My Apology to James Callaway & Mixer Recap

August 30, 2010 by
Filed under: Update 

Thanks to some mediating by his daughter, Annie, James Callaway and I were able to come to some level of remedy today. James insisted it was not his intention to threaten Sam and seemed to understand how I could have taken what he said to me as threatening to Sam during our phone call a week ago and so I apologized to him for breaking confidence and publicly revealing our conversation. He reasonably requested I relay the information more publicly on the blog, so here it is. I also agree with Annie that my blog post did not help deescalate the situation.

In case you weren’t aware, many liberty activists met with a few of the Free Keene from the Free Keene Stigma members for a few hours in Ashuelot Park this afternoon. I hope that today’s meeting in the park showed James that liberty activists are not all the same. For instance, James seemed surprised when I clearly supported his right to engage in his cup antics. Since Sam was trying to film in a public place, Sam has no right to privacy or right to be free from interference.

Hopefully everyone has learned from this experience. It doesn’t seem like Sam and James are going to find much common ground anytime soon, but most everyone else seemed to get along fairly well at today’s meeting. There was much discussion of a productive nature.

Comments

44 Comments on My Apology to James Callaway & Mixer Recap

  1. david on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 7:09 pm

    “coffee cup summit” ?????
    :-)

  2. SuJin on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 7:27 pm

    LIKE!!!

  3. Paul on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 7:37 pm

    Awesome :)

  4. agentscribe on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 8:06 pm

    This is good news and a good re-start. Kudos to Annie, James & Ian. Has the cup been replaced with the verbiage?

  5. Wes Sayville on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 8:43 pm

    I’d really like to hear from Sam on this matter.

    Sam, can we get your perspective?

  6. theKINGofKEENE on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 9:11 pm

    …as if that were possible, I remain ever more proud of ALL of YOU…*WE* thank you ALL!…///…”when styrofoam coolerheads prevail!…///…(“But, KING, it was a RECYCLABLE PAPER cup!…”///…”…Thank-you, Laird, *BUT*, was it recycled???…\\\…

  7. KEENENATIVE on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 9:15 pm

    So, does this mean that now I can go to Brewbakers again???…STARBUCKS SUCKS!…&there’s too many “druggies” at PRIME ROAST…

  8. Kit on Mon, 30th Aug 2010 9:27 pm

    What? Individuals coming from different points of view reached a constructive point without someone waving guns at them? That’s crazy!

  9. Nyal on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 4:51 am

    That was big of you, Ian. I am very impressed. Sam is still a tool, but I am psyched you are still as awesome as I always believed! You have a talent for mediation, Ian. I think you should grow it. I am serious.

  10. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:20 am

    nyal,
    I probably shoulden’t ask this
    why did you say “Sam is still a tool”
    thats not very nice
    seems adhomanim
    i dout you will answer

  11. Luthor on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:31 am

    I think Sam’s a tool to. :D

  12. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:36 am

    so instead of getting a answer that has SUBSTANCE with facts to back it up i just get another person saying “i do too”
    thats smart

  13. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:38 am

    do you know WHY or is it because “someone told me to” like fox news or…..whoever
    or “thats just what i think”

  14. Nyal on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:40 am

    I said Sam is a tool, because he is. Look at it this way.

    A man who condemns the use of violence, but will use it himself.

    A man who condemns the religions of others, but lives one himself.

    Sam is a tool. Maybe a douche, too.

    Ian rocks, though.

  15. theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:55 am

    YO!, Nyal! I don’t think that Sam is really a “tool”….
    “Jerk”, or “asshole”, maybe, but I always think that “tool” suggests a little more humor there…I do agree with your analysis…there is a certain amount of hypocrisy in all of us…I actually do like Sam & Ian, both, and speak w/them from time to time, so no, it’s not personal in that sense…For me, i do enjoy a little name-calling…It’s a form of macho banter…you know, “locker-room talk”, that sort of thing…Good to see a Mormon posting on here. I think you’re the first. I had thought your YAHWEH had called you all home…With all that pedophilic-polyamory, you’d think Mormons would be breeding like rats, and there’d be a lot more. (BTW: You should probably try to ignore my taunting insults. I do try to push the envelope, to give us all as much room as possible, to work in, and to set some boundaries around the minefields for the seriously sick and deranged, who do sometimes stumble in here…FYI, I’m sorta the self-annointed site BOSS-TROLL, and TROLL-SLAYER, both…BTW, I, too, “condemn the use of violence”, as you put it, but I am no “pacifist”…I *WILL* defend myself when (physically) attacked…does that make *ME* a tool, or douche, in your book? In other words, do I have a right to meet aggressive force with defensive force???…just wondering! WELCOME, Nyal!…~tKoK.

  16. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 10:56 am

    what ‘”violence” did you see him do?
    everyone has there own religion and they believes in it
    you know what i see nyal (in you) and luthor people who heard this or that and and bought it hook line and sinker
    you know what i see when i look at sam?
    A person who moved up here for LIBERTY and goes around with his camera taking shit from the cops and bureaucrats,and gets arrested for trying to keep them honest!, a person who made sacrifices for me AND YOU :for liberty
    WHAT DO YOU DO NAYAL? AND LUTHOR
    besides trash and DETRACT FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING THEMSELFS ON THE LINE FOR YOU ?
    SHAME ON YOU
    here is a idea :go do SOMETHING BESIDES TRASH PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING SOMETHING
    again shame on you
    he gets shit from the god damn people named above ..you are the FUCKING LAST PEOPLE who should be downing him
    with this hearsay crap
    I dont want to hear your crap answer

  17. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:00 am

    I give up
    peace :-)

  18. Nyal on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:02 am

    david, wow. You type like you are writing some kind of drunk manifesto.

    KoK-I take no offense if you want to knock my Mormonism, I have to congratulate you for the memory. I am trying to figure out what to say to you both, I have so much to live up to.

    I know, I will sum it up. IMO Sam is doing the right things for the wrong reasons. I see him as a child throwing tantrums. What bothers me most about this recent deal with Sam is his cop out apology. He felt threatened? Really. Weak. Pathetic. Violent. Natural cop, that guy, Subjective opinion, no more valid than anyone else’s.

    BTW Mormons worship Elohim, not Yahweh.

  19. Ian Freeman on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:03 am

    To Sam’s liberty-loving critics,

    Sam made a mistake. I’m amazed at how harshly people are judging him for it. He apologized for getting in James’ face. What else do you want? It’s not like he has a history of being violent towards people.

    I have lost my cool and gotten angry and done things I regret, haven’t you?

  20. Nyal on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:07 am

    Ian,
    I think if he owned up to what he did fully, I would be more impressed. That’s all. He didn’t look scared to me.

    Nyal

  21. Steve on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:34 am

    Actually, Ian, Sam does have a history of being violent. And the way he showed himself about such a minor situation reveals much. I agree with Nyal and Luthor. I think Sam’s a tool to(sic).

  22. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:39 am

    Nayal

    I didn’t say anything about Mormons or yahweh
    i have no idea what u are talkin about there

    nayal and luthor

    heres a idea: dont listen to hearsay

    and go DO something that takes a bit of courage

  23. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:45 am

    lucky thing nayan luthor and steve are perfect
    that must be why they can throw stones
    go do something
    and quit trashing those that are doing something

  24. theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:51 am

    *ELOHIM*…NOT “yahweh”…I stand corrected, Nyal…thnx…yeah, we’re on the same page…///…just a reminder: after watching MORE video, it’s clear that James was deliberately trying to provoke Sam…not to justify Sam, just to be clear…James, too, was being a jerk…that’s why I earlier called this a pissing contest…BUT, James’s daughter has stepped up & engaged in some good, honest debate, there was a meeting of sorts yesterday at the Ashuelot River Park, etc., so I do see some good coming out of this…”When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”…..OK,OK,OK,…But w/out *SUGAR*, that’s some DAMN SOUR lemonade!…*grin*…(BTW, I keep getting Uma Thurman mixed up w/the Urmin & Thumin…which is which, Nyal???…~tKoK.

  25. theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:52 am

    i am doing something, david, i’m throwing stones at you*DUCK*!~tKoK.

  26. Lpviper on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 12:05 pm

    I am also concerned about Sam and would like to see more self-responsible actions on his part, but I have decided against boycott, for now at least. But I would be remiss if I did not say that Sam’s recent actions that can be seen and some others that cannot necessarily be proven are of great concern to me, as they seem not to be aligned with the path of peace.

  27. Lpviper on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 12:07 pm

    And david, calm down, buddy. People are upset with Sam right now and they will be expressing it in whatever manner they see fit. Let them vent, they aren’t hurting you or anyone else. If Sam thinks they are hurting him, that is his business and he needs to resolve it.

  28. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 12:24 pm

    Lpviper

    Its about principals and justice
    its not about Sam particularly
    they are not perfect so they shouldent throw stones
    i will speak up about it
    thanks! :-)

  29. holy_canole on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 12:42 pm

    Ian,

    “Sam made a mistake. I’m amazed at how harshly people are judging him for it. He apologized for getting in James’ face. What else do you want? It’s not like he has a history of being violent towards people.”

    I think (as much as I HATE to bring it up) people would restore a lot more faith in Sam if he replaced the cup.
    The fact that he actually said to me yesterday–not jokingly–that *James* was the one who damaged his own cup, really, *really* made me loose a lot of faith in his character on that matter.

  30. Paul on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 12:49 pm

    The fact that he actually said to me yesterday–not jokingly–that *James* was the one who damaged his own cup, really, *really* made me loose a lot of faith in his character on that matter.

    I agree, and his handling of this has concerned me as well.

    as much as I HATE to bring it up

    I agree with that too … at this point I think it may be better just to let it go. Hopefully nothing like this will occur in the future.

  31. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 1:16 pm

    I think JAMES needs to COMPENSATE SAM for messing up sams interview
    thats worthy of compensation
    I dare say it would be more expensive that a dirty used paper cup
    but of course Sam doesn’t seem Sam petty as James :he hasn’t mentioned his compensation
    PAY UP JAMES

  32. theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 1:43 pm

    #
    theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 11:52 am

    i am doing something, david, i’m throwing stones at you*DUCK*!~tKoK.
    …*INCOMING*!!!….

  33. theKINGofKEENE on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 1:43 pm

    ~tKoK.

  34. Lpviper on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 1:46 pm

    David,

    Nobody is perfect, and if no one ever threw stones, no one would know when to duck.

    Sam’s apparent proclivity toward violence IS a concern, and I have NOT seen a public statement from him that makes me feel any better about it.

    I understand where you’re coming from, man, but part of living free is recognizing those whose interactions with others are less than satisfactory and helping them find the path to peace, which is peace.

    Thanks

  35. Luthor on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 2:12 pm

    It’s funny that people think I was being serious about Sam. I know Sam. We were roommates (granted, he was in jail for most of it). I’ve hung out with him more times than I could ever count.

    Being the good friends we are, I feel it’s my duty to give him a hard time any chance I get.

    I’m sure you knew that before you said such wonderful things as:
    “Lucky thing…Luthor…(Is) perfect.”

    I’m obviously paraphrasing there, but we all know I am. :D

    Just kidding. I know I have flaws. Not expressing sarcasm properly online is apparently one of them.

  36. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 2:19 pm

    :-)

  37. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 2:23 pm

    luthor
    probably everyone knew except me
    :-)

  38. Anonymous on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 2:43 pm

    From watching the first video of the cup situation I really think James seemed to be the aggressor. He was all in Sam’s face, dissing the group with the statement on his cup, and trying to interfere with the video Sam was peacefully trying to take. It looked as though James almost touched the cup to Sam’s face to start the whole fiasco.

  39. Ian Freeman on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 3:21 pm

    You should watch it again. Sam walked up and got in James’ face. All James was doing before that was being an annoyance.

  40. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 4:00 pm

    I guess i am from a place where that kind of thing might happen
    but its between them two and as soon as its over ,meaning in the video
    its done
    both just understand thats the way it went down
    man to man
    there never was multiple meetings and rehashings etc etc etc
    the women folk get involved
    etc
    cyber conferences
    6 apologies on one side lol
    videos
    kno what im sayin
    peace

  41. david on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 4:10 pm

    nevermind…just forget i ever said anything
    peace :-)

  42. Lpviper on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 4:49 pm

    We feel the love, david.

    No worries :)

  43. theKINGofKEENe on Tue, 31st Aug 2010 8:28 pm

    …Brooks tone merrily, racing through their courses, while I, I sit on banks of green, laughing, soaking wet!…*grin*…

  44. Curious on Mon, 6th Sep 2010 5:09 pm

    I disagree with those who call Sam a tool. A tool is a useful item for creating or repairing something. Perhaps he does fit the first part of this description….. he DOES manage to create havoc and hard feelings.

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