by Ian | Mar 22, 2016 |
Sadly, Keenevention 2016 is not going to happen.
Anyone who has ever been under active threat by the tyrannical system knows the burden it creates. Even though no charges have been leveled at anyone thus far, the FBI stole thousands of dollars in computers that were critical to the ongoing 24/7 radio network I program, LRN.FM. Now the waiting begins as they use forensic tools to comb through dozens of electronic devices including computers, SD cards, flash drives, and phones. Will they come back with false child porn charges or something else entirely? It took them most of a year to finally come back and arrest the owners of Phat Stuff head shop on Main Street after stealing their store’s inventory, their truck, and cleaning out their bank account.
All that time you wonder what is going to happen next? What else are these aggressive men and women calling themselves “the state” going to do to you and your family? Meanwhile, everything you might have wanted to do or create turns into a question mark. Why start a new project or business when the government gang might just swoop in after you’ve just gotten started and throw you into a cage?
That’s where I am with Keenevention 2016. I really have enjoyed creating these intimate conventions three years in a row, but they cost thousands to put on and that money could be used instead to rebuild my more important mission of broadcasting the ideas of liberty and peace seven-days-a-week.
In short, due to the hanging threat by the criminal gang known as “the state”, I feel it’s irresponsible to push forward with this year’s event. If you have purchased a ticket, I’ll be contacting you for a refund. Perhaps Keenevention will return in the future, but for now this website and its dozens of videos will stand as a living record of the amazing speakers and panel discussions we’ve had over the years.
If you were an attendee, I’m grateful. Thank you for being a part of the fun.
by Ian | Mar 19, 2016 |
Haters gonna hate, and lie.
Those are the rumors, now here are the facts: In the video made by a local hater from clips of a discussion on my radio show from years ago, it is a caller who asks if I support sex with a six-year old. To which I say twice that sex with children is reprehensible, but that what people do is none of my business. Somehow that conversation gets spun as me supporting sex with children, which I do not, and never have. Here’s a much more detailed discussion about age of consent that explains why I don’t consider what people do in their homes any of my business.
Even if a child could somehow be mentally ready for sex, they are not physically ready for it, so it’s not okay in my book. So, no, I don’t support sex with children, but I don’t consider teens who decide they are ready for sex to be children. Some people do consider teenagers to be children, and I find that to be insulting to young people. It’s also a view that doesn’t hold up against history, where many people consented to sex and marriage at ages as young as 13. Nor does it hold up if you bother to actually read the definition of “child”, which is a person between birth and puberty.
So while I don’t believe people should have sex with children, I do support young people who are physically able to have sex being able to decide when they are mentally ready to be adults and take on responsibility for their actions, including sex.
Many people are very uncomfortable around the idea of sex in general, as they come from the belief that sex is bad and naughty. Rather than have honest conversations about age of consent, they jump to extremes, make up lies, and call names, because everyone must have as repressive of views as they do, so anyone who doesn’t must support sex with children.
I support young people being able to emancipate themselves, not sex with children. I support each individual being judged by their actions and words, not arbitrary ages. Government “statutory rape” laws have destroyed countless innocent lives and are an insult to real rape victims.
by Ian | Mar 17, 2016 |
The Sun Rises over Porcfest 2012
I tendered my resignation from the Free State Project today after being informed that they have decided to prohibit me from their events, the Porcupine Freedom Festival and Liberty Forum. My name was still on the membership rolls after their announcement, so I removed it, wishing the FSP the best.
With the banning, I became the latest inducted in the elite club of people like Christopher Cantwell and Zack Bass who have been similarly politically excised from the FSP organization.
It was a good run, but all things come to an end. I’m grateful for my more than a decade of helping to promote the Free State Project, and look forward to 20,000+ liberty-loving people coming here to New Hampshire and working toward freedom.
I know people have said they won’t be attending Porcfest this year due to the FSP’s decision, and I appreciate their sentiment, but to anyone who doesn’t feel as strongly, you should still attend the Porcupine Freedom Festival this June. (more…)
by Ian | Mar 16, 2016 |
The Wisdom of Crowds
The main hosts of New Hampshire-based syndicated talk program (heard on over 170 radio stations coast-to-coast), Free Talk Live made a major decision tonight. On the FTL blog we announced our release of the Free State Project from our long-standing broadcast agreement. It was a long time coming. Over the years, Mark and I have been a loving thorn-in-the-side of the FSP. While we were its most successful recruiter, we were also never afraid to criticize the organization publicly. It was a relationship that came close to ending a few times over the years.
Recently a group of FSP early movers have been putting social pressure on the FSP board to disassociate from Free Talk Live, LRN.FM, and Free Keene. While a petition by the in-crowd of haters struggled to reach 100 signatures over several days, including fraudulent signatures, the anger and social pressure is real. We at FTL no longer wanted to play any role in making the FSP board choose one side over the other yet again. I am grateful we were able to work together for so long in promoting the best idea for liberty in generations, the Free State Project.
Schisms are healthy, even if the people who stoke them aren’t. In my experience, it’s always best to embrace the schism rather than fight it.
There are no hard feelings on my side. I have not revoked my membership in the FSP and I still think that libertarians, voluntarists, and liberty-loving anarchists should move to New Hampshire, ASAP.
Here’s the official statement from Free Talk Live’s website:
Free Talk Live would like to formally congratulate the Free State Project on reaching 20,000 signers. Until February 3rd, 2016, the FSP was an organization primarily focused on getting 20,000 liberty-minded people to pledge to move to New Hampshire and get active for freedom. Now the FSP is refocusing on encouraging those signers and other interested libertarians to make their move. This is a goal of Free Talk Live as well, but experience shows us that when any group gets large enough there will be schisms. There are some that feel that there is no place in the FSP for Free Talk Live and with the recent change in goals of the FSP, we at FTL can see their point of view. (more…)
by Ian | Mar 11, 2016 |
“UBER Grandma” Stephanie Franz, courtesy CBS Boston
As we’ve learned here in Keene over a decade-plus of activism, anytime someone challenges the status quo, they are targeted by the supporters of the status quo. In the case of the Free UBER saga in Portsmouth, NH, the good-old-boys network of cab drivers and government goons are again on the attack.
Since the Summer of 2015, multiple UBER drivers in Portsmouth have been regularly committing civil disobedience by driving without jumping through the city’s arbitrary hoops. Effectively the city outlawed UBER by creating ridiculous regulations designed to protect the cab companies from much-needed competition. Despite this, UBER’s app has continued to work, so drivers like “UBER Grandma” Stephanie Franz have continued to take passengers where they want to go.
Franz has been rewarded with several $500-$1,000 tickets from police for her good deeds. Despite facing financial ruin at the hands of the city, she has heroically continued to drive – much to the disgust of the awful cab drivers who have continued a campaign of intimidation against her. She’s had her tail light smashed in previously, has been boxed in by cabbies multiple times, and just today posted this to facebook:
Interesting night in Portsmouth. Taxi drivers are all pumped up over Portsmouth’s temporary threat to “sting” uber drivers. What polite and “manly” men they are. It started last night with a pick up at the Moose. As my riders were entering my car out of the bar walks, the pillar of manhood, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, crabby cabbie [Anchor Taxi owner Merle White]. He sees me picking up my ride and endearing words were yelled “there’s that fucking Uber grandma”. My ride was so ticked off that he started yelling back at him. As the night progressed the rest of the chosen few made their statements too.
Angry Seacoast Cabbies Hate Competition – Photo Courtesy Seacoast Online
They would pull up next to my car, stop or slow down and stare at me as I was waiting for my next ride. Whoever that handsome hunk of manhood , with the well kept gray beard, Beautiful glaring eyes, and tooth was, I hope you got your eyes full as you stared at me from your taxi van.
To the Three Musketeers who stood by their vans at the bus stop on Market Square; Butts hanging out of your mouths, extending those well defined cannons for arms and pointing at me as I would leave my parking position at the end of Pleasant Street to go pick up riders. They guarded my spot four or five times as I would leave and come back. Oh, almost forgot they spoke fluent mumble. Thank you Portsmouth taxis for your enjoyable evening.
The threat of a sting operation that she’s referring to is coming from Portsmouth police chief David Mara who this week announced a coming crackdown against UBER drivers. Assistant mayor Jim Splaine says he supports a crackdown as unregistered drivers should not, “exploit the system”. They are spurred on by cab company owner John Palreiro who claims UBER drivers are “stealing” from him, as though he owns every rider in town. Check out this Seacoast Online article to read the full ridiculousness of this protection racket’s scheming to destroy the innovators in the transport market.
All of this is happening right as the state representatives in Concord have passed legislation that will (if passed by the senate and governor) regulate UBER and other ride-sharing companies statewide and will override and invalidate Portsmouth’s local regulations as NH is not a “home rule” state. Stay tuned here to Free Keene for the latest!
