then fail to stand up for their citizens or worse they often pile on more [[big government]] [[Nanny state]] restrictions and encumbrances upon [[liberty]]. There is one component of the system though that is still functioning, movement between the states. The final act of a citizen [[voting]] in a [[republic]] is to [[vote with their feet]]. While I love the work being done in [[New Hampshire]], I realized like me there were many people who just can't for one reason or another move there. What dawned on me then though was if we simply create an exodus from the 5-10 worst states it does many things.

# "It sends a message to ALL state governments, your citizens understand a republic and their power and are damn well willing to use it. [[:Category:Oppression|Oppress]] your citizens and your most valuable producers (citizens and companies) will leave for a better environment." (See [[Atlas Shrugged]]'s [[Galt's Gulch]])
# "States with more [[liberty]] like [[Idaho]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Texas]], [[Arizona]], etc. will attract more liberty oriented individuals. Not for the purpose of transforming their new home states states but to at minimum hold the line and prevent said states from becoming less [[libertarian]]."
# "It makes the entire movement far larger then just The [[Free State Project]] or other groups like [[Free State Wyoming]] or the [[American Redoubt]] movement. By gaining maximum exposure and reach, Walking To Freedom, is a rising tide that will float all boats. It will actually bring more people to states like Wyoming and New Hampshire by fostering competition among the member states."
# "Most current oppression in the US is actually at the [[Big government|Federal level]]. There are a handful of states that go above and beyond that, it is easier to target those 5-10 on the 'naughty list' and let the other 40-45 states make their case as to why you should move there, then it is to try to get anyone upset with their state to choose a single option as a way out."
# "[[Freedom]] is highly personal. To some [[taxation|tax freedom]] is the main concern, others are more concerned with freedom over types of housing, some with [[Second Amendment|freedom to keep and bear arms]] yet others simply want what I call 'operational freedom'. Operational freedom is simply the freedom to conduct business. Many [[entrepreneur]]s are less concerned with the overall [[tax rate]]s and more concerned with the permits, [[license]]s, fees, hoops one must jump though just to open the doors."
# "By fostering [[competition]] among all the states not on the 'naughty list' we have a much larger influence. It brings public awareness to the issue and starts making many states that are at the far end or middle of the spectrum to start thinking about the [[cause and effect|consequences]] of being on the naughty list or having the list grow just because they have encouraged us to do so. Yes the list can get bigger in time if necessary. We use 'disapproval voting' to establish the list."

Spirko elaborates:
{{cquote|"When I consider all of the above it is clear to me that Walking To Freedom is a true manifestation of the principle of a [[republic]]. Sure many states may not make the 'naughty list' that many of us feel should. We can only hand out so many demerits you know but, the other side is those states will find that far less citizens choose them as a place to move to. I am quite sure in time that this movement will result in tens of thousands of 'goodbye letters' to state and local officials. While that is half of the equation, I wonder how the [[Chamber of Commerce]] of say a state at the bottom of the receiving end will feel if they see hundreds or even thousands choosing state relatively close to them."<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.msg4#msg4 Accessed January 17, 2014</ref>}}

Spirko also wants to help with yet another problem:
{{cquote|"I have constantly heard in this debate how citizens of State X leave and move to State Y due to being fed up. Yet they turn around and then try to turn State Y into the very State X they just left behind" For example, [[retirement|retiring]] [[California]]ns moved to formerly [[conservative]] [[Oregon]] and turned it into a [[liberal]] [[Nanny state]] just like California. "Perhaps if citizens were to move for more than one reason this would be mitigated? By fostering conversations between movers and for lack of a better term stayers (perhaps recruiters) those who are fed up can find a state that is most closely aligned with who they are."

It is often the case that a person will move over a [[economic|fiscal]] issue but not agree with a social issue where they land. The state where they moved to may resent them and feel they are trying to turn where they moved to into the place they just left behind. The reality though is different, they likely have no desire to increase taxes they just want more social freedom, they don't necessary want you to pay for it. If such a citizen were able to find both more fiscal freedom and more social freedom, likely they and their new neighbors would be more happy. In the end we all must learn to get along but good match making is a great place to start.

The key is either way, the oppressive state loses a producer and are denied the opportunity to tax them and denied the privilege of having them conduct business and participate in commerce within their state. Did you get that word? Privilege! Yes the states should understand when citizens have freedom of movement, the presence of a productive member or society in that state is a state's privilege not a states right.

In the end I feel our members will agree that it is relatively easy to identify the 5 or so worse offenders when it comes to liberty. The states that are just a few shades above them are not something I feel we need to be very worried about. Likely free states are going to attract quite a few of their citizens anyway. The key is to zero in on a small naughty list and give the citizens of those states a message, your fellow Americans would love to have you as neighbors. We all have some unique things to offer, each state has pluses and minuses but flatly about 40 of us look like entirely different nations then the 5-6 at the very bottom.

For instance I have no desire to return to my home state of [[Pennsylvania]], it has fallen too far for my taste from the ideals of our founders. Yet if I compare Pennsylvania to [[New Jersey]] it is like Comparing East and West [[Germany]] during the [[Cold War]]. I mean if you are a freedom loving citizen of New Jersey I would love to have you in Texas and I am sure the folks in New Hampshire would as well, but to be blunt the Delaware river isn't the [[Berlin wall]]! Escape is easy and not far away. If Pennsylvania is as far as you can manage it is still a move away from one of the most oppressive governments in the nation. A state where you can't even have a unloaded and cased [[gun]] locked in your trunk without being considered a [[felony|felon]]. For that matter New Jersey is a state that won't even let you pump your own [[gasoline|gas]].

In the end though liberty is personal, it can only really be defined at the individual level. Yet when some governments encroach too far measures must be taken. Our [[Founding Fathers]] knew all [[government]]s do this, they founded a [[republic]] so the citizenry would have many options. You can [[vote]] with dollars and do business with companies you agree with. You can vote with a ballot and elect your leaders. When you serve on a [[jury]] you have a final check on unjust law and a jury can indeed [[jury nullification|nullify]] such a law with a simple vote of not guilty. The ultimate vote though is simply walking away. The states on the naughty list are already by and large on the verge of fiscal crisis if not all out [[bankruptcy]], they can't afford to have their most productive citizens leave. Yet they should all be warned that the citizens well, they can by and large very well afford to leave. Not only can they afford to but they can often increase their quality of life by doing so. In other words they need you a hell of a lot less then you need them.

The vision of Walking to Freedom is simple, to encourage tens or even hundreds of thousands of citizens to simply walk away from the most oppressive and [[national debt|fiscally irresponsible]] states in the union. To allow them to find the best new home, to find friends, jobs, [[church]]es, communities, etc that will welcome them with open arms. Many people feel moving is too hard to accomplish, we simply want to show them that it is far more difficult to live in oppression and abuse than to rent a U-haul and make some new friends.

Once the naughty list is established we will move into action. All the naughty list states will have a dedicated 'goodbye letter' board. Where we encourage all of their citizens to leave a letter to their governor, state and federal reps, local officials and local news outlets telling them why they are leaving and what is being lost by their exodus. All other states will get a board where their citizens, officials, chambers of commerce etc. may freely make a case as to why their state is a good choice. Those looking to move can discuss what different states have to offer, job availability, local communities, finding housing, etc.

If you are an official in a state on the naughty list be warned. This movement may seem like the vision of one "[[redneck]] in Texas" to you, but this red neck isn't alone. He is also smart enough to know this is bigger then himself or his state of Texas. As much as I want my fellow [[American]]s to join me in the Lone Star State, I want them to leave behind oppression even more. If I could throw a level that moved 5 million productive freedom loving people out of the five most oppressive states tomorrow and Texas wouldn't get a single one of them, I would do it at once.

In summary I always say a [[American Revolution|fight for liberty]] anywhere is a fight for liberty everywhere. While that is true it is also a fact that when oppression is sufficient, everywhere but where you are is better. For those on the 'naughty list' that is the choice you have given to your citizenry, we simply aim to help them make the best choice for them and assist them with their walk to liberty. Simply put for those states on the list, this isn't something we did to you, it is something you have done to yourselves, we are just shining a light on it."<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.msg4#msg4 Accessed January 17, 2014</ref>}}

==See Also==
* '''[[Vote with your feet]] - [[Strategic relocation]]:''' [[Essay:Owning land is true wealth|Owning land is true wealth]] and [[Essay:Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global|Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global]] - Move to a [[Free state]] with [[Essay:State Firearms Laws Ranking|Firearms freedom]], [[Free market]]s and low [[population density]]
* [[American Redoubt]] - [[Idaho]], [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Utah]]
* [[Free State Wyoming]] - [[Molon Labe!]] by [[Boston T. Party]] and [[Free State Project]] - [[New Hampshire]]
* ''[[Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places]]'' by [[Joel Skousen]]
* ''[[Rawles on Retreats and Relocation]]'' by [[James Wesley Rawles]]
* [[Cumberland Redoubt]] - [[Tennessee]] and [[Kentucky]] - [[M.D. Creekmore]]
* [[Essay:If I wanted to save America]]

==Bibliography - Further Reading==
* [[Joel Skousen|Skousen, Joel]], ''Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places''. 3rd Edition Perfect Paperback, 2011, ISBN-10: 1568612621, ISBN-13: 978-1568612621

* [[James Wesley Rawles|Rawles, James Wesley]], ''[[Rawles on Retreats and Relocation]]''. 1st. Clearwater, [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]]: The Clearwater Press, 2007. Print.

* [[Boston T. Party|Party, Boston T.]], ''[[Boston's Gun Bible]]''. [[Wyoming]] [[American Redoubt]] [[Javelin Press]], 2008. Contains an entire chapter devoted to why Christians, conservatives and libertarians are preppers and contains [[Essay:State Firearms Laws Ranking]].

* [[Boston T. Party|Party, Boston T.]], [[Molon Labe!]]. [[Wyoming]] [[American Redoubt]] [[Javelin Press]], 30 January 2004, 454 pp (first edition, paperback), ISBN 1-888766-07-7 - Conservative [[Christian]] [[Libertarian]] [[dystopian]] fiction novel entirely based around the issue of [[States' rights]] and the [[Tenth Amendment]]'s connection with the [[Second Amendment]] right to [[firearms|armed]] [[citizen]] defense against federal [[tyranny]]. Contains many long discussions on why Christians, conservatives and libertarians are preppers.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category : United States Political Terms]]
[[Category : Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category : American Redoubt]]
[[Category : Strategic Relocation]]
[[Category : Anti-Communism]]
[[Category : Politics]]
[[Category : Conservatism]]
[[Category : Conservative]]
[[Category : Conservatives]]
[[Category : Libertarianism]]
[[Category : Libertarians]]
[[Category : Idaho]]
[[Category : Wyoming]]
[[Category : Montana]]
[[Category : Arizona]]
[[Category : Kentucky]]
[[Category : Louisiana]]
[[Category : Alaska]]
[[Category : Mississippi]]
[[Category : Texas]]
[[Category : Utah]]
[[Category : Kansas]]
[[Category : New Hampshire]]
[[Category : North Carolina]]
[[Category : Georgia]]
[[Category : American Civil War]]
[[Category : United States History]]
[[Category : Lists|List of Free States versus Unfree States]]
[[Category : Political Movements]]
[[Category : United States Political Movements]]
[[Category : Immigration]]
[[Category : United States Political Terms]]

Essay: Free States Movement

2015-07-23T21:10:02Z

SamImamEli: added information about Oregon counties

'''Free state''' has two common meanings. One is the older meaning in the [[Antebellum]] period where a '''free state''' was a state where [[slavery]] was outlawed.

The second meaning of '''Free state''' refers to the [[American]] '''Free States Movement'''. This is a newer and more common meaning in use since the late 1970's in [[America]] among [[libertarian]]s, [[conservative]]s, conservative [[Christian]]s, [[Patriot]]s, and [[Prepper]]s-[[Survivalist]]s.

==Modern "Free States" in the USA==

''See also:'' [[Free states]]

A modern '''Free state''' in the [[USA]] can be defined by what it is not, more than what it is.

A free state is not:

* [[Gun control]]
* [[Welfare state]] - [[Nanny state]]
* [[Mass surveillance]] and [[Big government]] of the [[Police state]]
* [[Deficit spending]]
* High [[taxation]]
* [[Liberal values]]
* [[Blue state]]

===List of Free States===
[[File:238868166 ef70731f85.jpg|right|100px]]
The Free States Movement is is picking up steam.

* [[American Redoubt]]:
** [[Idaho]]
** [[Wyoming]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
** [[Montana]]
* [[Arizona]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
* [[Kentucky]]
* [[Louisiana]]
* [[Alaska]] - [[Constitutional carry]] via the [[Second Amendment]] rather than [[Concealed carry]] [[license]]s
* [[Mississippi]]
* [[Kentucky]]
* [[Louisiana]]
* [[Alaska]]
* [[Mississippi]]
* [[Texas]]
* [[Utah]]
* [[Kansas]]
* [[New Hampshire]]
* [[North Carolina]]
* [[Georgia]]

===Qualities of the Free States===
A free state suggests:
* Respect for the [[unalienable rights]]/[[civil rights]] of the [[Bill of Rights]], especially the [[gun rights]] / right to [[self-defense]], [[home security]] and [[deterrence]] against [[tyranny]]
* [[Libertarianism|Libertarian values]]
* [[Conservative values]]
* [[Ludwig von Mises]]' [[conservative]] [[libertarian]] [[Austrian economics]] and [[Fiscal conservatism]] -[[Capitalist]] [[Conservative economic policies]] of [[Ron Paul]]
* [[Essay:Modern Survivalism]]: "[[Essay:if times get tough, or even if then don't]]", [[Essay:Debt is financial cancer]], [[Essay:Tax is theft]], [[Renewable energy]], [[Financial security]], [[Essay:You are in control of your life]]
** [[Essay:Invest in tangibles]] - [[Precious Metals]], [[Copper-jacketed lead]] and [[Firearms]]



== Unfree State List ==

See also [[Most liberal American cities]]

The list of [[Unfree states]] - [[Nanny State]]s was established by polling readers/listeners of [[:Category:Conservative Blogs|conservative blogs]], [[:Category:Conservative Podcasts |conservative podcasts]], [[:Category:Conservative Websites|conservative websites]], [[:Category:Conservative Forums|conservative forums]], [[:Category:Libertarian Blogs|libertarian blogs]], [[:Category:Preparedness Blogs|preparedness blogs]], and [[:Category:Gun Blogs|gun blogs]].<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=2.0 Accessed March 28, 2014 </ref>

Below is the list with some of their [[gun control|gun grabbing]] [[Constitution]] violating, [[Oath]]-[[treason|breaker]] [[liberal]] [[Democrat]] [[elitist]] [[politician]]s<ref> http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th-2012.html Accessed March 29, 2014</ref> <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_richest_American_politicians Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref><ref> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref>:

===California===
* [[California]] - [[Diane Feinstein]] (worth $41.78 million), [[Nancy Pelosi]] (worth $26.43 million), [[Barbara Boxer]], [[Henry Waxman]], [[Alan Lowenthal]] (CA-47), Howard Berman, Bob Filner, Jane Harman, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Tom Lantos, Susan Davis, [[Los Angeles]] Mayor [[Eric Garcetti]], [[San Diego]] Mayor [[Bob Filner]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/california_restrictions.pdf is the 5th worst state for Firearms Restrictions]
** According to a 2005 study of the 25 [[most liberal American cities]], [[San Francisco]], [[Berkeley]], [[Oakland]] ranked #1, #2 and #4 respectively.<ref>Phil Reiff, Director of the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] Center for Voting Research says, "While there are a few liberal cities without large [[African American]] populations, these wind up being the exceptions. College towns like [[Berkeley]] and [[Cambridge]] have modest black populations but remain bastions of upper [[middle-class]], white, intellectual [[liberalism]]." "The list of Americas most liberal cities is dominated by cities with large African American populations that are concentrated in the [[Northeast]], [[Midwest]] and [[California]]. Conversely, the study found that the staunchest [[conservative]] cities are clustered in [[the South]] and interior [[:Category:Intermountain West|West]] and have extremely low numbers of African American residents." "[[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] Center for Voting Research (BACVR) ranks the political leanings of every American city and finds that [[Detroit]], Michigan is the most liberal and [[Provo, Utah]] the most conservative." "The Bay Area Center for Voting Research is a nonpartisan" ('liberal') "[[think tank]] based in [[Berkeley]], California. A full copy of the report and the complete list of rankings for all 237 cities are available at http://www.votingresearch.org." [http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>

===Colorado===
* [[Colorado]] - [[Jared Polis]] (worth $72.09 million)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/colorado_restrictions.pdf Colorado Firearms Restrictions] since 2014.

=== Connecticut===
* [[Connecticut]] - [[Richard Blumenthal]] (worth $79.11 million), [[Joe Lieberman]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/connecticut_restrictions.pdf Connecticut Firearms Restrictions]

===Delaware===
* [[Delaware]] - former Sen. [[Joe Biden]]<ref>"[http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/middle-school-kids-taken-hear-louis-farrakhan-call-violence-against-crackers Middle School Kids Taken To Hear Louis Farrakhan Call For Violence Against The 'Crackers']" [[Ben Shapiro]]'s ''Truth Revolt''. "Administrator at Booker T. Washington Middle School in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]], took forty young teenage students as young as eleven-years-old to the 2nd Annual [[African American|Black]] United Summit International (BUSI) conference where they heard [[racist|bigoted]] purveyor of hatred [[Louis Farrakhan]] reference [[caucasian|white people]] as "crackers” and a call for “retaliation” for [[Michael Brown]]'s death. When asked by Clark why the children were taken to this conference, Anthony Pena, the Middle School administrator who took the forty students between the ages of 11 and 15 to the conference, said, "At the end of the day… it’s about how we connect to our youth and help develop them to become our future.”" (See [[Public school values]]. Accessed January 5, 2015</ref>

===Hawaii===
* [[Hawaii]] - [[Brian Schatz]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/hi_ak_vi_guam_restrictions.pdf Hawaii Firearms Restrictions]

===Illinois===
* [[Illinois]] - [[Chicago]] Mayor [[Rahm Emanuel]] (worth $12 million with $6 mil salary)<ref> http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1426034.html Accessed March 29, 2014 </ref>, [[Brad Schneider]] (IL-10), [[Jan Schakowsky]] (IL-9)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/illinois_restrictions.pdf Illinois is the 4th worst state for Firearms Restrictions]

===Maryland===
* [[Maryland]] - [[Benjamin Cardin]],
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/maryland_restrictions.pdf Maryland Firearms Restrictions]

===Maine===
* [[Maine]] - [[Chellie Pingree]] (worth $28.58 million)

===Massachusetts===
* [[Massachusetts]] - John Kerry (worth $193 million), [[Ted Kennedy]] (was worth $163 million), [[Barney Frank]] [D, MA-04]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/massachusetts_restrictions.pdf Massachusetts is the 2nd worst state for Firearms Restrictions]
** [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] was ranked #5 most liberal city in America.<ref>[http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>

===New Jersey===
* [[New Jersey]] - [[Frank Lautenberg]] (was worth $116.1 million), Steve Rothman
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/michigan_restrictions.pdf New Jersey Firearms Restrictions]

===New York===
* [[New York]] - former Sen. [[Hillary Clinton]], [[New York City]] former Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] (worth $31 billion), [[Charles Schumer]], [[Mario Cuomo]], [[Jerrold Nadler]], [[Anthony Weiner]], (sexting scandal), [[Gary Ackerman]], [[Steve Israel]], [[Eliot Engel]], [[Nita Lowey]], [[Jerrold Nadler]],
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/new_york_restrictions.pdf New York is the 1st worst state for Firearms Restrictions]

===Oregon===
* [[Oregon]] - [[Ron Wyden]]
** [[Portland]], [[Oregon]] was ranked #3 most liberal city in America.<ref>[http://americancityandcounty.com/content/study-ranks-americas-most-liberal-and-conservative-cities 2005 study rankings on liberal and conservative cities]. Posted Oct 27, 2014. Accessed March 18, 2015</ref>
Of the 36 counties in Oregon, only 7 generally vote along a liberal ideological line. Those counties are located in and around the larger metropolitan areas of Oregon, namely Portland, Salem, and Eugene. Rural Oregon remains relatively conservative and is likely one of the reasons Easter Oregon is named as part of the American Redoubt.

===Rhode Island===
* [[Rhode Island]] - [[David Cicilline]] (RI-1)
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/washington_dc_restrictions.pdf Rhode Island Firearms Restrictions]

===Vermont===
* [[Vermont]] - [[Bernie Sanders]], the only avowed [[socialist]] member of Congress.

===Washington State===
* [[Washington State]] - Maria Cantwell (worth $5.56 million)
** So-called [[Universal background check|"Universal" background checks]] implemented on January 1, 2015 thanks to [[Bill Gates]] and [[Michael Bloomberg]] millions of dollars of donations.

===Summary of the Unfree States===
"The [[East Coast]] and [[West Coast]] ([[Left Coast]]) had the most [[liberal states]] including [[Vermont]], [[Massachusetts]], [[Delaware]], [[New York]], [[Hawaii]], [[Oregon]], [[Washington]], [[Maine]], [[California]] and [[New Jersey]]." <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brie TheHill.com] Accessed March 28, 2014</ref>

==Other Unfree Geographic Entities==

===Washington D.C.===
* [[Washington DC]] - [[President]] [[Barak Obama]]
** [http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/feeds/state_reg/washington_dc_restrictions.pdf D.C. Firearms Restrictions]
** Best description of Washington D.C. gun grabbers propaganda and gun control is found in the book by [[Emily Miller]], ''[https://amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920 Emily Gets Her Gun, But Obama Wants to Take Yours], 2013. Washington Times columnist Emily Miller finally got the gun she wanted after her Nanny state ordeal of spending "four months of jumping through regulatory hoops and $435 in fees."<ref>"In the wake of tragic shootings in [[Newtown]] and [[Aurora]], the [[gun control|anti-gun]] [[lobby]] has launched a campaign of lies, distortion, misrepresentation, and emotional manipulation that is breathtaking in its vitriol and its denial of basic facts. Their goal is to take away our Second Amendment rights and then disarm law-abiding Americans. Emily Miller tells her personal story of how being a single, female victim of a [[home invasion]] drove her to try to obtain a legally registered gun in Washington, D.C. The narrative—sometimes shocking, other times hilarious in its absurdity—gives the reader a real life understanding of how gun-control laws only make it more difficult for honest, law-abiding people to get guns, while violent crime continues to rise. Using facts and newly uncovered research, Miller exposes the schemes politicians
on Capitol Hill, in the White House, and around the country are using to deny people their Second Amendment rights. She exposes the myths that gun grabbers and liberal media use to get new laws passed that infringe on our right to keep and bear arms. The gun rights debate isn’t just about firearms. It’s about protecting a fundamental right that is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. It’s about politicians who lie, manipulate, and outright break existing laws to get what they want. It’s about President Obama wanting a bigger federal government to control you. Not just your guns—you. The fight for gun rights is the fight for freedom. Emily Miller says stand up and fight back now because your Second Amendment will only be the first to go." ''[https://amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920 Emily Gets Her Gun, But Obama Wants to Take Yours on Amazon.com]. Accessed March 10, 2015</ref><ref>Scarry, Eddie, [http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/18/this-newswoman-got-a-gun-for-protection-even-though-her-gun-carrying-dad-didnt-want-her-to/ POLITICS
This Newswoman Got a Gun For Protection…Even Though Her Gun-Carrying Dad Didn’t Want Her To], [[The Blaze]], Published September 18, 2013. Accessed March 10, 2015</ref>

==Anything buy a Big City in an Unfree State==
[[Alex Barron]] suggests the following, "There are many people who write me who suggest that they cannot move to [[James Wesley Rawles|JWR]]’s perfect [[self-sufficient]] remote, defensible [[survivalist retreat|homestead]]. The reasons are often similar, money and wife issues. My recommendation to them is often similar. Think of moving to a [[small town values|small town]] or even the “big [[city]]” in a [[red state]]. It is my opinion that [[conservative]] more [[traditional values|traditional]] leaning states with balanced budgets and a “[[libertarian|leave me alone]]” style will weather what comes next better than many more [[progressive]], heavily [[national debt|indebted]], people are use to a [[entitlement mentality|safety net from cradle to grave mentality]]. Would you rather be in [[Los Angeles]] or [[Boise]] when a significant [[depression|economic downturn]] starts? BTW, the first time I visited Boise I thought “where is the city.” Then when we went out to drink later own, I was like, when do we get downtown? They were like, you are “downtown.” Boise doesn’t qualify as a [[suburb]] of a major city like [[Chicago]], but it is one of the fastest growing cities in [[the West]]. When [[Idaho]], [[Montana]] or [[Wyoming]] says “big city” it is not what first comes to mind."<ref>[[Alex Barron|Barron, Alex]], "[https://charlescarrollsociety.com/2015/01/19/orofino-idaho-prepper-homesteading/ Orofino, Idaho #prepper #homesteading]". [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]] [[Charles Carroll Society]] [[:Category:Preparedness Podcasts|Podcast]]</ref>

===California in Not a Free State===
[[Alex Barron]] reports, "In many parts of [[California]] people are paying more than $1,000 a month in [[property tax]] and what they call Mello-roos. Mello-roos is some form of supplemental tax for things like fire departments and [[law enforcement|police services]]. You know what you think your tax dollars already cover. That is $12,000 a year, every year for the privilege of owning property in the state. Many [[red state]]s have much lower property taxes."<ref>[[Alex Barron|Barron, Alex]], "[https://charlescarrollsociety.com/2015/01/21/the-advantageous-of-a-modern-neo-homestead-prepper-homesteading/ The advantageous of a modern (neo) homestead #prepper #homesteading]". [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]] [[Charles Carroll Society]] [[:Category:Preparedness Podcasts|Podcast]], Published January 21, 2015. Accessed January 23, 2015</ref>

==Walking to Freedom Project==
'''Walking to Freedom''' is an initiative created by [[libertarian]] [[survivalist]] [[podcast]]er [[Jack Spirko]] ([[The Survival Podcast]]) where [[citizen]]s are encouraged to pull up stakes and to move to a more open and [[free state]] -- to [[vote with your feet | vote with their feet]]. States are broken down into two categories, the "naughty list and all the rest. People moving out of [[:Category:Oppression|oppressive]] states are asked to post a "goodbye letter" addressed to the state and state government officials regarding their decision to move out of their state. On the [[website]]'s (http://walkingtofreedom.com) [[Forum]] groups for the "non-naughty" states are used to welcome people considering or actually moving to that state.

==== Vision ====
For a few years Jack Spirko worked with and supported The [[Free State Project]] of [[New Hampshire]] (http://freestateproject.org) Spirko says, "While it is not in the cards for me to move to New Hampshire the concept to me is the hallmark of a [[republic]]. Individual member states band together to form a Federal Republic of States. In our case we call this 'The United States of America'. [[Citizen]]s have [[freedom]] of movement from state to state and the citizen is seen as the most [[sovereign]] entity with the most [[unalienable rights|rights]], next in the chain is the sovereignty of the member states and at the bottom of the sovereignty chain is the [[Federal government]].

He continues, "Much of this system is broken today, the [[Federal government]] is filling many roles it isn't supposed to fill (see [[Tenth Amendment]]). State governments then fail to stand up for their citizens or worse they often pile on more [[big government]] [[Nanny state]] restrictions and encumbrances upon [[liberty]]. There is one component of the system though that is still functioning, movement between the states. The final act of a citizen [[voting]] in a [[republic]] is to [[vote with their feet]]. While I love the work being done in [[New Hampshire]], I realized like me there were many people who just can't for one reason or another move there. What dawned on me then though was if we simply create an exodus from the 5-10 worst states it does many things.

# "It sends a message to ALL state governments, your citizens understand a republic and their power and are damn well willing to use it. [[:Category:Oppression|Oppress]] your citizens and your most valuable producers (citizens and companies) will leave for a better environment." (See [[Atlas Shrugged]]'s [[Galt's Gulch]])
# "States with more [[liberty]] like [[Idaho]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Texas]], [[Arizona]], etc. will attract more liberty oriented individuals. Not for the purpose of transforming their new home states states but to at minimum hold the line and prevent said states from becoming less [[libertarian]]."
# "It makes the entire movement far larger then just The [[Free State Project]] or other groups like [[Free State Wyoming]] or the [[American Redoubt]] movement. By gaining maximum exposure and reach, Walking To Freedom, is a rising tide that will float all boats. It will actually bring more people to states like Wyoming and New Hampshire by fostering competition among the member states."
# "Most current oppression in the US is actually at the [[Big government|Federal level]]. There are a handful of states that go above and beyond that, it is easier to target those 5-10 on the 'naughty list' and let the other 40-45 states make their case as to why you should move there, then it is to try to get anyone upset with their state to choose a single option as a way out."
# "[[Freedom]] is highly personal. To some [[taxation|tax freedom]] is the main concern, others are more concerned with freedom over types of housing, some with [[Second Amendment|freedom to keep and bear arms]] yet others simply want what I call 'operational freedom'. Operational freedom is simply the freedom to conduct business. Many [[entrepreneur]]s are less concerned with the overall [[tax rate]]s and more concerned with the permits, [[license]]s, fees, hoops one must jump though just to open the doors."
# "By fostering [[competition]] among all the states not on the 'naughty list' we have a much larger influence. It brings public awareness to the issue and starts making many states that are at the far end or middle of the spectrum to start thinking about the [[cause and effect|consequences]] of being on the naughty list or having the list grow just because they have encouraged us to do so. Yes the list can get bigger in time if necessary. We use 'disapproval voting' to establish the list."

Spirko elaborates:
{{cquote|"When I consider all of the above it is clear to me that Walking To Freedom is a true manifestation of the principle of a [[republic]]. Sure many states may not make the 'naughty list' that many of us feel should. We can only hand out so many demerits you know but, the other side is those states will find that far less citizens choose them as a place to move to. I am quite sure in time that this movement will result in tens of thousands of 'goodbye letters' to state and local officials. While that is half of the equation, I wonder how the [[Chamber of Commerce]] of say a state at the bottom of the receiving end will feel if they see hundreds or even thousands choosing state relatively close to them."<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.msg4#msg4 Accessed January 17, 2014</ref>}}

Spirko also wants to help with yet another problem:
{{cquote|"I have constantly heard in this debate how citizens of State X leave and move to State Y due to being fed up. Yet they turn around and then try to turn State Y into the very State X they just left behind" For example, [[retirement|retiring]] [[California]]ns moved to formerly [[conservative]] [[Oregon]] and turned it into a [[liberal]] [[Nanny state]] just like California. "Perhaps if citizens were to move for more than one reason this would be mitigated? By fostering conversations between movers and for lack of a better term stayers (perhaps recruiters) those who are fed up can find a state that is most closely aligned with who they are."

It is often the case that a person will move over a [[economic|fiscal]] issue but not agree with a social issue where they land. The state where they moved to may resent them and feel they are trying to turn where they moved to into the place they just left behind. The reality though is different, they likely have no desire to increase taxes they just want more social freedom, they don't necessary want you to pay for it. If such a citizen were able to find both more fiscal freedom and more social freedom, likely they and their new neighbors would be more happy. In the end we all must learn to get along but good match making is a great place to start.

The key is either way, the oppressive state loses a producer and are denied the opportunity to tax them and denied the privilege of having them conduct business and participate in commerce within their state. Did you get that word? Privilege! Yes the states should understand when citizens have freedom of movement, the presence of a productive member or society in that state is a state's privilege not a states right.

In the end I feel our members will agree that it is relatively easy to identify the 5 or so worse offenders when it comes to liberty. The states that are just a few shades above them are not something I feel we need to be very worried about. Likely free states are going to attract quite a few of their citizens anyway. The key is to zero in on a small naughty list and give the citizens of those states a message, your fellow Americans would love to have you as neighbors. We all have some unique things to offer, each state has pluses and minuses but flatly about 40 of us look like entirely different nations then the 5-6 at the very bottom.

For instance I have no desire to return to my home state of [[Pennsylvania]], it has fallen too far for my taste from the ideals of our founders. Yet if I compare Pennsylvania to [[New Jersey]] it is like Comparing East and West [[Germany]] during the [[Cold War]]. I mean if you are a freedom loving citizen of New Jersey I would love to have you in Texas and I am sure the folks in New Hampshire would as well, but to be blunt the Delaware river isn't the [[Berlin wall]]! Escape is easy and not far away. If Pennsylvania is as far as you can manage it is still a move away from one of the most oppressive governments in the nation. A state where you can't even have a unloaded and cased [[gun]] locked in your trunk without being considered a [[felony|felon]]. For that matter New Jersey is a state that won't even let you pump your own [[gasoline|gas]].

In the end though liberty is personal, it can only really be defined at the individual level. Yet when some governments encroach too far measures must be taken. Our [[Founding Fathers]] knew all [[government]]s do this, they founded a [[republic]] so the citizenry would have many options. You can [[vote]] with dollars and do business with companies you agree with. You can vote with a ballot and elect your leaders. When you serve on a [[jury]] you have a final check on unjust law and a jury can indeed [[jury nullification|nullify]] such a law with a simple vote of not guilty. The ultimate vote though is simply walking away. The states on the naughty list are already by and large on the verge of fiscal crisis if not all out [[bankruptcy]], they can't afford to have their most productive citizens leave. Yet they should all be warned that the citizens well, they can by and large very well afford to leave. Not only can they afford to but they can often increase their quality of life by doing so. In other words they need you a hell of a lot less then you need them.

The vision of Walking to Freedom is simple, to encourage tens or even hundreds of thousands of citizens to simply walk away from the most oppressive and [[national debt|fiscally irresponsible]] states in the union. To allow them to find the best new home, to find friends, jobs, [[church]]es, communities, etc that will welcome them with open arms. Many people feel moving is too hard to accomplish, we simply want to show them that it is far more difficult to live in oppression and abuse than to rent a U-haul and make some new friends.

Once the naughty list is established we will move into action. All the naughty list states will have a dedicated 'goodbye letter' board. Where we encourage all of their citizens to leave a letter to their governor, state and federal reps, local officials and local news outlets telling them why they are leaving and what is being lost by their exodus. All other states will get a board where their citizens, officials, chambers of commerce etc. may freely make a case as to why their state is a good choice. Those looking to move can discuss what different states have to offer, job availability, local communities, finding housing, etc.

If you are an official in a state on the naughty list be warned. This movement may seem like the vision of one "[[redneck]] in Texas" to you, but this red neck isn't alone. He is also smart enough to know this is bigger then himself or his state of Texas. As much as I want my fellow [[American]]s to join me in the Lone Star State, I want them to leave behind oppression even more. If I could throw a level that moved 5 million productive freedom loving people out of the five most oppressive states tomorrow and Texas wouldn't get a single one of them, I would do it at once.

In summary I always say a [[American Revolution|fight for liberty]] anywhere is a fight for liberty everywhere. While that is true it is also a fact that when oppression is sufficient, everywhere but where you are is better. For those on the 'naughty list' that is the choice you have given to your citizenry, we simply aim to help them make the best choice for them and assist them with their walk to liberty. Simply put for those states on the list, this isn't something we did to you, it is something you have done to yourselves, we are just shining a light on it."<ref>http://walkingtofreedom.com/forum/index.php?topic=4.msg4#msg4 Accessed January 17, 2014</ref>}}

==See Also==
* '''[[Vote with your feet]] - [[Strategic relocation]]:''' [[Essay:Owning land is true wealth|Owning land is true wealth]] and [[Essay:Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global|Personal-Localized-Regional-State-National-Global]] - Move to a [[Free state]] with [[Essay:State Firearms Laws Ranking|Firearms freedom]], [[Free market]]s and low [[population density]]
* [[American Redoubt]] - [[Idaho]], [[Montana]], [[Wyoming]], [[Utah]]
* [[Free State Wyoming]] - [[Molon Labe!]] by [[Boston T. Party]] and [[Free State Project]] - [[New Hampshire]]
* ''[[Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places]]'' by [[Joel Skousen]]
* ''[[Rawles on Retreats and Relocation]]'' by [[James Wesley Rawles]]
* [[Cumberland Redoubt]] - [[Tennessee]] and [[Kentucky]] - [[M.D. Creekmore]]
* [[Essay:If I wanted to save America]]

==Bibliography - Further Reading==
* [[Joel Skousen|Skousen, Joel]], ''Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places''. 3rd Edition Perfect Paperback, 2011, ISBN-10: 1568612621, ISBN-13: 978-1568612621

* [[James Wesley Rawles|Rawles, James Wesley]], ''[[Rawles on Retreats and Relocation]]''. 1st. Clearwater, [[Idaho]], [[American Redoubt]]: The Clearwater Press, 2007. Print.

* [[Boston T. Party|Party, Boston T.]], ''[[Boston's Gun Bible]]''. [[Wyoming]] [[American Redoubt]] [[Javelin Press]], 2008. Contains an entire chapter devoted to why Christians, conservatives and libertarians are preppers and contains [[Essay:State Firearms Laws Ranking]].

* [[Boston T. Party|Party, Boston T.]], [[Molon Labe!]]. [[Wyoming]] [[American Redoubt]] [[Javelin Press]], 30 January 2004, 454 pp (first edition, paperback), ISBN 1-888766-07-7 - Conservative [[Christian]] [[Libertarian]] [[dystopian]] fiction novel entirely based around the issue of [[States' rights]] and the [[Tenth Amendment]]'s connection with the [[Second Amendment]] right to [[firearms|armed]] [[citizen]] defense against federal [[tyranny]]. Contains many long discussions on why Christians, conservatives and libertarians are preppers.

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category : United States Political Terms]]
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[[Category : American Redoubt]]
[[Category : Strategic Relocation]]
[[Category : Anti-Communism]]
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[[Category : Conservatism]]
[[Category : Conservative]]
[[Category : Conservatives]]
[[Category : Libertarianism]]
[[Category : Libertarians]]
[[Category : Idaho]]
[[Category : Wyoming]]
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[[Category : Arizona]]
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[[Category : Mississippi]]
[[Category : Texas]]
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User talk:SamImamEli

2015-07-13T23:17:25Z

SamImamEli: Created page with "== '''So happy to be part of the Conservapedia project!''' == After being absolutely hammered by liberally biased editing of my factual and interesting content, I gave up at Wiki..."

== '''So happy to be part of the Conservapedia project!''' ==
After being absolutely hammered by liberally biased editing of my factual and interesting content, I gave up at Wikipedia.

Black hole

2015-07-13T23:14:00Z

SamImamEli: deleted word combination "make show"

[[Image:Iu8969hu.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Artist's conception of a binary system consisting of a black hole and a main sequence star. The black hole is drawing matter from the main sequence star via an [[accretion disk]] around it, and some of this matter forms a gas jet.]]
'''Black holes''' are astronomical objects that are so dense that their gravitational escape velocity would exceed the speed of light. Because of this, no light or matter can escape them, and they appear "black"<ref>Actually, because of quantum-mechanical phenomena involving Hawking Radiation, discussed later in the article, this is not true on an extremely microscopic level, but is true for all practical purposes.</ref>. In addition to being of great interest to scientists, they have caught the imagination of science magazines, science fiction writers, and the general public. This is probably because of the catchy name and the extremely weird behavior of space and time in their vicinity. This includes a number of movies: ''Event Horizon'' (1997), ''The Black Hole'' (TV, 2006), and ''Interstellar'' (2014). The last of those used very sophisticated mathematical models and computer rendering techniques to show things accurately.

Like electrons, protons, and neutrons, black holes have never been directly observed, but, as in the case of subatomic particles, evidence for their existence is overwhelming. This evidence includes observations of radiation from accretion disks, motion of stars near the center of the galaxy, and "gravitational lensing", having all the properties that relativity predicts, around places where there are no visible objects. Like positrons, their existence was predicted (in both cases based on relativity) before there was any actual evidence of their existence.

Black holes are assumed to come into existence from extremely large stars that collapse into a state of high density when they run out of fusion fuel. An object becomes a black hole when it lies entirely inside the Schwarzschild radius (see below) determined by its mass. For most objects, the Schwarzschild radius is very tiny compared with its size (for Earth it is about 1 centimeter), so the object does not lie inside that radius.

In some very advanced and esoteric theories of physics, black holes are sometimes associated with "[[wormhole]]s",<ref>The prediction of the existence of wormholes, and its naming in 1957, predates the prediction and naming (1967) of a black hole.[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/science/14wheeler.html?pagewanted=print]</ref>, another very catchy name and very catchy subject for science fiction stories.

==History of the idea==
The theoretical model of what we now call a black hole has evolved considerably over the centuries. The [[corpuscular theory of light]] held that light was made up of invisibly small particles, and that these particles moved along ballistic trajectories, like tiny bullets. In this framework, it was believed possible that a distant star could be so massive that light emitted from its surface would be dragged back down again. This theory was first advanced by John Michell, who wrote in 1783, "If the semi-diameter of a sphere of the same density as the Sun in the proportion of five hundred to one, and by supposing light to be attracted by the same force in proportion to its [mass] with other bodies, all light emitted from such a body would be made to return towards it, by its own proper gravity."<ref name="r1">http://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200911/physicshistory.cfm</ref>

Suggesting the same possibility independently, Pierre-Simon Laplace wrote in 1796, "It is therefore possible that the greatest luminous bodies in the universe are on this account invisible."<ref name="r1" />

As the corpuscular theory gave way to the [[wave theory of light]] in the early 1800s, the idea of "dark" or "invisible" stars fell from favor. At that time, it was believed that light was a wave which had no mass and therefore was unaffected by gravity.

Research into the [[photoelectric effect]], however, reignited interest in the light-as-particles view, ultimately resulting in the modern notion of [[wave-particle duality]]. Under this theory, light could be affected by gravity, so the question of whether light could be emitted from extraordinarily massive bodies was once again open.

===General Relativity===
As it happened, the question became unavoidable shortly after the publication in 1915 of Einstein's [[general theory of relativity]]. [[Schwarzschild]] solved the Einstein field equations in a way that describes the geometry of spacetime outside a spherically symmetric, uncharged, non-rotating distribution of mass. Well away from the center of this distribution of mass, the Schwarzschild solution closely matches the Newtonian model of a gravitational field; only close to the mass, where the curvature of spacetime is large, do significant differences between the two models appear. But if the diameter of the mass distribution is taken to be arbitrarily small, then the region of spacetime immediately surrounding the mass appears to take on extremely curious properties, properties so curious that many questioned whether they had any physical interpretation at all. Therefore, Schwarzschild showed that black holes were possible under the theory of [[general relativity]].

[[File:Cygnusx1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Jet-powered nebula formed from the accretion disk of the binary star Cygnus-X1]]
However, neither Schwarzschild himself nor [[Albert Einstein]], who developed the theory of relativity, believed that black holes actually existed<ref>http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/blackholes/lesson/whatisit/history.html</ref>. Einstein even tried to re-work general relativity to render these [[Singularity|singularities]] impossible. However, Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking proved the first of many Singularity Theorems, which states that singularities must form if certain conditions are present. This demonstrated that, rather than mathematical oddities, singularities are a fairly generic consequence of realistic solutions to relativity: any mass with radius less than its Schwarzschild radius is a black hole. Since then, support for black holes among the scientific community has grown.

==Nature of a Black Hole==
===Mathematics===

There are several solutions of the Einstein field equations that are used to model black holes. The simplest of these is the Schwarzchild metric. From this metric, one can calculate the Schwarzschild radius, which defines the boundary (event horizon) of the black hole, to be
:<math>r_s=\frac{2GM}{c^2}</math>,
where
* r<sub>s</sub> is the Schwarzschild radius;
* G is the gravitational constant;
* M is the mass of the gravitating object;
* c is the speed of light in vacuum.

If the black hole has a nonzero electric charge, it is modeled by the Reissner-Nordström metric. Astronomical objects are generally electrically neutral, since otherwise they would attracted charged particles of opposite sign and quickly become neutral. Therefore the Reissner-Nordström metric is largely of theoretical interest.

A far more realistic situation occurs when the black hole is spinning (i.e. has nonzero angular momentum). Then the Schwarzschild solution is insufficient (as it was for the charged case), and instead one turns to the Kerr metric. Since astrophysical black holes are generically believed to have angular momentum, this is the solution that best describes them. Among the more interesting consequences of the Kerr metric is the phenomenon of frame dragging, in which the rotating black hole literally pulls nearby spacetime along with it.

If one wishes to consider a black hole that is both charged and spinning, one employs the Kerr-Newman metric, which combines the Reissner-Nordström and Kerr metrics. Since the no-hair theorem states that (non-quantum) black holes are unique up to mass, charge, and angular momentum, the Kerr-Newman metric is sufficient to describe any classical black hole.

===Time and Distance===
Within a certain distance from an arbitrarily small distribution of mass — a distance now known as the [[Schwarzschild radius]] — the curvature of spacetime becomes so great that no paths leading away from the mass exist. That is to say, a test particle released inside the Schwarzschild radius will inevitably move in toward the mass, not because the force of gravity is great as in the Newtonian approximation, but because spacetime is curved to such an extent that ''no other directions exist.'' A particle within the Schwarzschild radius can no more move further from the central mass than it can go backwards in time. In fact, from the frame of reference of an infalling observer beyond the Schwarzschild radius, all directions that once pointed away from the central mass now point backwards in time. Once inside the Schwarzschild radius, further motion toward the central mass is as inevitable as further motion through time is for any other observer.

For some time after the publication of the Schwarzschild solution, the validity of these results was hotly debated. In the solution's original coordinate frame, some terms in the equations ''diverged,'' or became infinite, at the Schwarzschild radius, leading physicists to wonder whether the results of the equations in that region had any valid physical interpretation. One proposed interpretation was that at the Schwarzschild radius, all time for the infalling observer would stop. This led to the use of the term "frozen stars;" it wasn't believed frozen stars were cold, but rather that they were literally frozen in time.

Later refinement of the Schwarzschild solution demonstrated that the apparent infinities were merely an artifact of the coordinate frame chosen, and that an infalling observer in fact can pass beyond the Schwarzchild radius. In fact, the equations predicted he would notice no effects when doing so. But any attempt on the part of that infalling observer to communicate with the outside universe, say by sending a radio message, would be doomed to failure, as the radio waves would traverse geodesics through the severely curved spacetime and end up bent toward the central mass. From this, we can say that nothing that occurs within the Schwarzschild radius can ever affect events outside the Schwarzschild radius. This gives the Schwarzschild radius of a non-rotating black hole its other name: the [[event horizon]].

===Inside the Event Horizon===
What actually exists inside the event horizon of a black hole is a question physics is unable to answer. Some postulate that within the event horizon exists a point of zero (or nearly zero) volume but infinite energy density, a point sometimes referred to as a ''gravitational singularity,'' after the notion of a mathematical singularity (a term referring to a point in an equation at which one would have to solve by dividing by zero, a feat presently impossible in mathematics) in a field equation. Others suspect that infinite energy density is a physical impossibility, and that a black hole contains actual finitely-dense matter compressed into a [[degenerate matter|degenerate]] form, such as quark-degenerate matter. Since all black holes are surrounded by an event horizon which prevents any information or messages from leaving, all these theories are non-[[falsifiable]]; we can never be sure what the interior structure of a black hole is like.

===Properties of Black Holes===

Black holes described with classical mechanics only have three intrinsic properties by which one differs from another: mass, electric charge, and angular momentum. Mass describes the amount of matter inside the event horizon. Angular momentum refers to whether the black hole is stationary or rotating around an axis. While the singularity of a non-rotating black hole may be an infinitely small point, the singularity of a rotating black hole would be in the shape of an infinitely thin ring. Quantum mechanics, which postulates that information loss cannot occur in a black hole, suggests properties beyond the three suggested by classical physics. Using this description, information must also be emitted by black holes. This radiation, referred to as Hawking Radiation, is thermal radiation that has currently only been described mathematically.

Although radiation from inside the event horizon has not yet been observed, there is much phenomenon that occurs outside the horizon due to the black hole. Matter entering a spinning black hole is first swirled around by the black hole’s gravity, causing it to heat up and emit x-rays, which can be used to detect the black hole. In the supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, some of the matter does not fall into the black hole. Instead it is blasted into space in twin jets of hot gas perpendicular to the accretion disc, in a phenomenon known as an Active Galactic Nucleus.

==Origins of Black Holes==
[[Image:Hs-2005-02-e-web.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The [[red supergiant]] star V838 Monocerotis, an example of one type of star which may become a black hole.]]
Stellar-mass black holes are said to form when stars more than ten times the mass of the Sun run out of fuel and die. The process of death occurs when stars that have fused the products of their own fusion into larger and larger elements, up to iron. The star then tries to fuse the iron core that forms as a result, but this does not produce enough energy to hold the outer layers of the star apart against the pull of gravity. When this happens, the iron core at the center of the star implodes in a supernova, and the outer layers of the star are blasted into space in one of the most energetic events in the universe—one star going out in a supernova can give off as much light as an entire galaxy. Not all supernovae result in black holes, but if the mass of the core is large enough, about 1.5-3.0 times the mass of the Sun (this value is termed the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit, and its value is not yet known to great precision), the leftover gravity of the shrinking core stalls the outward rush of the initial blast, and crushes the core into a point of infinite density: a black hole.

Extremely small black holes, with masses of around 10<sup>15</sup> grams, have been theorized to have formed in the early universe. Any sufficiently small primordial black hole would be expected to evaporate within the lifetime of the universe, but the rate of evaporation is not currently known with any certainty.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, objects with the characteristics of supermassive black holes, millions or billions of times more massive than the sun, have been detected at the centers of many [[galaxies]], including our own [[Milky Way]]. In our galaxy, the hypothesized supermassive black hole is in the constellation Sagittarius, and is known as Sagittarius A* (pronounced "A star"). Based on the extraordinary angular velocity of stars near the galactic center, Sagittarius A* is believed to be on the order of two to three million solar masses. It is unknown how supermassive black holes form, though several models have been proposed. One hypothesis simply begins with a black hole of stellar mass which grows over the lifetime of the galaxy that surrounds it. Another proposal describes supermassive black holes as a natural, in fact nearly unavoidable, consequence of galactic formation. To date, no one theory of supermassive black hole formation is favored over all others.

Physicists trying to understand the theory of black hole formation have once again hit a dead end.<ref>http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/new-research-mathematically-proves-quantum-effects-stop-formation-black-holes/</ref>

==Methods of Observation==

Since black holes are literally invisible by traditional means of observation and so cannot be directly observed, their nature is determined from phenomena outside of the Schwarzschild radius. Scientists have located and observed objects theorized to be black holes through indirect means, such as the effect of their gravitational pull on nearby stars. Stars that are near black holes, e.g. by being part of a binary star system that contains one, show wobbles in their orbits similar to the tidal effects of the moon on Earth’s oceans. Wobble effects, however, cannot be used to conclusively prove the existence of a black hole. <ref>http://library.thinkquest.org/C007571/english/advance/english.htm</ref><ref>''Black Holes'' by Heather Cooper and Nigel Henbest (book)</ref> Scientists have also observed stellar objects which have density consistent with black holes<ref>http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/blackholes/lesson/whatisit/history.html</ref>.

While matter and energy, even light, may not escape a black hole, Stephen Hawking has shown that when described by quantum mechanics, they should emit [[Hawking radiation]], which absent of an influx of mass-energy would lead to the evaporation of the black hole in a burst of gamma rays. Scientists are currently working to pick up one of these bursts, or the radiation itself, with any of several land- and space-based telescopes. However, the matter falling into black holes as well as the [[cosmic microwave background]] obscures the radiation and makes detection extremely difficult.

==Speculative Future Exploration==

Scientists have speculated that if a rotating black hole is large enough, a person could pass through the center of the ring-shaped singularity and possibly enter a wormhole. However, it would have to be a very large hole, for if it were not, the hypothetical astronaut would never survive to reach the event horizon due to tidal forces.

Matter coming close to the event horizon of a small black hole undergoes a process called spaghettification, a term coined by Stephen Hawking in his book ''A Brief History of Time'' to describe extraordinarily strong tidal forces. Because the mass at the center of the black hole is so dense, the gravitational pull on the near end of an object is much greater than the pull on the object’s far end. This causes the object to be stretched out in a way resembling a piece of spaghetti, and generally torn in two.

==White Holes==
Because the [[Quantitative Introduction to General Relativity|general relativity equations]] are symmetric with respect to time, one can take a negative square root instead of positive to yield an equation describing a hypothetical object which expels, rather than attracts, matter and energy.<ref>http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html#q10</ref> As this is the exact opposite of a black hole, it is called a '''white hole'''.

However, there is no evidence white holes actually exist. If they generate new matter and energy, this would violate the [[Law of the conservation of mass]]. Therefore, some scientists have proposed that matter falling into black holes goes through a [[wormhole]] to emerge at a white hole. While such wormholes are allowed by general relativity, they would be extremely unstable<ref>http://casa.colorado.edu/~ajsh/schww.html</ref>, and there is no evidence that they exist.

Scientists, who have been extremely eager to promote the idea of black hole existence, have shown a strong aversion to the white hole theory, even though, like a white hole, a black hole has never been observed directly. This may reflect an anti-creation bias on the part of scientists who are uncomfortable with the idea that matter and energy can be created outside of what scientific theories dictate should happen.

Dr. [[Russell Humphreys]] used a white hole in his model of the universe during [[Creation week]] to allow millions of years to pass in outer space while only three days passed on Earth.

==In Popular Culture==

Black holes have been a device in science fiction ever since their discovery. Many sci-fi books, movies, and television shows use black holes as a method of travel (see the Potential Future Exploration section above) or as a threat to a space-going vessel. In at least one season of the show ''Star Trek: the Next Generation'' by Gene Roddenberry, artificially created miniature black holes are used as power sources for spaceships and natural ones as incubators for the young of an alien race. Neither of these uses has much of a basis in reality, of course.

Contrary to popular myth, a black hole is not a cosmic vacuum cleaner. In other words, a one-solar-mass black hole is no better than any other one-solar-mass object (such as, for example, the Sun) at "sucking in" distant objects. However, a one-solar-mass black hole has the same amount of matter as any other one-solar-mass object but compressed into a much smaller space, making it impossible to move fast enough to leave a black hole once there. If a spaceship could land on a black hole, it would never be able to take off again.

The term "black hole" is also used as a metaphor for a place that it is hard to get out of, generally containing a high concentration of something unpleasant. Ex: "The inner city is a black hole of crime and drug use." The "Black Hole of Calcutta" long predates the celestial use of the term; it was a horrible underground prison in [[Calcutta]], India.

{{Relativity}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

*[http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/black_holes.html Black Holes]
*[http://cosmology.berkeley.edu/Education/BHfaq.html Black Holes (Frequently Asked Questions)]

[[category: physics]]
[[Category:Relativity]]
[[Category:Liberal Falsehoods]]