Speech from the 2025 NH State Conference (edited slightly for the newsletter by our secretary): Why did the NH team, all near strangers at the time, link arms and launch the NH State Affiliate to the Constitution Party? Because fighting for freedom and liberty runs in our veins – and in the veins of EVERY American. Back in 1620 the pilgrims were willing to sacrifice everything - risking their lives to come to a new land so they could start from nothing and give future generations the freedoms and liberties that God had endowed to them. This was not an overnight success. 66 days on the ship alone! 102 Pilgrims made the trip; half of them died over their first winter. They could have turned back and given up at any time, but their commitment to their vision of a better future and to each other changed history forever. Fast forward a tough 150 years give or take – and the founding fathers channeled their understanding of the need to stand up for what is right to change history yet again. Our founding fathers were the visionaries who dared to challenge the status quo, standing strong in their conviction to create a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. They, too, risked everything to sign the Declaration of Independence and draft the Constitution. Amazingly, they were able to come together and set a foundation for a nation built on liberty, justice, and the rule of law. The success of their commitment to the principles of limited government, individual rights, and personal responsibility serves as a powerful reminder that these values will stay consistent and true no matter how much time goes by. What does it take to become more like these strong and committed freedom fighters that came before us? There seems to be a few characteristics our American heroes share: A strong plan for a better future The drive to live with honesty and integrity An embracing of the importance of knowledge and ongoing education A commitment to liberty and individual freedoms Hard work towards building a strong sense of community and unity Now letʼs jump forward one more time, almost 250 years later. In 2020 we got a real wakeup call from tyranny. Friends and family lost their jobs, businesses, homes, and freedoms. Fear mongering, propaganda, and medical experimentation led to many deaths and followed with diseases affecting ones we love, even today. These historic days again led to a rising up of men and women of integrity all across the country. In a time when many of us felt hopeless as we watched the massive overreach of government, many people, like the people here today, had met our breaking point of staying silent and letting the wrong decisions be made for us. We started to get more politically and socially active and educated. We witnessed from the inside how the two political parties easily trade our freedoms so they can get more power. We worked with these established parties, a few of us even running for office on their behalf, only to see that there was sadly a lack of those historic freedom fighting characteristics mentioned above. They may have had a plan, but it was not built on integrity, honesty, or even the Constitutional base of our nation. I took my first Constitution class because I wanted to run for office and thought it would help me in decision making as a Representative. I realized that almost no one I spoke to at our meetings understood the Constitution. Even those that won their political races and swore an oath to the Constitution didnʼt know what they were swearing to, and it absolutely wasnʼt a requirement to even read it before taking your position as a Representative. This was very depressing to me. How can we expect them to follow something they donʼt even acknowledge or understand? So not too long into my political journey I realized I was politically homeless, and I did not align with any party. Those parties could talk a good game, but their actions told a different story. I was disgusted. I stumbled upon the Constitution Party doing internet research. I had no idea they existed even 3 years ago! The concept was pretty exciting. Their platform was great, full of common sense, truths, and integrity. It was exactly what I wished for, and it seemed to be the answer to what is going wrong with our country. Then I learned there was no State Party in NH. Most of the NH CP leaders had been on almost exactly the same path as I was. Attending some national calls to hear about the party was exciting, but there was nothing happening locally. We decided to have a Zoom call for the NH residents who were interested, and one call was all it took. We didnʼt really know each other, some of us had never met before… it felt to all of us that some divine intervention had brought the five of us together that day. Like George Washingtonʼs experience of multiple miracles that led to his success in our early history. I would like to thank God for bringing us all together and inspiring us to say “yes” to this challenge. From there we hit the ground running, dug in, and took action. Somehow, we had just the right people who had signed up for the undertaking. Combined we had the skills and drive to organize faster than anyone at the National level expected. We were affiliated in St. Louis, MO just 6 weeks after we joined that call. I wanted to share our story to inspire YOU to take action. You only need a very small group of people to come together and form an official committee to get your county (or state, for those subscribers from other areas!) to be more Constitutional! You donʼt have to know what youʼre doing at all times – this is a learning experience for sure, and we are always happy to help in whatever ways we can. John Adams famously said, “Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.” I think you would agree that we have lost our general knowledge. We need to learn the Constitution and then teach our communities. It is our duty. We need to get Constitutional Candidates who understand the true purpose of government (not just the "lesser of two evils") to represent us. That is also our duty! THIS is the way we bring back American Greatness. Spreading the Constitution Party to every State and County would make this easy to do. Ordinary citizens coming together are the ones that make a profound impact on the course of history. By joining the CP - the Party of Integrity, Liberty, and Prosperity – you become part of a proud tradition of patriots who refuse to compromise on the values that make America great. Donʼt forget that you wonʼt be alone on this journey – together we can make it happen! Kristen Jackson, 1st Vice Chairman of the CP of NH, and Eastern Area Co-Chairman of the National Party.  1stvicechair@cpofnh.com or easternchair@constitutionparty.com