Hello, frustrated libertarian!
I’m Elliot Axelman, but you can call me Alu. Ten years ago, when I moved from my mother’s house in the ultra-orthodox Jewish world of Lakewood, NJ, to my father’s house in New York City, life immediately became much better.
The Lack of Liberty in New York
But as I began to follow politics closely over the past few years, I grew to hate NYC increasingly. I learned, moreso each day, that politicians naturally take away liberty from individuals and grant it to themselves in the form of power. That is the inherent function of government.
I learned that New York’s city and state governments are horrible entities that epitomize big government regulation and taxation. My effective tax burden in NYC was around 45%, the highest in the country. It was essentially impossible for me to own any firearm whatsoever. If I did not recycle at least five types of items regularly, police would punish me.
Once I really started to pay attention to city and state laws and bills, I saw how convoluted and tyrannical the process was. NYC mayor Bill Deblasio decreased the city speed limit to 25 MPH and installed over 200 cameras that automatically ticketed drivers who exceeded 35 MPH. The plan for this winter is to install at least 600 more of those cameras ‘to protect the children’. New York regularly looks for ways to take more freedom away from individuals.
Looking for the Freest State
After it initially slipped my mind, I was reminded about the Free State Project while finishing up my research for the freest state and preparing to move to Wyoming. Once my memory was refreshed, I spent some time on the Free State Project’s website, and I re-watched the video I had seen years ago, 101 Reasons Liberty Lives in NH. This tipped the scale from Wyoming to New Hampshire.
Visiting New Hampshire
A few days later, I made the four-hour drive up from New York to attend a libertarian leadership conference in Manchester. I met some great people and I looked around the state. I returned a few weeks later with more specific goals, and then I came back shortly after to look for apartments. I found a beautiful apartment and pulled the trigger on it.
Starting Over in New Hampshire
I made the move on a September Saturday and began work on Monday. My girlfriend joined me shortly afterwards. Despite the fact that I had just started working for a company that was, by far, the best employer I had ever worked for, I had no hesitation in resigning when I decided I was moving.
A few hours after landing in Manchester, two libertarians (both Free Staters) came to my apartment to help me bring my king size bed inside and assemble it. They were complete strangers then, and they have since become friends and allies in the perpetual fight for freedom.
Eight months have passed since we moved here, and I maintain that it was the best decision I’ve ever made. We have excellent jobs; we’ve made great friends inside and outside of the liberty movement; and we are living in a beautiful apartment. Unlike in NYC, it’s likely that you can afford to live in the apartment or house you desire in New Hampshire.
There Is Hope – Leave New York!
If you believe that you own yourself and the government does not have a claim to your body and your income, I assure you that there is hope. So many of my friends feel stuck in NYC. Many people do not understand that they can simply leave. No matter what is keeping you in your authoritarian state, you can leave and make an amazing life for yourself in New Hampshire.
Along with the other amazing porcupines, I will help you move in. As a paramedic, I’ve pretty much been lifting and moving heavy stuff in stressful situations since 2011. It would be my pleasure to help. If you need any help before or after the move, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Free State Project or any of us. I can easily be found on Facebook and I’d love to help other porcupines move to freedom! Together, we can secure the great liberties that we have and expand them to the point of true self-ownership.
We’re looking forward to meeting you! And if you need a partner for power lifting, MMA, boxing, grappling, or anything super active, get in touch with me. You can also follow my journey and tons of other podcasts/articles on self-ownership at LibertyBlock.com.