WMUR’s Kristin Carosa filed this report after Thursday night’s city committee meeting where they voted to investigate a possible ordinance for graffiti that may include all downtown chalking if one city councilor gets his way:
Varrin Swearingen is a republican candidate for state house, (Keene at-large) and also the former president of the Free State Project. Varrin has recently re-launched his blog. One of his first new posts is an excellent essay about the chalking and associated violence in Keene:
A few weeks ago, I wrote on my facebook wall:
There’s a hate group in Keene trashing the FSP because they don’t like Free Keene (or Robin Hooding, or something like that).
My status update included more, but the part above about the group called Stop Free Keene (SFK) got considerable attention. Some SFK members were openly hateful towards Free State Project (FSP) participants on the basis of group affiliation. Some were even promoting violence. My message and some of the comment thread was copied into the Stop Free Keene group and generally met with negative responses from SFK members.
In the comment thread on my status message, I noted,
Of course, I’m concerned someone’s going to get hurt… (more…)
Here’s a press release I’m sending this morning to NH media:
As of Thursday morning, nationally syndicated talk show host Ian Freeman has thrown his hat into the ring for governor of NH in a primary challenge to incumbent Maggie Hassan. In addition to being a registered democrat, Freeman is a co-chair of the New Hampshire Liberty Party. Freeman openly challenges Hassan on her inhumane continuation of the insane “War on Drugs”, especially the war on cannabis users. On Freeman’s campaign info page, he states,
If Maggie were a true democrat, she’d care about the little guy, but yet her state police continue to put the little guy behind bars for victimless crimes like cannabis possession. As governor, I’ll pardon all victimless criminals as one of my first acts.
Freeman also supports NH seceding from the United States as well as equal ballot access for all candidates. Regarding Freeman’s positions on other issues, please see the NH Liberty Party platform. Or, contact the candidate directly with any questions or media requests at 603-513-2449 or ian at freetalklive.com
Keene city councilor Randy Filiault is proposing a prohibition on all chalking downtown at tonight’s 6pm committee meeting at city hall. He actually says he wants to stop kids from playing hopscotch downtown, at about five minutes into his interview with WKBK’s Dan Mitchell this morning,
“What about the kids that want to play hopscotch?… If they want to play hopscotch, they’re more than welcome to in their own yards and their own neighborhoods, just not, they’re not going to chalk up city streets downtown.”
If the city council is foolish enough to pass such an ordinance, they better get ready to pay thousands more taxpayer dollars to defend their attack on the freedom of speech in court! I bet the NH ACLU and the Hopscotch Keene Preservation Society will be very interested in bringing a case.
Matthew “Yankee” Oldershaw
Matthew “Yankee” Oldershaw, hospitalized last week after being shoved into the Central Square fountain (allegedly by James Michael Phillips), has spoken out to give his side of the story. In an interview with the Keene Sentinel, Yankee says he did NOT grab local businesswoman Dorrie O’Meara’s arm. His claim is backed up by multiple witnesses.
Interestingly, he admits that he was the one who chalked the war monument and says that when police asked him to remove it, he did.
Finally, he clarifies that he’s not with Free Keene, but instead part of the Occupy movement.
The Sentinel interview was conducted from Yankee’s hospital bed, where he has been diagnosed with a broken shoulder blade, fractured collarbone, several other hairline fractures and a concussion. He has since checked himself out of the hospital, rejecting their recommendation of surgery. He can barely walk.
This week on Wednesday at 6pm a city committee will hear a proposal for a new graffiti ordinance with “teeth”, because chalking must be stopped! Looks like the War on Chalk continues to escalate as the peaceful chalkers continue to occupy the square with happy, positive artwork. Indeed, a new community group has been formed, the Hopscotch Preservation Society.
The Union Leader has also published a story about the War on Chalk, though author Megan Pierce unfortunately did not appear to contact anyone from Free Keene for comment.
Plus, local activist David Crawford submitted this Letter to the Editor of the Sentinel: (more…)
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