On June 6, New Hampshire Public Radio started a Twitter contest that asked its audience to vote on what is Peak New Hampshire. Each poll was a choice between two topics of NHPR’s “Only in New Hampshire” series, which included Free Staters.
To advance to the finals, Free Staters won three polls:
- Free Staters vs. Robert Frost
- Free Staters vs. 2nd Coldest Place on Earth
- Free Staters vs. Old Man of the Mountain
After the third round, NHPR tweeted: “#FreeStaters came out in full force in the semi-final of the PEAK NH bracket. This wknd, they challenge the state motto that attracted them to NH, and that NH citizens of all kinds embrace: Live Free or Die.”
What to Do?
Behind the scenes in Free State circles, even as we enjoyed PorcFest (with limited internet connectivity), conversation buzzed. What should we do about this bizarre situation? There was little doubt that, with so many Free Staters on Twitter, we could beat “Live Free or Die.” But did we want to? No!
So on the morning of the final poll, in a strange twist, the Free State Project posted the following tweet to NHPR:
We believe that liberty is the path to peace and prosperity for everyone. We love New Hampshire’s motto – would you allow us to concede the final round? #FreedomForTheWin #LibertyInOurLifetime #LiveFreeOrDie!
— Free State Project (@FreeStateNH) June 22, 2018
Live Free or Die, of Course!
Rebecca Lavoie at NHPR tweeted: “The newsroom discussion over whether to allow this concession by @FreeStateNH got pretty heated!” But soon, NHPR announced the final verdict:
In possibly the Peakest PEAK NH move ever (or because they’re chicken? 😀), Free State Project concedes in our Only in NH story contest. #LiveFreeOrDie pic.twitter.com/dOYExenhpm
— NH Public Radio (@nhpr) June 22, 2018
And so we conclude with the Free State Project’s final tweet on the subject: Why challenge the best motto EVER? “Live Free or Die” IS Peak New Hampshire, and we are happy to live in the freest state in the Union! http://fsp.org/nh Thanks @nhpr for the fun!