This isn’t going to just wash away.

June 16, 2011 by Ian
Filed under: Issues, News, Update

This morning, locals report that government workers were spraying and scrubbing in an attempt to remove the evidence of yesterday’s apparent self-immolation in front of the Cheshire superior court. I stopped by early this morning to file some motions in another case and talk to the Sheriffs about yesterday and took a picture of the damage. Click the pic for a full size version.

It’s going to take more than a hose and brush to make this issue go away. People need to know who this man was and why he made this horrific choice.

More as it develops. Thus far, no return calls from Keene Police or Cheshire Sheriffs.

Rance!

I think most mainstream media organizations have standard policies against reporting suicides, which is understandable in most cases. I think this is probably a reasonable exception.
FK

Keep reporting. Sentinel has already reported the incident as occurring somewhere on Winter Street, not on the courthouse doorstep. Keep the photos available. We need truth, not sentinel misinformation. MSNBC reported NH Courts as the most corrupt in the nation just last week on their morning show.
K

I just watched a short video clip from WMUR where they interviewed a couple friends of mine (apparently they were witnesses to this). It's a bit shocking that the man "looked calm, like he'd just done yoga"…
Josh

Don't worry, court proceedings today were unaffected by the hours old suicide by fire of a man on the front step. As always, injustice prevails.
FF

"It’s going to take more than a hose and brush to make this issue go away. People need to know who this man was and why he made this horrific choice."

I think its tragic that someone felt so strongly about something that they chose to give their life, regardless of what side of an issue that it is. Its no secret that I don't agree with the way that free staters act, but I certainly don't want to see anyone get hurt.

From this quote on the blog, I see that someone seemed to have some sort of prior knowledge this was going to happen. I hope that isn't the case. I think it to be quite cowardly to allow someone to kill themselves without intervening. Whoever he was, he can't fight to change what he doesn't like if he's dead.
http://lazymoose.wordpress.com/ holy_canole

The Sentinel claims to have received a letter which was allegedly from the man…the fact that they stated that makes me think they will release the information once they confirm that it's legitimate.
PabloKoh

"From this quote on the blog, I see that someone seemed to have some sort of prior knowledge this was going to happen. I hope that isn’t the case. "

Your insinuations are quite silly. Please stop.
FF

I think based on the statement its a valid question. You could read that quote either way.
Cas

Instead of trying to wash it up they have no replaced the sidewalk in that area, just walked by a few moment ago.

Glad it was so quick and easy to replace the sidewalk but any other repair here takes forever =/
http://apathyonline.net antijingoist

They are painting over the sidewalk now. >_<
Really?

It doesn't surprise me one bit to see freekeene poised to hail this man as a martyr to their cause.

This was somebody that was rightfully convicted for HITTING HIS CHILD. I feel awful for his children, that this is the legacy he leaves for them.
david-keene

@"really ?"

It's not "free keene's cause".

And The guy put why he did it in the letter.
Really?

I didn't say he was doing it in the name of free keene, just that free keene is already trying to capitalize on it. Fucking sick,.
MaineShark

@Really? – "This was somebody that was rightfully convicted for HITTING HIS CHILD."

Except for the minor fact that he was found not guilty.

But I guess the facts don't matter to you?

"I didn’t say he was doing it in the name of free keene, just that free keene is already trying to capitalize on it. Fucking sick,."

Others might say they are trying to prevent future recurrences.

Capitalizing on something is very different. It usually involves distorting the facts to fit a particular agenda (like you did, above).

This guy quite clearly stated why he did what he did. Trying to prevent the circumstances that he, himself, stated were the cause from occurring for others, is not "capitalizing" on the situation. It's compassion for all the others who are in the same boat.
Really?

Let me rephrase that then, as you are correct in that he was not found to be guilty. He admitted to striking his child in the face and rightfully faced the consequences…better?
MaineShark

No, because the consequences he faced were not the rightful consequences for a one-time, minor incident.

The consequences he faced were ridiculously out of proportion. What's next? Run a stop sign, and the cop drags you out of your car and executes you on the side of the road?

He is responsible for his action. They are responsible for their utterly-insane reactions.
Really?

When someone commits a severe enough traffic infraction, even if it's only one time, they get their license revoked. He wasn't executed, he wasn't maimed, he had the child that he abused taken away from him, as well as the others, so that he could not hurt them. This incident goes even further in showing that he was unstable and most likely not fit to raise his kids.
MaineShark

I take it you're not a parent.

I'd rather far rather be maimed, than prevented from seeing my children again.

Anyone who doesn't feel that way, is certainly an unfit parent, in my opinion.

This guy sounds like he was no less sane than any other average individual, until the government goons tortured him for a decade. Few could remain sane under that stress.
Really?

The point is that if you abuse something you have it taken away from you, and that is the punishment that fits the crime. You were the one who equated this to an execution for a minor traffic violation.

So you have kids…how many times have you hit them in the face?
NH VETERAN

"Really?" is an extremely good name for a brainless twit like you. No matter who reads your drivel they come away with your name/question.
Really?

Only the ones incapable of understanding cause and effect.
david-keene

@really?"

you said : I didn’t say he was doing it in the name of free keene, just that free keene is already trying to capitalize on it. Fucking sick,.

Free keene is REPORTING on it; that's all.

And you are reading that reporting.
Really?

"Isn’t it time you tried saying “no” to the people calling themselves government? Or did Thomas die in vain? If you don’t take action, you can expect to get more of what you’ve been getting: More control. More intrusion. More extractions of your wealth. More abuses. More peaceful people in cages…"

That is just reporting?
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MaineShark

@Really?:

"The point is that if you abuse something you have it taken away from you, and that is the punishment that fits the crime."

Given that he was found not guilty of abuse, your claim is rather nonsensical.

"You were the one who equated this to an execution for a minor traffic violation."

Yes, I did. Your courts determined that he did not commit an act of abuse.

So what would he be "punished" for, anyway?

"So you have kids…how many times have you hit them in the face?"

Never. But I wouldn't call the government if some member of my family did. DCYF's track record says that kids are better off in abusive homes, than with DCYF, where they stand very good odds of being raped, abused, and murdered.
A Critic

@Really? #18

"When someone commits a severe enough traffic infraction, even if it’s only one time, they get their license revoked. He wasn’t executed, he wasn’t maimed, he had the child that he abused taken away from him, as well as the others, so that he could not hurt them."

He didn't abuse any of the children according to the law. That was his beef as explicitly explained in his letter. His children were stolen from him. His liberty was stolen from him. His marriage was destroyed by evil-doers. His money was stolen from him. His life was destroyed by the corrupt incompetent evil Keene courts, cops, and "mental health professionals".

My childhood and family were destroyed by the same organizations for similar reasons back in the 80s. We are all still paying a heavy price beyond your imagination for their criminal actions. They said they were going to protect us kids – they instead caused us grave harm, placed us into danger, and caused us to suffer immensely so we will bear the scars for the rest of our lives.

@Really ? #20

"The point is that if you abuse something you have it taken away from you, and that is the punishment that fits the crime".

There was no crime done by this man. I'm strongly opposed to corporal punishment, but it's not illegal under the rule of law. Thus there was no punishment enacted by the system – only an illegal series of criminal abuses of power.

The man was right to call attention to the substitution of the Russian/Soviet style administrative law for our American style constitutional law. This man is the victim of a tyrannical bureaucracy. You defend that tyrannical bureaucracy – but perhaps if the cops interrogate your three year old for hours until they finally falsely accuse you of hurting them maybe just maybe you will wake up. Perhaps when it is your kids, your family, your life, your liberty, your property seized from you not only when you haven't been convicted of a crime but when you haven't even committed a crime maybe then you will wake up.
A Critic

@MaineShark

"Never. But I wouldn’t call the government if some member of my family did."

Ayuh. I wouldn't call the cops no matter what. If a child's or other person's life or limb were at stake then I might think about it, but I have considerably more trust in my own abilities and character of those of the state.
Really?

Isn't it kind of hypocritical to support the ruling of a court that you don't support to begin with? My main point is that this man hit his 4 year old daughter in the face until she bled and admitted to it. You really think this should be ok?

Just say that you think it should be ok for him to do this and I will agree 100% with your point.
A Critic

@Really?

"Isn’t it kind of hypocritical to support the ruling of a court that you don’t support to begin with?"

It would be hypocrisy on the part of the advocates of truth and justice if they supported rulings that were untrue and unjust. When the courts actually by chance, coincidence, or on rare occasion, on purpose, get it right then we should support the exception to the rule of man.

"My main point is that this man hit his 4 year old daughter in the face until she bled and admitted to it. You really think this should be ok?"

That's not the issue. The issue is whether it is prohibited under the law – and it is not.

"Just say that you think it should be ok for him to do this and I will agree 100% with your point."

It would benefit you if you were to spend a considerable amount time, energy, and effort improving your cognitive, logical, legal, and philosophical skills.

Why do we have to endorse the man's legal non-criminal actions in order to oppose the illegal criminal actions of our public servants? Your statement, in line with your other statements, makes no sense.
MaineShark

@ Really?:

"Isn’t it kind of hypocritical to support the ruling of a court that you don’t support to begin with?"

I don't "support" the ruling in a philosophical sense. But that doesn't render me blind; I can still see that it is legally-correct, in the context of that system. Hence, the police, prosecutors, courts, etc. who are part of that system should have obeyed it, since they /do/ support that system. Anything else is blatant hypocrisy.

"My main point is that this man hit his 4 year old daughter in the face until she bled and admitted to it. You really think this should be ok?"

It's not "okay" according to my personal preferences. But just because I don't find something "okay," does not mean I automatically support the use of overwhelming violence in response.

I'm not "okay" with folks wearing Che shirts, but that doesn't mean I'm going to whip a gun out and start threatening the next mass-murderer-supporter that I see.

It's called "perspective."
Pingback: Thomas James Ball Self-Immolated in Protest of the “Justice” System | Real News Reporter
Resident Troll

This is going to be turned into a 'never discipline a child, whether they hit you, or disobey situation'.

These "CHILDREN" will grow up to be adults, and still expect the world to wipe their lazy, coddled-to asses.

Should a parent thank the "CHILD" for being disobedient, as the 4 year old knows best?

Freakeene is capitolizing on this as the man stated in his 15 page letter, he dislikes the government system.

Follow the lead…… torch yourselves.

Then I might agree with your beliefs.
Resident Troll

Am I the only one that's noticed, the word "disciplined" has been REPLACED with "ABUSED"?
Pingback: Man Who Set Himself on Fire Did So In Name of Father's Rights | HyperVocal
http://www.yahoo.com/ Cady

That addresses svereal of my concerns actually.
Thomas Ball jr.

They even took away the small make-shift memorial for my Dad, in front of the Cheshire County Circus Courthouse.
http://thomasjamesball.com Jack Day

@ Thomas Ball jr

please contact us at ThomasJamesBall dot com