In light of the hoopla following the outburst of negative behavior from some people following the vote on HCR6, the Board felt it was prudent for the following email to be sent to all State Reps. We hope that it clarifies our support of proper decorum in the State House, our respect for the Reps, and makes it clear that the NHLA did not and would not encourage people to scream at their Reps from the gallery.

The email:

Honorable members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives,

Thank you for entertaining the special order of HCR6, asserting states' rights based on Jeffersonian principles, this past Wednesday. On behalf of the NHLA members who came out to Concord that morning, we truly appreciate your hearing this matter early in the day.

The New Hampshire Liberty Alliance (NHLA) would like to make it very clear that we in no way encourage or condone the inexcusable behavior of some individuals in the gallery following the vote on HCR6.

Standard NHLA procedure is to remind people to show proper respect for you, our elected officials, and to the institution in which you serve, any time we have a presence in the State House. We continually stress the importance of proper decorum in the State House to our membership. Prior to the opening of the House session, Don Gorman, prior legislator and co-founder of the NHLA, specifically announced several times around the gallery that proper decorum was to be observed and that there were to be NO outbursts.

This past Wednesday, many members of the public were present that the NHLA has never seen before (and will probably never see again). To the best of our knowledge, these uncouth individuals were not NHLA members. If any are found to be, they will be immediately and permanently expelled from the organization.

Central to the NHLA philosophy is an axiom known as the "Non-Aggression Principle". This principle holds that force is acceptable only in defence of oneself -- never as initiated aggression or intimidation. We are deeply offended that some individuals behaved in such a clearly aggressive manner. This is repugnant to our deepest, most closely-held beliefs and will not be tolerated.

The NHLA is developing strict bylaws regarding proper decorum amongst our membership. Obviously, we can not control the behavior of others, but we are setting clear guidelines for what is and is not considered acceptable. We trust that you will rely on your past, 1-to-1, mutually respectful personal exchanges with NHLA members, and not on the one-time outburst of a few agents provocateurs, in order to guide our ongoing relationship.

Respectfully,
Dawn Lincoln
NHLA Chair