today, after giving a tour to about 40 nomadic “escapees” from society, one of the visitors told me a story about free chickens. apparently, in factory farms, a few chickens are allowed to roam around completely free on the main floor. this is supposed to give the other, non-free chickens, packed tightly into their tiny coops, the illusion that there is freedom, something to live for. it soothes them, calms them. at the end of the story, he said to me, “you’re the free chicken!”

a nice report of this group’s tour last year is here.