Dated June 2, 1784, Article 10 of the New Hampshire State Constitution, entitled [Right of Revolution], reads:
“Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.”
This isn't just a right to revolt, it's a call to revolt, an outright slam against apathy and “nonresistance.” It's also something that Lawrence Lessig, NH Rebellion founder, and his fellow activists are tapping into as they march across this battleground state.
The action may seem simple: a walk from point A to point B raising awareness for the issue of money in politics. However, it's the simplicity of the action, combined with powerful and symbolic details that turn a walk into a rebellion.
The walks are inspired by Doris “Granny D” Haddock, a New Hampshire native who in 1999 at the age of 88 walked from L.A. to D.C. with a sign on her chest that read “CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.” Further inspired by Aaron Swartz, Lessig's longtime friend and fellow activist who pushed him to pursue this endeavor, Lessig decided to use New Hampshire as the platform for confronting candidates with a question: “How are you going to end the system of corruption in Washington?”
As all eyes turn to the state in the first presidential primary in 2016, the question will be raised in real time by real New Hampshire citizens and activists at events and gatherings across the state. The answer each candidate gives, in turn, will show up across the Rebellion's social media platforms and across mainstream and alternative media sure to be present at any event involving presidential candidates.
In fact, right now the NH Rebellion is working on a digital app that will send push notifications to all their New Hampshire followers, notifying them when a candidate is close to their location, or plans to be. They will then be able to go to the event and with the push of one button, video record the question and answer which will then be immediately uploaded to the organizers of NH Rebellion. Welcome to the new age of revolt.
In the meantime, the NH Rebellion has been working hard to raise awareness across this unique New England state. Their first march began on January 11 of this year, a poignant date as it is also the anniversary of Aaron Swartz's death.
The walk began in Dixville Notch, the small town where the first presidential votes are cast 8 hours before the rest of the state, at the midnight hour on election day. The walk ended aptly on Doris “Granny D” Haddock's birthday, in Nashua on January 24.
“We thought there would just be a few of us,” says Jeff McLean, director of NH Rebellion. Considering a 185-mile walk through New Hampshire in January, many would probably have predicted the same. “But all of a sudden that turned into 200 people, and then we had over 600,000 people in New Hampshire who had seen us or knew about what we were doing, McLean said. "And then, nationally and internationally, we gauged about 3.2 million people in this very short two-week period.”
With the considerable success of the first march, NH Rebellion organizers began planning a follow-up march in July to keep the momentum going. This one would be a coastal march, covering a 16-mile stretch along the Atlantic. Starting on July 5, the walk traveled through tourist spots by the sea, still crowded after the July 4th celebrations. Adding yet another heavy dose of significance to the beauty and simplicity of this march, organizers decided to finish the walk at Fort Constitution, the site of the first victory of the American Revolution, before Concord and Lexington.
July's march brought in more than 500 people from young to old, left to right, further bolstering New Hampshire's rebellious spirit and strong commitment to this issue being one of insiders vs. outsiders as opposed to left vs. right.
Indeed, speaking to a bus full of people ready to begin the July march, McLean highlighted the importance of this issue for citizens, not parties. “It's important to note that today we don't come here as Democrats. And today we don't come here as Republicans, Conservatives or Progressives. Today we come here as citizens.”
It's a point McLean again highlights when I speak with him, and a point made clear on all the NH Rebellion sites, and social media. This is important not just because New Hampshire is a battleground state but because voters there are willing and eager to reach over aisles on this issue.
Serina Christine Holmstrom, an activist who traveled to New Hampshire from the liberal Pacific northwest to walk in July, took special note of this during her time there.
“I actually had a really great conversation with a Libertarian,” she says, laughing. “There were so many different types of activists - people from the Green party, Libertarians, The Young Turks and a Conservative governor - all interacting, bringing visibility to this issue.”
“Sometimes these things are so lofty,” she continues. “But this was so approachable, so inclusive. We had people walking up to us asking about the movement, interested in what we were doing. There were even 70- and 80-year-olds out there walking with canes saying that this system isn't what they want to leave to us!”
Contrasted to her native Seattle, Holmstrom found New Hampshire residents to be far more engaged and interested in the political process. “There's a real inquiry there. They'll confront issues in a bilateral way,” she said. “I come from Seattle, a place where being liberal means being complacent. If it has Democrat on it, it'll pass.”
McLean echoes this sentiment. “New Hampshire voters are pragmatic and independent thinking,” he explains. “They see the system as corrupt, as divisive, as unconstitutional. That's not progressive or conservative.”
Using this foundation of bipartisan political involvement, and springing from the success of these two marches, NH Rebellion plans to do a third march this coming January.
“We'll all finish in Concord on January 21, the anniversary of the Citizens United decision,” McLean says. Although he is quick to point out that the systemic corruption began long before the ruling, “it's still an important marker with regards to the corrupting influence of money in politics.” The march will include four different routes this time so as to maximize the outreach.
In the meantime, NH Rebellion is working to get 50,000 signatures from residents demanding an answer from candidates on that same single question: “How are YOU going to end the system of corruption in Washington, D.C.?”
And 50,000 is not just an arbitrary number. As with everything else in this campaign, it is a well thought out, meticulously planned detail formulated to have the most impact on exposing and cutting corruption.
In short, 50,000 is a number pulled from both left and right constituencies, the sum of which is enough to create a “voting block” ensuring that this question and this issue are number one when the candidates come to town.
“In the 2008 presidential primary, the difference between the first place (Hillary Clinton) and second place (Barack Obama), was 10,000 votes,” McLean explains. “Then in 2012, the difference between first place (Mitt Romney) and second place (Ron Paul) was about 40,000 votes.”
By combining these two numbers, the NH Rebellion will be utilizing the bipartisan strength of this battleground state to force their question straight into the spotlight on a political stage where neither candidate nor media can ignore it. It will be the uniting issue in a time when divisive, dark money politics rule the playing field.
And while this issue is presented in the context of one question, it is an issue that bears the weight of all other social and political topics, problems and concerns.
“It's not because our issue is the top issue,” McLean says matter-of-factly. “Their issue is the top issue. But there's an increasing recognition that they can't address their top issue until you address this root issue first.”
The NH Rebellion invites everyone to come be a part of the march in January, and to spread the word and join the larger movement to get money out of politics. Left, right, center, old, young, rich, poor, this is about you. There are no prerequisites for being a part of this revolt, no requirements, memberships or ideologies necessary.
As Holmstrom said, “We don't have all the answers.” That may be, but it sounds like we have the question.
Be sure to follow updates from NH Rebellion online on their site and through social media and @nhrebellion on Twitter.
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