So, how DO I get started? - Granite Grok

So, how DO I get started?

When the Leave Us Alone get involved

Lots of people are moving from “I vote” to “How do I get more active? How do I get started?” It can be rather bewildering (even though it may seem rather straightforward). I got an email from a new reader asking this very question (emphasis mine):

My name is <redacted>,   I came across your site not long ago, being fed up with the corrupt government in NH where I’ve always lived.  I just want to let you know I love your articles and this site needs more recognition!  Thank you for all that you do, God bless you in Jesus name.

I have no prior back ground in politics but I’ve always been following the Tyranny trend that is upon us now and I’d just like to know if you have any advice how I may get involved? I want Tyrant SUNUNU out, I want my son to have a future here, he is only 3 years old and I’m extremely concerned about the future of NH if more people don’t get involved and stop this unconstitutional nonsense!

Live Free or Die has seemed to go out the window here and I know a lot of people are sick of everything going on!  The NH elections were rigged 100% but seems no one is really covering like GraniteGrok is.   So if you have any advice where I can start to get involved and make a change that would be greatly appreciated!

GOD BLESS and have a wonderful day in Jesus Name!

Well, I’m not entirely sure that I’m the best person to ask but this old dog has learned a number of new things since becoming politically activated back in 2004. That said, here was my response. Feel free to say Yea or Nay to any of the things I listed and if I missed something (of any importance) in the comments:

Hi <redacted>!

Thanks for emailing and THANK YOU for spending your valuable time reading GraniteGrok!

There are LOTS of ways of getting involved (and remember, you ASKED): Build up your knowledgebase

  • Read foundational materials:
    • Declaration of Independence,
    • US and NH Constitutions.
    • Read the Federalists and anti-Federalist papers.
    • LEARN our actual history (and not just the warts the Left keeps harping on).
    • Learn the political history of the US
  • Start learning the issues – local, county, State, national (yeah there’s a lot, and the “higher up” you go, the more fire hoses are aimed at you)
  • Learn who are the “experts” are – reach out to them, write to them, listen to them, talk with them. Read their writings.
  • earn the language of the Left and what is important to them, how they talk and debate
  • From all that, figure out where YOU stand on them – determine your positions and your moral / political stances
  • Learn how to articulate them well.
  • Learn how the Left thinks, their beliefs, and how they see the world (it’s almost like like we do live on different planets)
  • Learn Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals – go to GraniteGrok, go to the search tool (top of page, just to the left of About), put in “Abridged” and click on “Alinksky’s Rules – Abridged”. Learn how the Left uses them (I got Alinsky’d and didn’t know what the heck was going on) and then how you can use it against them (they HATE it because we tend to use them better).
  • Start small – writing Letters to the Editor (papers, the ‘Grok)
  • Get involved with Conservatarian political groups (think 603 Alliance, Americans for Prosperity, NH Liberty Alliance…)
  • Get involved with with some Conservatarian advocacy groups (think Cornerstone, NH Right to Life, NH Right to Work, gun groups)
  • Donate and/or help GOOD Conservatarian candidates. Believe it or not, plans for the next election (2020) are already starting to run (and with the 2024 Presidentials, the “I could be President!”, candidates have already started to flow into NH
  • Run for election yourself – your local town/city for some board to get some experience

Biggest thing? Know WHO you are, and WHAT you stand for, and WHAT is important to you (and why). Figure out where your “lines” are – which can be smudged (but only a little bit) from time to time and which can never be crossed. Learn how to not care what the other side thinks of you, what they say about you, and picking on your friends to get to you – learn how to get “correctly” fired up, ignore their attempts to get under your skin, learn how to outwork them, out debate them (for every argument, have two or three ready at hand – most just have talking points.

Me? I spent 3-3 year terms on our Budget Committee, listened to Conservative talkers to learn, read books. took part in debates (ALWAYS learn how to debate your positions!), and have written numerous LtEs, and working on almost 15, 000 posts on just GraniteGrok alone. I’ve been politically active since 2004 – NONE of the above will or can happen overnight unless you are a prodigy (and I personally would NEVER call myself such – I’m just an ordinary schlub from central New Hampsha). It has taken this long to get where I’m at and I KNOW there are lots of people that are far better at this than I am.

But I also know that here in NH, one person can make a difference and there are times, simply because I don’t stop, I’ve had the opportunity to be that person at that time in the right spot. And yes, there may be a time when YOU will be that person as well.

Well, there’s a lot to your simple, but important question. There’s more but that’s off the top of my head.

-Skip

It has been an “interesting” experience – and I think it is one that the Founders desired as a legacy. Simple people taking up the mantle of Citizenship – meaning, taking on all of the responsibilities there of. Staying true to the Founders’ vision (as opposed to those that have fallen prey to that foreign political philosophy spawned in Germany and brought back by “academic intellectuals who’d toss the Constitution away in a heartbeat if they had the power). Many decisions, adding to my knowledgebase, and getting active (sometimes, as TMEW complains, too many times).

Yet, the overarching reason was to maintain (or increase) the Freedoms I had in growing up to pass on to my sons – and now the Grandson. Being on the downside of the Age Hill, I can pretty much endure any decreases for myself if that Tyrannical horse collar were to fall upon my shoulders – but what about them on the upswing side?

This is why we do what we do here at GraniteGrok. Educating folks on the issues, advocating for positions we stand firm on, and bolstering those that share our values.

All in all, however, it starts with one person – you. Blogging is what *I* choose to do – my choice. And look what has happened – folks better than I now use our platform for Freedom and Liberty issues and advocacy. And our loyal readers as well.

From a single decision.

So what is YOUR decision – for today, next month, next year?

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