These are some letters from friends of Ian writing to him in jail. One reply from Ian is included. Permission was granted from all parties to publish to Free Keene.
From Jordan to Ian:
Dear Ian,
I know we have never spoken to each other at great lengths. It’s odd that I now correspond with you with eyes most likely reading my message to you. Isn’t it odd? How did we get to this point as a society? When I sit and think about this nation and what it values, the dishonesty which has been normalized sickens me. Perhaps it is because of Thelema. Let me explain. To my understanding, this nation was formed by members of what is called the Hellfire Club as some sort of practical joke. You see, my grandfather in his youth was a kind person. When I knew him, years of Republican brainwashing turned him into a racist, hateful individual. I’ve come by logic to realize that the “right” is actually ran by those who seek to torture its constituents and likewise with the Democratic party. What are we to do? The path to true freedom, as childish as it sounds, must be through love and non-violence. This is why I am writing to you. I’ll withstand the pursuing eye of men who have seen the Head of John the Baptist, and have sworn loyalty to finding their light through evil acts. That is not for us. As I write you this letter, I am one with you. These experiences of beastly flesh are not who we truly are. The energetic life force which may be difficult to feel for you is alive and connects you to me. One day, I will sit across the table from you, and as our eyes meet we will both know that we are free and sovereign individuals. No laws, edicts, codes, or executive orders can limit the infinity of our being. Through my eyes, no matter what you have done or will do in the future can prevent love and forgiveness. In the history of existence, the tyranny that now governs our existences in the present will be but a blink. Feel the pain that exists and let that guide you. Know that hatred is the easy choice. It is what is expected of you in this moment, but taking the path of forgiveness towards those that now imprison you will bring your liberty and life back into your hands. Please know that through my eyes, you are held by unethical men who who are slaves to systems they themselves despise. It is not possible maintain employment in either judicial or correctional positions and escape the torment of the soul. Set, and his works, now guide the path of our governance. We have despised his brother Osiris as a despot, but perhaps fairness and ethical treatment were more common in the times of kings. These times too are passing. The balance of creation and destruction are only a few steps away. As I end this letter, please know that I view you as a free and sovereign individual. In my eyes you are a free man and are under a system that no longer has the will of God. You are held close to my heart, and when we transition to a more peaceful existence, you are always welcome in my home.
Sincerely, Jordan
From Ian to Jordan Dated April 10, 2021:
Dear Jordan,
Sorry for the delayed reply. Only this weekend did I finally get commissary access and received my first order of stamps and paper. Next week I’ll actually have a pen!!
Of the several letters I have received so far, yours is my favorite. You touched on some ideas that I also hold dear, like practicing forgiveness and being one with all-that-is. As a pantheist, I suspect you and I share many beliefs.
Many would find it difficult to forgive the people who smashed windows and doors in of their home and intend to hold its occupants in cages for many years. However, as you know, forgiveness is for you, not the people being forgiven. Forgiveness allows one to shed anger and negativity, to release those self-imposed burdens. It helps too, to realize that I could just as easily have been like them, as the only difference between them and me are mere choices.
Your letter says they find light through evil acts, but they surely believe they are doing good- with the exception of the true psychopaths- otherwise they would not do these things.
Unfortunately , these people have chosen the state as their god, and so they have allowed their sense of morality to be controlled by other men, including sociopaths and psychopaths. Like so many, they live based in fear, and look to the state for their protection and strength.
Which leads me back to the questions in your first paragraph: “Isn’t it odd? How did we get to this point as a society?”
While the system forced upon us is no doubt inhumane, anti-peace, destructive, etc., societies before this were worse in many ways. While we know the state pays lip service to the idea of “rights”, it at least has to pay lip service. While it is wrong for them to keep me in a cage and expect me to be able to mount a defense from in here, I am at least clothed and well-fed. Though restricted, I can still speak out against my captors. It’s not ideal, but it beats being pronounced guilty on-sight and subsequently drawn-and-quartered. Progress has always been a terribly slow, awful process. Barring a Renaissance in thinking to our way of thought, society will trudge toward more freedoms and humanity to our fellow man, slowly.
I suppose the answer to how we got to this point in society is “it depends on your perspective”. Violence worldwide is at record lows, so they say. However, incarceration in the United States leads the world’s developed nations.
As you rightly put it in your letter, “hatred is the easy choice”. Indeed, to a person ruled by fear, hatred is the natural choice. The state thrives on propagating fear, and therefore hatred is the result. Fear/hate of the “other,” whether it be people from other lands, other skin colors, or differing beliefs about god. As long as people fear others, they will never see themselves as one with them. Until enough people shift from fear to love, the state will continue.
You ask, “What are we to do?”. I think the deliberate migration of which we are both a part is still the best plan, but I’m always open to new ideas. We should continue speaking out and taking principled actions in the name of peace, love, freedom and forgiveness.
Thank you for being an advocate of forgiveness. It is such an important practice and many within the liberty movement do not understand it. They are still stuck in anger/ hatred/ fear towards the state society. They want to punish the state actors and don’t realize that such action would only continue the cycle of violence, and ultimately not make the state’s victims whole.
Basically, we’ve got a lot of work to do, even within our own liberty movement, to convince people that forgiveness and peace is the way.
I appreciate your perspective and am grateful you took the time to write. I think your letter and this reply might make a good blog-from-jail, as more people should be exposed to these ideas. I am sending your letter and this reply first to Bonnie and I’ll have her scan them in before sending to you. I hope you’ll agree to having them shared online.
Namaste,
Ian
Joa to Ian:
To my Peace-Loving-Friend,
There hasn’t been a day since the terrorist attack on you and the rest of the Crypto 6, [that I don’t think,] where-ever I am, about where you and Nobody are being held. I hope at the very least you are treated well. These cages wont stop an idea whose time has come. You still are inspiring so many even while kidnapped by the bankster-gangsters. These goons don’t think you should have bail, yet their own gooberment employees have their way with kids in the youth detention nearby. You are peaceful, they are the aggressors. They have bails set and one of them is asking for bail reduction. He held a gun to a child’s head while raping the kid. Yet you sit in jail as a peace-loving, peace-solution-solving, wealth-growing, stand-up individual in these trying times. Those who seek to take away our time, may very well see their own fate either in this life-time or the next. The love grows in the community. Everyone at Campmoreland misses you. As you read this, I am in between gathering wood for a fire and tending to the chickens. Can’t wait to see you and Nobody again, hopefully very soon. Love you brother! Stay safe!
-Joa
Political prisoners being currently being held at the Merrimack County Spiritual Retreat: Nobody (formally known as Rich Paul) & Ian Freeman
The Merrimack County Spiritual Retreat has taken it upon itself to open it’s doors to our political prisoner’s request(s) to receive books paid for with Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash. How does this work you might ask? Well through an intermediary (SaveAtPurse.com) you can now order books and have them delivered to the jail’s inmates via Amazon. You see Amazon is the exclusive entity available by which inmates are allowed to receive books and Purse is the company which handles the cryptocurrency part of the transaction. When you purchase a book for a prisoner and pay in Bitcoin Purse’s ‘earners’- individuals who wish to acquire Bitcoin will purchase your chosen book from Amazon and have Amazon send it directly to the political prisoner. Instructions on the steps to accomplish this are below.
Currently there is an Amazon wish list setup for Ian Freeman:
A wish list for Nobody (a political activist, one of two Crypto6 victims currently incarcerated at the Merrimack County Spiritual Retreat) is currently in development. An update will be posted once we have a 2nd list available.
Crypto users gathered at Little Zoe’s Pizza in Keene for Bitcoin Pizza Day 2019.
First of all, if you haven’t seen the raid videos from March 16th, 2021 where the FBI raided the Liberty Radio Network studio, Free Talk Live, the Bitcoin Embassy, & the Mighty Moose Mart check that out first, and then come back here when your done.
If you have it’s time to start writing. Your friends and fellow activists need you and your support during this troubling time. Oppressive thugs collectively identifying themselves as the state (federal government) have decided to take it upon themselves to use the violence of the state to achieve social and political goals that are directly diametrical to the values our community hold dear.
The state has kidnapped and caged members of our community. People who have been working for peace for years and turning this community into what it has become. The FBI and a half dozen other federal and local agencies raided and arrested our friends over the semblance of Bitcoin being illegal. In March our friends were arrested and two have been denied bail or otherwise not received bail hearings.
On March 16, 2016 Ian Freeman, Nobody (formally known as Rich Paul), Aria DiMezzo (released), Colleen Fordham (released), Renee Spinella (released), and Andrew Spinella (released) were arrested over their use of Bitcoin.
As insane as it might sound for a man looking forward to his day in court after more than 5 years of spreading the message of crypto a magistrate judge ruled on March 29th that Ian Freeman posed a flight risk and lacked ties to the community. On that notion she ruled he would remain behind bars until the conclusion of the trial.
In the case of Nobody there is still a chance of release, but efforts to obtain a proper lawyer have been slow. Between the need to raise over $200,000 (initial amount needed to get started) and numerous members of our community coming down sick this past week or so these particular things have been very slow to materialize. The good news is that 4 out of the crypto 6 have obtained lawyers. While we work to retain lawyers for everybody else (see TheCrypto6.com to help with the fundraising effort) these guys would love to hear from you.
Currently Ian Freeman and Nobody are being held at the Merrimack County jail. Each is being held separately and what one receives or is aware of the other may not be. So please do write to each individually and let them how much you value their commitment to peace and liberty.
Mailing address:
[inmates’s name]
314 Daniel Webster Hwy
Boscawen, NH 03303
No inmate number is required, just the inmates name (Nobody and Ian Freeman) at the jail’s address. Things to note: No crayon, altered paper, laminated paper, polaroids, staples, or paper clips are allowed and your mail may get rejected if any of this is true. We recommend typing your letter or writing with a black or blue pen to avoid having your mail being returned. What constitutes crayon may include colored pencil.
Be sure to number your correspondence with “Letter number #” at the top of each page as well as page # like this “Letter number 2 Page 3 of 6” so that the person you are writing to knows what order letters came in and for that matter if a letter or page doesn’t arrive in tact.
As always, assume that everything is going to be read, not all your mail may get received, and any response may not get returned to you.
There’s not much good one can say about the FBI’s raid on the LRN.FM studio that occurred a week and a half ago now, but there is one great thing that has come from it all. Thanks to the FBI’s raid of 19 properties over the supposed use of cryptocurrency the story has garnered national and even international attention. It has brought together a community that some would even say was in disarray. We have seen a significant amount of support from both inside and outside of the libertarian community even. Not only has this attention helped to raise a significant amount of money to fight bogus charges, but it has brought attention to the larger freedom migration movement. This spike in interest can be directly tied to these raids and many people who had not previously known about the Free State Project or the larger liberty migration movement are now looking into moving. In the first week of the raid I talked to a handful of people who expressed a desire to move to New Hampshire and some of which have already begun putting bids on houses, initiated rental contracts, and one has even already made the move as of today. Even should everyone be convicted I can’t conceive of any way in which these raids will end up being a detriment to what we’re trying to achieve in New Hampshire. For every arrest we see dozens of new movers. To those who were arrested I want to say thank you for being the leaders we should all strive to be.
Free Talk Live & LRN.fm Studio Raids:
Backup video link (particularly in case of further YouTube censorship) on IPFS:
This past Tuesday new mover Bonnie got fully initiated into the community with her first FBI raid. It was 6 am, and her roommate was yelling “get down stairs” and the whole house was loud. She grabs a robe and Coconut, her dog. She does not have time to grab her glasses. A rifle held by an FBI agent was pointing into the now broken window as Coconut, not accustomed to this type of chaos, runs out the broken down door. Bonnie is instructed NOT to take time to put her robe on before coming down stairs. They are ordered outside by the FBI agent. Bonnie is naked, as instructed by the FBI agent, and tries to put her robe on. The agent insists she comes out now and naked, until Ian objects “she’s naked; what are we going to do about this?” She is then graced with the highest kindness the Federal Government can provide- permission to put on a towel type robe before walking into the New Hampshire cold. Records show it would have been just under 20 degrees at the time. Ian had a robe and slippers on.
This weekend a couple dozen free-faced activists gathered from across New Hampshire at the Monadnock Co-Op in Downtown Keene for a “mask-free flash mob” event. Approximately a dozen of those gathered entered the store and attempted to shop. Why the Co-Op? Organizer Frank “Footloose” Staples said that it was due to the large number of reports of store staff and customers being very unfriendly to people with medical exemptions from wearing masks. One woman even wrote a letter to the editor of the Keene Sentinel about her difficult experience at the Co-Op.
True to form, some customers were downright hostile, including a younger man – wearing two masks – who told a young woman with a baby to “get the hell out of here”, then yelled something similar at me outside the store, despite the fact that I had not gone inside, as I am not a shopper of the Co-Op. I do understand the perspective of those who participated in the shopping: Since the store is open to the public, it should to serve people with medical exemptions. It’s certainly their right to refuse service to people for whatever reasons they want, but if a medical condition is a reason to refuse service, then they should take down their “Everyone Welcome” marquee and become a private club, open only to members.
Another noteworthy character who makes multiple appearances in the video is the self-described “Blue Collar Brawler”. The elderly, double-masked man has words with everyone he comes across, wishing them death and calling the free-faced people “asshole”, and “stupid”. He even loads up his hand with a roll of quarters to white knight for a masked woman who herself is shouting at an unmasked older man in one of the store aisles. It’s a wild video:
To the Co-Op’s credit, the DID allow all the unmasked shoppers to make their purchases, though there were a large number of them. Individuals who attempted to shop at this store prior to this event had reported being made to feel very uncomfortable and even being refused service. I recommend taking your business elsewhere and shopping at places who respect the freedom to choose.
The supposedly offensive promo has a limited amount of footage that could possibly be objectionable. Was it the scenes of two men being arrested? A photo of a massive 420 rally in Central Square in 2009? A man speaking into a megaphone? A photo of a band playing or people playing a card game in Railroad Square? A large group of people standing around the “Welcome to New Hampshire” sign at the Vermont border? The 4:20 pumpkin?
Two days prior to this strike, another decade-old :15 promo was allegedly found objectionable, this one featuring then-libertarian Penn Jillette saying he should move to Keene to join the Free Staters. I appealed the finding, and YouTube reversed it, once again allowing the video to be played. So, when the subsequent takedown happened this weekend, I also appealed it, asking in my appeal where the supposed “harmful or dangerous” content was. They upheld their decision to block the short promo video and give the account a “strike”. Of course, they declined to state exactly what it was in those scant fifteen seconds that was so offensive.
Odysee.com Logo
The strike would have been a warning, but the account had recently received a warning in late February when YouTube removed a video promoting the new White Rose Society for violating their “medical misinformation” policy. So, that’s two videos taken down within a few weeks, hence the strike and now the account is not allowed to have uploads or live streams, among other things, for a week.
Luckily, we’ve been cultivating our exit plan from YouTube for years.
Now, YouTube has increased its rate of finding things it doesn’t like about our videos. It may not be long before our entire channel is taken down. If you haven’t looked seriously at LBRY yet, now is the time to do it. In 2020, they launched Odysee, a video platform built on LBRY. I’ve created a handy url to take you right to the Free Keene channel on Odysee: video.freekeene.com. Unlike YouTube, LBRY/Odysee has no strikes and videos cannot be taken down. It’s true content freedom, and blockchain-powered. You can get the LBRY app or just follow our channel on Odysee.
From now on, this :30 migrate-to-LBRY promo will play at the end of every upload I am able to make to YouTube before they shut us down completely:
