Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss the School Sucks Project outreach and government education. A local female voice calls in that I didn’t recognize to take a firm position in favor of what Sam was saying and has strong words to say about respect.
Do you love liberty and live, work in, visit, or plan to move to the Keene area? If so, it would be great for you to get involved with this project each week. Here’s how you can help:
Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 9a-12p in the Liberty Radio Network Chat room. If you’re online, you can listen to Talkback streamed live via the Liberty Radio Network and if you’re in the Keene area you can tune in to WKBK 1290 AM or 104.1 FM. The Talkback discussion thread is here on the Free Keene Forum.
The Sentinel echo chamber is at it again! Misinformed “news” pieces upset their mostly statist readers, who, feeling threatened by our liberty-oriented beliefs, post vitriol in a desperate attempt to scare activists away from Keene.
The message is always the same – we’re not wanted, say they. They have their finger on the pulse of the community in Keene and the survey says, Free Staters go home!
Of course our experience outside the Sentinel’s echo chamber is completely different. Liberty activists regularly receive compliments from locals who appreciate that we are here. Horn honks, friendly waves, peace signs, and other nonverbal communications continually remind us to not listen to the Sentinel’s echo chamber.
Unlike the bloggers here whose names are attached to everything they write, the editors at the Sentinel are notorious for publishing unsigned editorials. Why not stand behind their words with their name(s)? (I suppose we’re to presume their editorials are the consensus of all their editorial staff? Perhaps it’s just head editor Jim Rousmaniere?) Anyway, below is the text of a recent critique against some of the liberty activism in Keene. In it they attempt to marginalize the record-setting 420 celebrations and act as though ending prohibition is an unimportant issue. They also back the puritanical view that women should keep their shirts on, cause, well, they may be equal, but they shouldn’t act like it – in the anonymous editor’s view. Of course, they also suggest that these are the only things that Free Keene activists have done and conveniently ignore the inside-the-system activists who have run campaigns like Free Keene blogger Nick Ryder and blogger-at-the-time Julia Miranda’s city council runs. Additionally, had they actually done some fact checking by actually interviewing one of us, they might have learned that neither the 420s or topless events were created by Free Keene’s bloggers.
Anyway, thanks to the Sentinel for the continued coverage, no matter how misinformed. Here’s their anonymous editorial:
“I remember Keene from when I was a child, when there was a Woolworth’s on Main Street,” writes a Sentinel reader in the feedback section of the newspaper’s website. “When I bought my first car, the first thing I did was pick up my best friend and head to Keene. I saw Keene flourish in areas of social growth for many years.” But now, he writes, “Keene has to realize that those days are gone.” Instead residents have to deal with the Free Keene movement. “These new people are activists,” the writer says, “and it’s the role of activists in our society to push limits. I don’t see any disadvantage to setting the limits back.”
We hadn’t thought of Woolworth’s as evidence of social advancement, but the staff was pleasant and it did have a decent lunch counter. The recent libertarian shenanigans downtown might make people nostalgic for just about anything. (more…)
One one hand, the Keene Sentinel’s editorial stance is that the Keene Middle School outreach is ineffective and pointless, but this feature story in today’s paper by Sarah Palermo reveals that discussions are being sparked, within the school:
If today’s news becomes tomorrow’s history, what’s a teacher to do when it’s all happening right outside the classroom window?
Throughout this school year, members of the Free State Project or a related group called Free Keene have rallied outside Keene Middle School and Keene High School, waving banners protesting the government, and distributing literature as students leave in the afternoon.
They’re careful to stay beyond the boundary of school property. And teachers try to keep politics there, too, they say.
Keene High English teacher Jonathan Perry said he hasn’t discussed the groups and their agendas in his American Studies class, but the students bring up each event as it happens. (more…)
Liberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss the School Sucks Project outreach and government education. A local female voice calls in that I didn’t recognize to take a firm position in favor of what Sam was saying and has strong words to say about respect. 
The Sentinel echo chamber is at it again! Misinformed “news” pieces upset their mostly statist readers, who, feeling threatened by our liberty-oriented beliefs, post vitriol in a desperate attempt to scare activists away from Keene.
Unlike the bloggers here whose names are attached to everything they write, the editors at the Sentinel are notorious for publishing unsigned editorials. Why not stand behind their words with their name(s)? (I suppose we’re to presume their editorials are the consensus of all their editorial staff? Perhaps it’s just head editor Jim Rousmaniere?) Anyway, below is the text of a recent critique against some of the liberty activism in Keene. In it they attempt to marginalize the record-setting 420 celebrations and act as though ending prohibition is an unimportant issue. They also back the puritanical view that women should keep their shirts on, cause, well, they may be equal, but they shouldn’t act like it – in the anonymous editor’s view. Of course, they also suggest that these are the only things that Free Keene activists have done and conveniently ignore the inside-the-system activists who have run campaigns like Free Keene blogger Nick Ryder and blogger-at-the-time Julia Miranda’s city council runs. Additionally, had they actually done some fact checking by actually interviewing one of us, they might have learned that neither the 420s or topless events were created by Free Keene’s bloggers.
One one hand, the Keene Sentinel’s editorial stance is that the Keene Middle School outreach is ineffective and pointless, but this 
