Shane Stockwell is my age, 23. He’s the most laid-back jailer at the Cheshire County House of Corrections and shows sympathy for those incarcerated. He never seeks to embarrass or harass anyone and is generally well-liked among the inmates, who in turn show him respect.
Today he was fired. He was also arrested. Picture taken, fingerprints scanned, and brought into a jail cell all by his friends and coworkers for the dastardly crime of (gasp) having a mind-altering substance in his pocket. If it were coffee, sugar, cigarettes, or any of the thousands of pharmaceuticals the FDA approves for human enjoyment consumption, then it would be fine. But allegedly, according to “the Slantenel”, Shane brought in “articles prohibited.”
That could be anything. Minds will jump to conclusions based on their proclivities: marijuana, mushrooms, lsd, coke, bath salts, etc. I have opinions on all of these drugs, but they don’t matter!
What matters is that Shane didn’t hurt anybody. Even if he had gone forward with the alleged “crime,” and some inmate had received drugs from him, so what?? If a person owns his own body, then a person gets to determine what to put inside his or her own body. Productive or destructive. No difference. It’s up to the individual to decide.
Shane was doing another human being a favor. Maybe he had some financial or other type of incentive, but that doesn’t matter either. The act of possessing a chemical doesn’t inherently harm anyone. No person can be identified as a victim in this matter, except for Shane, who created no victims himself.
Shame on the Keene Police for using their limited time and energy and resources to entrench a peaceful person in the mire of the statist punishment system.
Thankfully, Shane was released on personal recognizance. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug 1. I hope all peaceful freedom lovers will attend to show support for this young man, who must be feeling very scared. I knew him during my time at the Keene Spiritual Retreat, and if I weren’t leaving Keene for my Exile Tour, I would like to be at court to support him.
I hope this incident leaves Shane unscathed and inspires him to make a career change rather than continue to work for a system that cages peaceful people like himself.
Peace be with you, Shane.
