Monday • March 15 • 2010
Vol.II • No.XI
Manchester, N.H.
Your thoughts about the benefits of drug use, Texas man sentenced to 35 years in prison for possession of 4.6 oz of marijuana, PA goes after bars that sell unregistered beer, kindergartner suspended for making his finger into a gun, and new terrorism bill gives the president the power to imprison US citizens indefinitely without a trial.
http://www.freemindsmedia.org
This morning I joined 101.9 K-Rock’s Parker Springfield and Jim Snell on “The Morning Show” to discuss marijuana decriminalization, the 420 celebrations, liberty activists, civil disobedience, anger, open container, political parties, misunderstandings, group dynamics, and police discretion. We had a good time together and hopefully they’ll get some positive feedback from their listeners, resulting in them having me back! Some of the interview is available via K-Rock’s website and podcast, but I recorded the entire thing, so enjoy:
Thank you Parker and James!
Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss dumpster ordinances, govt education, begging for change, Americans’ frustration with the feds, third parties, Ron Paul and Tea Parties, the government restaurant analogy, fear, and more.
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 11a-12p in the Liberty Radio Network Chat room. If you’re online, you can listen to Talkback streamed live via the Liberty Radio Network and if you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
Since its announcement one month ago, dozens of activists have signed on to the new Keene 411 group txt messaging service! Unfortunately, others were concerned the process to sign up was too much of a hassle, so it has now been simplified.
Get the details and get signed up at 411.FreeKeene.com!
The sign on the door at Abunara says, “Closed until further notice”. I sure hope they come back, because it was a pretty cool place to hang out. Until that time, Social Sundays / Game Night will be at 12 Emerald St. in Keene at 5pm. Here’s the forum thread about the change.
Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss electricity and World War II atrocities.
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 11a-12p in the Liberty Radio Network Chat room. If you’re online, you can listen to Talkback streamed live via the Liberty Radio Network and if you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
The ATF confiscates a shipment of Airsoft plastic BB guns, Miami considers putting a ban on feeding the homeless, the Downsizer Dispatch, a UK woman in trouble with the law for failing to report buried treasure (yes she found an old coin), and the US government is killing indigenous fish and replacing them with rainbow trout.
http://www.freemindsmedia.org
Westmoreland busybody and statist Pam Martens has continued her uninformed hit pieces on Free Staters. Normally they don’t get mentioned here, but this time she mentions Keene activism (it’s such a great quote, I added it to the “unintentional endorsements” section of the 111+ Reasons to Move to Keene.):
the Free State Project holds extremist views and their participants have wreaked havoc in areas like Keene and Grafton. We’ve seen a steady stream of Free Staters taunting the Keene police and ending up in the Westmoreland jail, costing taxpayers dearly.
You can see her full hit piece below. Wreaked havoc? What exactly has been ruined or destroyed in Keene besides old ideas? Are the 420 celebrations wreaking havoc on the idea of prohibition? Quotes like these make it clear that the liberty movement is really bumming out the statists up here. You should come join the fun – just over 25 more signups before the Free State Project reaches 10,000 participants!
We also had a youtube critic send me an angry message where he accuses liberty activists of making an “unimaginable blunder” by holding candlelight vigils outside the homes of government aggressors. (I posted the full text of his message and my reply here.) In it he claims FreeKeene.com is “failing”. Really? By what measure? Failing because some people are upset? What about all the people who appreciate the liberty activists? I imagine liberty activists aren’t too popular amongst those who work for or benefit from the state. We can’t please everyone and shouldn’t try. To say this website is failing, however, is simply a denial of reality. Let’s look at the numbers, shall we?
According to Google Analytics In February of 2009, this website, not including the forum, had 14,031 visits. In Feb of this year, that number was up 68.1% to 23,586. Aside from that, more people are moving to the Keene area in pursuit of more liberty. That means even more “havoc” will likely be “wreaked” each year. Of course, anyone that has actually met Free Keene’s activists knows we are peaceful, and not wreakers of havoc.
It’s time the government people stop wreaking havoc on peaceful people. That’s why this website is here to document and help bring about the evolution of a consensual society wherein institutionalized coercion against peaceful people has no role. If that is wreaking havoc to you, check your premises.
For those who are interested, the full letter from Pam Martens is here:
Don’t Pull Back the Curtain on the Free Staters
March 3, 2010
By Pam MartensThe individuals supporting Bill Campbell in his bid for Selectman of Westmoreland want you to look in another direction altogether, rather than demand his truthfulness on his affiliation with Free Staters.
His supporters want you to focus on those “outsiders” from the “city.” (My husband and I have never lived in a big city; we come from a tiny town, Garden City, Long Island, that clips happy faces in the shrubs in the Town Square and where the 1931 bakery still hands children a free cookie; where calling residents “outsiders” is just too silly to even contemplate. But if we did come from a big city, so what. This is xenophobia-baiting and should be deplored by any person of good character and conscience.)
His supporters implore you to look at those people who have (patiently) attended 10 hearings over two years on a gravel pit that has been illegally located in their residential neighborhood for 17 years but they might sue the Town eventually. (Don’t stop to ask yourself how the gravel pit issue is relevant to whether Bill Campbell backs the agenda of the Free Staters.)
His supporters want you to look at the pedigrees of those telling you Bill Campbell is not a Free Stater — they’ve lived here 49 years, or 25 years — and if they say Bill Campbell is not a Free Stater, well, that should be the end of the matter.
Aside from his supporters’ denials, Bill Campbell has issued a campaign letter seeking votes in his bid for Selectman that is completely silent on his long-term involvement with the Free State Project. Mr. Campbell instead suggests these are just “rumors” and “negative campaigning.” This is his exact statement:
“You may have heard negative rumors about me, fueled by my opponent’s supporters. I don’t believe in negative campaigning and I ask you to consider the source and motivation.”
That statement in itself is negative campaigning since it strongly suggests the “rumors” are false and maliciously motivated by Mr. Campbell’s opponent’s supporters. (Neither my husband nor I knew in advance June Hammond planned to run for Selectman nor do we know what’s going on in her campaign. Our issues are with the Free State Project’s unconscionable plan to take over local and state politics in New Hampshire.)
Why does it matter that Bill Campbell refuses to discuss his involvement with the Free State Project? For one thing, good character is reflected in forthrightness. For another, the Free State Project holds extremist views and their participants have wreaked havoc in areas like Keene and Grafton. We’ve seen a steady stream of Free Staters taunting the Keene police and ending up in the Westmoreland jail, costing taxpayers dearly. We also know the Free Staters ran a campaign of intimidation and smear tactics in Grafton against anyone who dared to stand up to them. The web site’s still up. My husband and I know from first hand experience the tactics used against people who speak truth to the Free State power base. But we think what’s at stake is worth the threats and slander against us.
If the Free Staters gain a foothold in Westmoreland, Mr. Edgington, co-host of the Free State Project sponsored radio program, Free Talk Live, could implore more Free Staters to swarm into Westmoreland. Mr. Edgington’s radio program is affiliated with 65 radio stations around the country.
Below are the links that document Bill Campbell’s long-term involvement with the Free State Project. It’s time for Mr. Campbell to come clean with voters.
BJ from Kentucky came up to visit us here in Keene in December and was blown away by the experience. Here’s what he wrote:
“There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper, and it would vanish — it was that fragile. And I fear that it will not survive the winter.”
– Emperor Marcus Aurelius Caesar, in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator
In our time, there is a dream that once was, and is no longer there, much like in Marcus Aurelius’ Rome. The founders of the United States of America had something like this in mind when they separated themselves from the British empire. Even in its flaws, their great plan was noble, and for a time it seemed to work.
Then something went terribly wrong. Why? Because there was government, and lots of it. This was a fact I had come to realize years ago, but had felt like there was nothing that could be done to save myself or others from the inevitable police state. Then I heard the whisper, of a dream that was set into motion, and finally one day, I decided it was time to see for myself if this dream really could come true.
Late into the night on December 24th, I set out on the road, headed for Keene, New Hampshire. It was to be an 800-mile journey with long hours and seemingly endless freeways. The purpose of the trip overshadowed any notion that the task at hand would be arduous or unworthy of the attempt. I was going to New Hampshire to explore the nature of the third American Revolution. Yes, third: The American Civil War was the second, and although a failure, was a response to government becoming more vast and intrusive.
The Free State Project is a very simple idea that basically asks those people who believe in freedom and liberty to move to one place where they can be amongst like-minded people, and hopefully reverse the trend toward larger and more powerful government. The idea is to get at least 20,000 people to move there, to join in the activism already taking place, or begin their own. Once 5,000 people had signed the pledge, a vote was taken, and New Hampshire was chosen as the location.
My arrival into Keene was somewhat anticlimactic, as I’d driven all night, and had not slept. So at first I was too busy being tired to admire the scenery around me. This would soon change, as I’d no sooner driven into town and posted on the online forums that I was there, than welcomes and offers to assist me began coming in.
The immediate observation one can make about New Hampshire is that it is very nice and clean. The small neighborhoods are quite attractive around the town, with the rural outlying areas being even more picturesque. Every place I visited appeared to have come right off a postcard.
Having just arrived in town — on Christmas Day, no less — I was invited to a gathering of Free Staters. After getting the directions and making my way to the party, my trip to New Hampshire really came alive, and I in many ways also came alive for the first time in my 28 turns around the sun.
I was welcomed into the midst of about fifteen liberty-loving strangers, who made me feel like I had known them for years. There was no mistaking that these were “my people” — a revelation I’m sure many others have felt upon coming to the area. No longer was I isolated, nor was I made to feel as if I were crazy. All in just the first fifteen minutes of the evening.
As the gathering dwindled down, one person suggested going to the jail and singing Christmas carols. Most of those who were still at the party were willing, and after the plan was posted online, others wanted to join us. Altogether, ten activists got to the jail. I was humbled and amazed at the manner in which this took place. Here were people, many of whom have already lost or sacrificed enough themselves, going out of their way (and the jail was definitely out of the way, by about 15 miles) on this holiday occasion to show their support to other people whom they may not even know — at the time, only one other activist was in the jail.
After about twenty-five minutes of singing, the activity dispersed just as quickly as it had originated, serving the purpose of demonstrating that criminalizing people who have not actually harmed anyone is wrong. I returned to my hotel room. The day’s excitement had kept me awake despite not having slept the night before, but now it was time to rest. I would need even more energy for what was yet to come.
Having gone an entire day without sleep, I woke the next day about 5 P.M. and soon had several invitations to do something or other. Keep in mind that this was my second day in Keene, and other activists are already assimilating me into the local scene as if I had lived there for years. I don’t even feel that welcome in my own hometown, and it’s about 1/6 the size of Keene.
The people I was hanging out with took me to a place called Abunara. This is a social club that offers food, hookah, and a relaxing atmosphere. It is also fast becoming the prime social scene for Keene activists, particularly on Sundays, but for this night the place was quiet. We enjoyed a few games of chess, ate some good food, and most important, discussed politics and local activism. I was having an all-around enjoyable night — with people like me!
After parting ways with these folks, I returned to the hotel again. Before I went to bed, I called friends and family back home and was already relating my experiences to them as if I had settled into town permanently. It was becoming quite clear to me that I had to try to make the move much sooner than I’d originally intended.
Sunday would prove to hold even more excitement than my first two days in town. Upon waking, I wanted to drive around some and get a feel for the area. I’m still not quite sure where I was driving — somewhere out in the country — but it was picture-perfect. New Hampshire is a terrific place for those motivated by the outdoor life, with many trails and scenic areas. I returned to the hotel with plenty of time to spare, as one of the activists had asked about interviewing me for a podcast, in which I told a bit about why I was coming to New Hampshire. Shortly after this, it was time to head to the Social Sunday gathering, and I made my way downtown to Abunara.
Anyone who has read the online forums that describe Social Sundays in Keene is only reading a text description of what takes place. Sure, Social Sunday is a gathering of Free State activists to socialize, play games, and discuss politics and ideas — but it is far more! Imagine the feeling you have when walking into a place that holds many happy memories for you. The feeling comes from a knowledge that everyone in the room is on the same team. There were nearly twice as many people at this event as there were at the Christmas party, all of similar ideology and energy.
For nearly six hours I played board games, argued politics, discussed business ideas, and most important, felt at home. Abunara is a very Free State – friendly establishment, and will no doubt be the site for many discussions of ideas and plans for the liberty movement in New Hampshire. As the night was getting late, I headed back to my hotel room and crashed onto the bed once again, exhausted by all the excitement and energy of the Free State!
When I woke the next morning, I already had an idea of my own. I wanted a way to say a final farewell to those I had met, and posted online that I was inviting any interested Free Staters to dinner. On rather short notice, the particulars were arranged for later that evening. In the meantime, I took another sightseeing drive of the surrounding area. I wanted to really take a good look at the community, and what it had to offer.
Keene is certainly a smaller town, so if big cities are your flavor, then perhaps you might find Concord or Manchester more appealing, but I would not be so quick to write Keene off the map. The area offers its share of urban comforts, along with a very friendly, energetic community. All the people I encountered working in or running the local businesses were amiable folk — neither too hurried nor too lethargic. As Goldilocks said, they were just right.
In my perusal of local businesses I would tell them I was looking to move to the area and getting a feel for local shops. One business owner asked if I was a Free Stater. I said I was, and he told me that he was also involved in his own fashion. This caught me off-guard — in a good way!
While I was in his store, one of the more recognizable locals, who has a public access tv show, walked in. While there are plenty of Free Staters moving to New Hampshire, many of the people living there are already liberty-lovers — another reason New Hampshire was a good choice. This movement is real, and it’s about real people, who are making things happen every day.
After a stop at a rest area that boasted a short hiking trail, it was time to return to town for the food and fellowship. I had no idea how many people might show up, but I knew it could be anywhere between zero and a hundred. The restaurant had a rather good deal on pizza, and even if more people arrived, it was the least I could do to demonstrate just how truly welcomed I’d felt during my visit.
About ten people showed up, most of whom I had already met, all of them Free Staters. It was a pleasant way to end my last night, and would make the long drive I faced the next day much more bearable.
After the dinner party ended, I said a few last goodbyes, and headed to the home of some activists whom I had arranged to stay with on my final night. The night was capped with some wonderful political discussion and talk about future plans. The next morning, it was time to return home, and I truly did not want to leave. I actually kept stalling the inevitable departure and got on the road a little later than planned. There was a sadness about having to leave Keene, but with it came the knowledge that I would be returning, because I felt like this was where my home really should be.
The drive home was intense, taking nearly seventeen hours, and included more than one stop to rest. As I approached Kentucky, I felt I was farther away from home, rather than getting closer to it. Hopefully in the next few weeks, my big white Suburban will take me north once more, and I will hear my new friends and neighbors say, “Welcome home.”
Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss the housing market, inflation, value creation, the voluntary society, and property rights. Listen as a man who is apparently a former politician calls to go on a paranoid screed about liberty activists, specifically FreeKeene’s Ian.
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 11a-12p in the Liberty Radio Network Chat room. If you’re online, you can listen to Talkback streamed live via the Liberty Radio Network and if you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
Nick and Toby discuss the War on Drugs and the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.
http://www.freemindsmedia.org
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The original intent was to get this out on President’s Day but it snuck up on me. Then I thought I’d do it for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday which I’ve incorrectly believed to be the 22nd for years now. Yes, that’s Washington’s birthday. I know that now. I’m already sufficiently embarrassed but go ahead and make fun of me for it in the comments. Anyway, it doesn’t matter because I didn’t quite finish it yesterday before I had to take off for some volunteer work I had been scheduled for. So here it is late enough to seem completely off topic.
Excerpts from Lincoln’s first Inaugural Address–
(Read On…)
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Anarkitty gives us a lesson in personal hygiene. My cat loves to get into this position when guests are gathered all around.
Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss stealing the home of a Marlow man over property taxes, KPD stealing Sam’s camera, the decentralized nature of the liberty movement, anarchy, terminology, the Free State Project board, name-calling allegations, consenting, the city gang threatening the homeless and the people that allow them to live on their property, and working in the system for change.
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 11a-12p in the Liberty Radio Network Chat room. If you’re online, you can listen to Talkback streamed live via the Liberty Radio Network and if you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
The TSA forces 4-year-old to take off leg braces and drag himself through a metal detector, laziness grouchiness are being considered as psychological disorders, police in the UK are attempting to break into residents’ houses to keep them safe, and being a vegetarian may not be as good for the environment as previously thought.
http://www.freemindsmedia.org
Nearly 800 are in New Hampshire and nearly 10,000 have joined! As of this writing, only 82 more participants are needed to reach 10k! Then the Free State Project is over the hump and on its way to 20k and completion!
Will you be one of the first 10,000? If you’ve been sitting on the fence, hop off and get signed up! With any luck, 10,000 can be reached before the Liberty Forum in Nashua, March 18-21.
Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss Molly Kelly’s seemingly broken promise, the nature of the state, inflation, voting, KPD breaking and stealing Sam’s camera. Listen as Cynthia and Kendall Lane excuse the police acting like thugs. It’s sad.
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 11a-12p in the Liberty Radio Network Chat room. If you’re online, you can listen to Talkback streamed live via the Liberty Radio Network and if you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
Big Mike’s arrest — and the cowardly conceit of the cop responsible — have provided a wealth of inspiration, in activist ideas, protest techniques, and, but of course, artistic endeavors. In that last category, I submit the following:
There’s no real melody for this piece. It mimics the style popularized on many a decoupaged plaque from roadside boutiques specializing in cheap gimcracks (I can provide a number of Plan 9 from Outer Space – level-quality examples discovered in the course of my research).:
A POLICEMAN’S PRAYER
LORD, when I don the badge and blue,
Make strong my heart to keep
My goal to ever be like You–
In charge of all the sheep.
With Thy tough oversight, ensure,
When I confront the mob,
What matters most is kept secure:
My ego and my job.
Guide my imagination
So citizens will not
See through some regulation
I’ve made up on the spot.
If I should take a life, O Lord,
Grant full exoneration.
Add to my life the rich reward
Of two weeks’ paid vacation.
When I’m in court, Lord, keep the eyes
Of judge and jurors closed,
So even my most bald-faced lies
Will never be exposed.
Guide, too, the men who make the laws
Each time they meet in session,
That there will always be just cause
For my acts of aggression.
Keep the populace so dumb
That they’ll always agree
They must have my protection from
A greater threat than me.
Exact upon them, from above,
Thy judgment most severe.
I don’t need their respect or love,
But please ensure their fear.
With a little syllabic Tetris, this one can be sung to the alphabet ditty. You may get a chance to hear it sung soon on Lauren’s podcast:
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT
Inevitably, when a cop
Accosts you at a routine stop,
Some little tips that you can sing
Can keep the worst from happening.
A camera’s easy to afford;
You see blue lights, you hit RECORD.
Memorize, for later blame,
His badge’s number, and his name.
Make no statements; be evasive–
Court’s the place to be persuasive.
Phrase your answers like they’re questions;
Don’t react to rude suggestions.
Stay calm. Be polite.
Don’t argue, even though you’re right.
Anything you say or do
Can serve in court to railroad you.
Don’t touch a cop, he’ll cry “Assault!”
And courts will find that you’re at fault.
Likewise, never turn and run
That’s his excuse to use his gun.
Like the crook he thinks you are,
He’ll ask to search you, or your car.
Refuse. He’ll badger. Don’t relent.
By law, he still needs your consent.
Repeat two questions in a row–
Am I: Being detained? or Free to go?
Don’t resist him, just obey.
Demand a lawyer right away.
Despite your teaching, in the end,
Mister Cop is not your friend.
Think it’s unfair? Please arrange
To help Free Staters work for change.
China to censor text messages, Australian police stage fake robbery of pharmacy that was under police surveillance, the Downsizer Dispatch, studies show banning talking on cell phones does not prevent accidents, and a 12-year-old girl arrested for doodling on her desk.
http://www.freemindstv.com
