I found your site from a link from survivalblog.com and somehow ran across the article of the Animal Rights Activists ruining what must be a totally hysterical event at your local fair.
I do understand their point but I do realize there are limits on what an activist group can do. Caving into to them only gives them power, but since that has already happened…I have a better idea!
For a close knit town, you can starve them out. As a retailer, you can refuse to sell anything to anyone and not have to justify it. Gas stations can refuse to sell fuels, grocers refuse to sell them food. You get the picture.
As Jim Rawles says, if you don’t like what is going on around you, vote with your feet and move. When all the town gets behind this movement, the activist will get the idea that he or she is no longer welcomed and move on. It wouldn’t hurt for someone in a restaurant to take away their fried chicken special stating they are contibuting to animal cruelty. If they got half a brain….they will leave, probably just before the local police or sheriff decides to join the unwelcome wagon.
You guys have a great magazine, dare I say the best! I like every part of it. I like John Silveria, Massad Ayoob, your editorials, and all the wonderful info I have learned.
I canned meat because of your magazine, never thought I would do that. I have a Libertarian viewpoint like a few of you do, and wish more people did. I read “Can America be saved from stupid people”, and no I don’t think it can, without some type of revolution, bloody or peaceful.
I read your articles online and in print, I’d say your magazine is the easiest to find, and use in all media formats.
I just wanted to say thank you to all of the writers and staff of Backwoods Home Magazine. You have inspired me to finally get off my duff and create a website and a new business. I was disappointed in the writing and opinion of other magazines that promote independent living. Sorry, but if I have to surrender my Second Amendment rights or be told I can’t criticize an entrenched politician, then I don’t care how far off the grid you are, you are not living free.
I know there are those who want you to drop your political views. But to what end? America has been and always will be political. It’s part of who we are and what made us so great. But it’s always a SMALL group who stand up and actually shout their opposition to tyranny and ultimately take action. The majority either side with the tyrants out of fear and wanting to be on the “winning” side or, like the vast majority of Americans, they simply don’t care and don’t want to hear about it. Like a child, they believe all that is necessary for evil to stop is to close your eyes and ignore it. This was very much like the American Revolution, when a relatively small handful of citizens actually participated on the side of the Revolution.
BHM is doing it right. You may not be as slick as the big money magazine (I’ll denote here as M.E.N). but you are far better, far more down-to-earth and serve a real and growing group of Americans who have come to the realization that America does not reside in Washington D.C., it resides in the hearts and souls of those who can reach across time and touch the meaning of what our founders really wanted.
Americans should be free to live quietly. To raise those chickens and goats. To have a garden. To tap energy from flowing water, the wind or the sun. They should also be happy in the knowledge that their government is working with them in their endeavors and not singling them out for heavy handed fines, threats, or worse, an armed attack to seize their property.
I am going to recommend BHM to those who will be coming to my website. I also intend to become an advertiser. Thanks again for inspiring me to stand up and start using those rights that we all talk about, but few actually use.
I’m writing a fast note to you while I’m getting dressed to go explain to the county engineer that I want to build my own house out in the country. I have no clue what to expect but judging by the phone conversations, perhaps he’s going to gently try to guide this 54 year old woman to pulling a mobile home on the property or just contracting a builder. I’ve been studying & drawing up my plans & using your dreams are goals with deadlines motto to push through just a little bit more every day. By the end of the month I think I’ll have all the kinks worked out. Today’s visit to the permit people is asking them specifics and for guidelines.
I’ve read everything you’ve written that I can get my hands on and wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your stories. Since 1980 I’ve wanted to build my own place but have found excuses not to move forward. Finally I have the land and thanks to stories from you and Dave Duffy, am beginning to believe that I can pull this off. Personally I don’t subscribe to being a victim thus gotta keep going forward.
You need to know that I’ve enjoyed every article you’ve written and if you have any books out there point to them! I’ll go after those too!
I’ll write more later but wanted you to know that your motto of ‘if not me then who, if now now then when’ was the catalyst that woke me up.
“We are especially interested in reading your non-political letters that talk about how you live your self-reliant life, including tips for other readers.”
Well, I am especially interested in reading a non-political magazine that talks about how I can live a self-reliant life, but that doesn’t appear possible with backwoodshome. Going from goat selection and wild edibles to the tea-party movement and supreme court ruling is jarring, at least to this reader who finds politics (of any ideology) extremely tedious. It’s annoying enough to turn on the television and be inundated with political talking heads, but to not be able to escape politics even in a magazine about self-sufficiency… I should hope that becoming self-reliant is a noble endeavor regardless of political affiliation. Everyone has strong political opinions, and you also happen to have a magazine capable of dissemination to a wide audience, but is it too much to ask that you save your political angst for letters to your own local editors, and focus on self-sufficiency?
I enjoy reading your magazine, but the political messages are souring the milk!
Sincerely,
Pete Weisdepp
Pete, you don’t even subscribe to the magazine and you’re complaining about its content? Should I change the content to suit someone who is reading it for free?
I used to get your magazine and loved it! However, I can no longer afford to subscribe.
I read your article about tapping maple trees and I have to let you know that I have a Norway Maple in my back yard, I am sure the person that planted it just wanted it for an ornamental tree as it is beautiful.
Well, this year I decided to tap it and try to make maple syrup. After I gathered some sap I read from a different source that Norway trees shouldn’t be tapped because of their “milky” sap. I boiled it down anyways and that is the best maple syrup I have ever tasted! I am glad that you mention the Norway maple as a tapper because it really is good.
