The Enigma that is KPD Sgt. and Prosecutor Eli Rivera

April 30, 2009 by Ian · 26 Comments
Filed under: Copwatch, Personal Freedom, Police

Rivera Thanks to Carlos Miller for uncovering this story about Keene PD’s Sgt. and prosecutor Eli Rivera. As you can see in the article, Rivera’s license plate says “PEACE”. However, in his job as prosecutor he regularly destroys the peaceful lives of individuals who have not harmed another person or their property. The article also says he has worked “to ensure law enforcement was viewed as a partner, not an adversary.” If police were our partners, for example, our friends and family members would not be being imprisoned for possessing plant matter or other chemicals. Drivers would be allowed to use their good judgment instead of being harassed and ticketed for speeding or not coming to a complete stop. People would be free to live their lives as they wish as long as they don’t harm others. The voluntary society wouldn’t be utopia, but there would be a lot more peace than there is today, where the police are the adversary of freedom. They could choose to behave differently. In private conversations some have admitted they would like to do the right thing, but they are scared they might lose their jobs, because those higher ranking than them are not interested in peace. They want more conflict, because conflict fills their jails and prisons and fills state coffers with fines extracted mostly from lower-income victims of the oppressive police state.

In the interests of promoting peace, I invited Rivera out for coffee and he accepted. Then, he canceled and never rescheduled. When I recently encountered him in person and asked when he’d let me take him out, he said “When all of this is over”, referring to the prosecutions of liberty activists here in Keene.

Eli, please stop prosecuting peaceful people. That would make Keene the most peaceful place on earth, and the police would start getting respect from people again, since they would only be going after people who do harm. Doesn’t that make sense?

UPDATE: More about Eli here on JailedActivist.info

Government Marriage Sucks

April 30, 2009 by Dale Everett · 1 Comment
Filed under: Anarchy in Your Head, Issues, Personal Freedom

Click to Enlarge

So a gay marriage bill was passed by the house and the senate. It’s up to the governor now and New Hampshire could be the next state government to grant permission for two individuals to partake of a contract between them that’s really no one else’s business. Good news, I suppose. As long as the government is involved, they shouldn’t discriminate. But I hold to what I’ve said for some time now. Even if I were heterosexual, I wouldn’t touch a government marriage with a ten foot pole.

A medical marijuana bill is also now awaiting the governor. Also good news, though it’s yet another personal matter they should never have butted into in the first place.

Sam Coverage Expands: Carlos Miller, LRC, Nolan Chart

April 30, 2009 by Ian · 3 Comments
Filed under: Update

The heroic photojournalist Carlos Miller (who himself was arrested for photographing the police in public) has blogged about Sam’s arrest and imprisonment, Andrew Carroll, as well as the Free State Project and more. I’m sending him a donation for his legal defense fund.

Yesterday, LewRockwell.com’s Manuel Lora also blogged about Sam’s situation. Plus, NolanChart.com’s Steven McDuffie has also covered the situation in a popular article. Thank you, Manuel and Steven.

If your favorite blog or news organization hasn’t covered Sam yet, please encourage them to do so!

Sam Update: Guard Confiscating Food / Sweltering Heat

April 29, 2009 by Ian · 19 Comments
Filed under: News, Personal Freedom, Thuggery, Update

I have finally spoken with Sam. Turns out my upstairs phone was off the hook slightly for three days, which is why I’d not heard from him. He is still on a hunger strike. He had been trading his food for things like stamps until recently. A new jail guard handing out food would ask Sam if he was going to eat it and when Sam said no, the guard would deny and is denying Sam the food.

Also, the jailers apparently don’t turn on the air conditioning until June, so the inmates suffered in sweltering heat in the upstairs facility these past few days, and that will only get worse over this next month. More adventures coming in his blog posts here at FreeKeene.com and also Sam is expected to call in on tonight’s Free Talk Live.

Sam has requested that those sending books should send them to the jail library and is very appreciative of all the letters he’s receiving through mail-to-jail.com

Medical Pot Bill Passes Senate – Action Item

April 29, 2009 by Ian · 1 Comment
Filed under: Issues, Personal Freedom, ToDo, Update

Pot A little good news in a sea of tyranny, from MPP:

The New Hampshire Senate just voted 14-10 in favor of HB 648, the medical marijuana bill. New Hampshire is now very close to becoming the 14th state to stop arresting patients for using medical marijuana with their doctors’ recommendations.

Gov. John Lynch (D) has expressed concerns about the bill and it is vital that he hear that Granite Staters support protecting patients.

If you’d like to call Lynch’s office and tell the secretary to ask him to support the medical marijuana bill, the number is 271-2121.

News about Sam’s treatment from his jailers

April 28, 2009 by Sam Dodson · 12 Comments
Filed under: Hypocrisy, News, Obscured Truth Network, Personal Freedom, Police, Thuggery, Update

[I received a letter from a fellow inmate of Sam's, who wishes to remain anonymous. This inmate describes how the jailers are refusing to give Sam food! I have not yet verified that this person is who he claims to be (i.e., whether this account is trustworthy), but the company he says he works (worked?) for does exist. I have not yet heard back on whether this person works there and is currently incarcerated. -Mike Barskey]

26 April 09

Dear Mike -

I am an inmate at the Cheshire Country Jail. I am in the same area of the jail as your fellow protester “John Doe,” “Sam D-.” When we are not locked away in our individual cells, Sam & I share a day room with 24 other inmates. During these time of congregation I have had the opportunity to talk with “Sam” of his politics, beliefs and convictions. I agree with some of his ideals and fully support his efforts to “inform the public” and make changes.

I am writing this letter to make known to the outside some occurrances here regarding “Sam.” As you know “Sam” has been on a hunger strike…I believe, he has been on this strike since his arrest. Recently the correction officers here in jail have started a new strategy against Sam. At various times they are refusing to give him food. During the 3 times a day we are fed in jail, we line up and are each individually handed a tray of food by a corrections officer. Sam has been taking his tray, and after everybody is seated to eat, Sam gives his tray of food away to another inmate. Today, April 25 @11:30am, at lunch, when Sam approached to receive his tray of food he was refused. The corrections officer, officer Anderson, refused to give Sam a tray of food and Sam moved on and returned to his cell, without food while the rest of us sat down & ate. I have witnessed this type of incident happen to Sam several times before. Also, it must be said that this does not occur all the time.

It is one thing for an individual to be on a hunger strike, it is another to refuse them food – regardless whether they will eat it or not. I am no expert in the field of international rights, but I would venture to guess that refusing food to prisoners violates some international lw and would warrant extreme scrutiny from human rights watch dog organizations.

To validate my letter I give you my name. I do not wish to jeopardize myself while in jail, so please to not share my identity. I have not been to trial as of yet and do not wish to have undue prejudice against me from the courts.

I support the cause you represent and look forward to reading more of your exploits in the media.

Veritas

“Milford Hat Incident” Pops Up Again In News

April 28, 2009 by Nick Ryder · 6 Comments
Filed under: News, Update

Jesse and Charlie’s arrests for questioning the court dress code in Milford has been brought up again in a recent Nashua Telegraph article reposted in the Keene Sentinel. Judge Crocker of the court and Dave Ridley of ridleyreport.com were interviewed regarding the court rules, and confusion over them.

Hats on? Hats off? The ‘Great Hat Spat’ continues
By DAYMOND STEER
Telegraph of Nashua
Published:
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 12:28 PM EDT
The “Great Hat Spat” in Milford District Court continues to live online.

A libertarian Internet site has reported that Milford District Court seems to have loosened its rules following the conclusion of the February event, in which two Keene men were arrested for refusing to remove their hats, but the judge says otherwise.

Dave Ridley of New Hampshire, who runs a site called RidleyReport.com, posted a video recently in which he said the court has loosened the rules.

Milford District Court Judge Martha Crocker has allowed people to wear hats after they filed a motion asking for permission to do so “or something like that,” Ridley wrote.
Read more

Mainstream Media Blackout of Jailed Videographer Continues

April 28, 2009 by Ian · 2 Comments
Filed under: Issues, Obscured Truth Network, Video

As Dave Ridley points out, the mainstream media is rightfully concerned with the imprisonment of one of their own in another place around the world, but getting them to cover Sam Dodson’s political imprisonment for attempting to exercise his supposed freedom of the press is proving difficult. Ridley provides some suggestions as to how you can help:

Marijuana Activist Refusing to Attend Trial if Cameras Banned from Court

April 28, 2009 by Ian · 15 Comments
Filed under: Issues, News, Thuggery

Carroll In response to the recent arrests (including one indefinite jailing) of videographers in the Keene District Court lobby, Andrew Carroll, who will be tried for his civil disobedience of publicly possessing marijuana on May 1st at 1:30pm, has stated the following on the Free Keene Forum:

I am going to refuse to proceed with my court case (May 1, at 1:30 pm) until cameras are allowed in. Freedom of the press is too invaluable to the protection of liberty to let its blatant violation go unchallenged. I demand the officers and magistrates of the court show proper respect for the rights of individuals. Someone needs to watch the watchers.

I will show up on May 1 and attend my trial as scheduled; but I will refuse to proceed with the trial without cameras there. They are too essential to a fair trial – or, more accurately, too essential to holding judges accountable for creating unfair trials – to proceed without them. Read more

Free State Food Drive results greater than expected, again!

April 27, 2009 by Chris Muskus · 19 Comments
Filed under: Charity

Thank you to all that contributed to the Free State Food Drive yesterday over at Vendetta. We managed to collect 197 items of food, far exceeding my goal of 150!
That brings the grand total up to 301 items of food donated to community kitchen.

You can check out some pictures here.

Come out join us on May 26^th For Social Sunday and another Free Sate Food Drive.

ChrisM.