Free Keene

Comment by onederbred

October 16, 2009 @ 12:00 pm

Someone should carve one with a smiley face, and then jam a joint in its mouth….

Comment by SamIam

October 16, 2009 @ 1:10 pm

i’ve been looking for an excuse to convince sam to let me act like a 10 year old again i’ll bring a freekeene one, and any “420″ related ones i can manage!

Comment by SamIam

October 16, 2009 @ 1:14 pm

ps. that last comment (and this one) are from smeg, not sam.

Comment by Paul

October 16, 2009 @ 1:22 pm

Lol, good to hear smeg, I was afraid sam had gone schizophrenic!

Comment by onederbred

October 16, 2009 @ 1:28 pm

Perhaps someone could make a bong-o-lantern?

Comment by Sam A. Robrin

October 16, 2009 @ 2:13 pm

How’s about this?: Print up thousands of flyers, such as the 420 Every Day, or whatever you like. Roll them up, twist the ends like joints, and go sticking them into every jack o’lantern mouth you see.

Comment by Vix

October 16, 2009 @ 2:40 pm

I love that idea Sam!

Comment by dalebert

October 16, 2009 @ 4:32 pm

You’re just a little bit evil, Sam Robrin, and I love it.

Comment by Bill McGonigle

October 16, 2009 @ 5:34 pm

Did you know that at dark hundreds of volunteers will go around Keene very quickly lighting all of the candles inside the pumpkins? Pumpkins with certain political messages on them may have their candles scrutinized. There are likely to be over 20,000 pumpkins.

Comment by Sean

October 16, 2009 @ 7:14 pm

I don’t understand all the focus on freedom of marijuana use. Can I not work for libertarian principles without being a pothead?

Comment by Paul

October 16, 2009 @ 7:19 pm

I don’t like the idea of putting messages on other pumpkins — that’s the property of other people.

I think bringing 420 themed pumpkins is an awesome idea though

Comment by Paul

October 16, 2009 @ 7:29 pm

Of course! I’ve never smoked pot, Sean, and I don’t intend to. I just support people’s freedom to make their own choices.

Comment by dalebert

October 16, 2009 @ 9:14 pm

I’m sorry Sean. You have to be a pothead or we revoke your libertarian card.

Comment by PaulO

October 17, 2009 @ 3:45 am

Sean, at the very least it would seem someone in favor of liberty would be against the drug war due to the amount of tax dollars spent (and its obvious failure) and the principle of victimless crimes.

You don’t have to act on every freedom you have to be a libertarian. But in order to have the freedom you want, you’ll need to support the freedom of others.

Comment by dalebert

October 17, 2009 @ 6:05 am

Okay, now for the more serious answer.

The drug war ought to be the biggest libertarian issue of them all because it’s at the core of so many other invasions into our personal lives. It’s the primary excuse for invading private spaces to search like backpacks, cars, and homes. The whole idea of banning possession of a substance is an absurd notion and invites violations of the rights of innocent people necessary to enforce such a thing, like searching people to find out if they’re breaking the law. It’s only what you do with something that should matter, i.e. are you using it to violate the rights of others? In such a case, there is a clear victim and innocent people don’t get dragged into it.

SO MANY people are in jail for the victimless crime of having a substance on them and being in jail when you’re innocent should be of great concern to anyone who claims to love liberty. Cannabis is the most common one which isn’t surprising because it’s probably the most benign of contraband substances.

So I think that is why Paul and Paulo care about this issue even though they don’t partake, but I’m presuming and don’t want to put words in their mouths.

Comment by John

October 17, 2009 @ 6:28 am

Cant you guys just lay off for a few hours and “tolerate” the citizens and their families as they enjoy a statist supported psuedo-religious ritual?
Call a 24 hour truce and dont call down the full force of enforcement from LE. I am sure they will do it to put themselves in the best possible light with the citizens and main stream media….and make any protestors look like evil terrorists.

Comment by AnAmazedReader

October 17, 2009 @ 7:49 am

@John wrote:

“Cant you guys just lay off for a few hours and “tolerate” the citizens and their families….”

John, if you consider the folks you’re addressing, you’ll realize that this is akin to asking a three year-old boy why he can’t stop playing with his genitals.

Comment by John

October 17, 2009 @ 7:55 am

Great comment!

Comment by thinkliberty

October 17, 2009 @ 7:58 am

John,

Can’t families just tolerate people being free in the park?

Can’t the war on them end after 40+ years?

Can’t we just let peaceful people be and end the violence, even when there is a pumpkin festival?

You are right Ann, Cops can help but be violent, they are like a 3 year old that won’t stop touching other people’s junk. Maybe you can convince the cops to stop being violent.

Comment by John

October 17, 2009 @ 8:10 am

THINK….exactly what war are you talking about…
What earth shaking thing happened in 1969 that makes you think that someone declared war on a part of our society…
I know…it was either the Mai Lai massacre…or the birth of ARPANET. Oops, maybe it was the first airing of Monty Pythons Flying Circus

Comment by thinkliberty

October 17, 2009 @ 8:21 am

John,

You’ve really never heard of the war on drugs? You must live a sheltered life.

Wikipedia should be able to get you up to speed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs

Comment by Observer

October 17, 2009 @ 8:32 am

“I don’t understand all the focus on freedom of marijuana use. Can I not work for libertarian principles without being a pothead?”

—-

Not really – As you can see it is all about smoking and getting high. I had the same thoughts that you did even before these 420 demos, which just further confirm the point. There are a few of us who don’t, but look at the signs at this event. What are the other issues being promoted? Nothing that I saw – not even a different kind of drug. I have been to the event several times and can tell you that the other protests that go on are not connected with any of these people, and you will not hear about them.

What you will hear plenty about is the smoking it up in public. You’ll also hear about the stunts that one individual will perform here and there (like coming from another town to take their top off). But it is the pot smoking that is getting all the activism and attention here.

Comment by John

October 17, 2009 @ 8:35 am

So, the whole basis of the free stater concept is about getting high legally? That seems to fit.

Comment by John

October 17, 2009 @ 8:45 am

Here is a good idea for the citizens of Keene who might not want their freedom stepped on by a pot smoker in their midst. Carry a spray bottle full of distilled water and use it to extinguish whatever may be burning nearby! Be sure its a clean bottle with no trace of chemical in it so no one can scream about being injured. What a great non-violent way for any citizen to speak out if they dont like the pot burners in their midst.

Comment by Observer

October 17, 2009 @ 9:05 am

“So, the whole basis of the free stater concept is about getting high legally? That seems to fit.”

Even that is too broad. It is about smoking pot specifically. Sometimes you might hear the phrase “consuming cannabis”, but that also is too broad. Yes, cannabis has other uses, including being one of the most nutritious food plants on earth. But don’t expect to see anything about this there either. It is about SMOKING.

“Smoke em if you got em” is what was announced on the loudspeaker NOT consume cannabis.

Comment by the Ghost of John Henry

October 17, 2009 @ 10:09 am

“Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now.” – Thos Jefferson

To those of you who seem to think that you have some right to dictate and enforce upon others what they are or are not to consume; FUCK OFF!

Comment by cyberdoo78

October 17, 2009 @ 11:52 pm

I’m reminded of a poem written some years ago by man, a poem which speaks to why I support those who wish to end the drug war.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Pastor Martin Niemöller

I say on to thee who believes that using drugs should not be protested against, or that say that one should not assist those who are drug users, who will be left when they come for you?

I don’t smoke pot, nor any other recreational drugs. I’m not a member of the Free State Project (only because I don’t believe government has a legitimate purpose. The idea that to protect the rest of what you have you first have to give up some of it, for me is logically incorrect). I however support those who wish to protest the drug war because if they fail, then those who control the wheels of government will soon turn to roll over me.

In an homage to the great Pastor, I speak:

First they came for the gun owner, and I did not speak out–for I am not a gun owner;
Then they came for the non-tax payers, and I did not speak out–for I am not a non-tax payer;
Then they came for the recreational drug users, and I did not speak out–for I am not recreational drug user;
Then they came for the protesters, and I did not speak out–for I am not protester;
Then they came for me–and no one was left to speak for me.

Today you may look upon the drug protests and laugh and point, make rude comments, disparage them, however the day will come, lest others besides you do something about it, that you will be there, protesting what means a lot to you, perhaps it will be the right to raise your child as you see fit, perhaps it will be the right not to have to pay for health coverage because you do not need it right now, perhaps it will be the right to choose where you live, and there will be no one there to speak with you, for you let government go too far.