NH State Representative Steven Smith

I will not wish you a happy 4th of July.  I do, however, hope that you will join me in celebrating Independence Day.  It was quite an act of bravery to set pen to paper and declare that you would no longer suffer tyranny from one of the most powerful forces in the world.  Serving freely in the NH Legislature, without fear of persecution or punishment, I am particularly mindful of our brave Continental Army and the citizens who risked their lives and fortunes for this reason, written in the Declaration of Independence:
“He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. ”
I wonder today, how many of us would risk our lives to keep our Representation?  Three men from New Hampshire signed the Declaration of Independence.
Josiah Bartlett had his home burned down by Tory sympathizers.  William Whipple left the safety of his home to serve as a Brigadier General in the NH Militia.  Despite living well as a doctor surgeon, Matthew Thorton became the first President of the NH House of Representatives after we dissolved the royal government.  It is important to remember that, many of the founders lived pretty good lives.  They had nice homes, businesses, and families.  They risked all of that rather than live under tyrrany.  I hope that Americans still would rather live uncomfortably in freedom, than comfortably under tyrrany.

On this 238th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, remember and be thankful for the people who risked all to make this America.

Steve

We owe a debt of gratitude to a fallen hero.

Governor Hassan Directs Flags to Half-Staff on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6, in Honor of Fallen Marine Brandon Garabrant.

Corporal Brandon John Garabrant, 19, of Greenfield died on June 20, 2014 in Helmand Providence, Afghanistan. He was killed in action and will be remembered as the hero that he is. He was born in Nashua on Nov. 11, 1994 to John Garabrant and Jessie Evans.

Brandon lived a life of giving and helping. In addition to his commitment to the United States Marine Corp, Brandon began an early ministry of service to others. As a young teenager, he joined the Peterborough Fire Explorer Post and the Peterborough Police Explorer Post. Later, he became a member of the Temple Volunteer Fire Department. He was active in the Jaffrey Bible Church, as a member of the Youth Group. He was also a missionary for a summer with CEF and volunteered at Monadnock Bible Center.

Brandon worked at Touchstone Farm in Temple and at Summer Hill Retirement in Peterborough. He was also an intern at the Department of Transportation Highway Shed in Greenfield.

He was a 2013 graduate of ConVal High School, where he was a goalie for the Boys Varsity Ice Hockey Team, and played football and lacrosse.