Audio: WKBK’s “Talkback” 2010-01-16

Radio TowerLiberty-minded people called “Talkback” on WKBK last week to discuss government schools, the jail, victimless crimes, refusing to pay taxes, big government, and working in the system.

Grab the archive.

Please join us for our weekly chat and calling sessions on Saturday mornings from 11a-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 Heroic Brad Jardis Kicked Out of LEAP!

Brad JardisA few days back on this blog we posted the news that longtime NH police officer Brad Jardis was no longer going to arrest medical cannabis users. Jardis has shown much courage – far more than the average cop – in first coming out verbally against the insane war on drugs, and now taking the first step into actually doing the right thing and refusing to enforce bad laws.

Despite the courage he has and the support he has earned in the community because of it, the organization known as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has unceremoniously booted him from their ranks. Brad posted the email he received from LEAP’s head, Jack Cole, on the Free Keene Forum. In it, Cole takes position that while LEAP members are encouraged to speak out about the horrors of prohibition, as long as they are employed as LEOs, they must enforce bad laws, because to not do so would be “unethical and wrong”. It’s a sad statement that outs LEAP as an organization of nothing more than a bunch of talkers, rather than doers. Of course, Cole is incorrect. Enforcing laws that harm peaceful people is what is unethical and wrong.

Other law enforcement officers, who are members of LEAP, have announced they will be sending in their resignations. Many other supporters of LEAP are sending in revocations of their membership, and explaining why. Some of these messages can be found on this forum thread.

Here’s the message Jack Cole sent to Brad, with Cole’s full contact info at the bottom.

Dear Bradley Jardis,

I have tried but am unable to reach you by telephone.

It has come to LEAP’s attention from the below blog entry, that you have
chosen to violate the oath you took on joining the police department; to
enforce all the laws of the federal and state governments in which your
police department has jurisdiction. And worse, you are calling on other law
enforcement officials to violate their oaths of office. (more…)

Keeniacs Join Manch’s 4:20 Event

40+ people, a good portion Keeniacs, gathered in Manchester’s Victory Park today to hold a 4:20 cannabis celebration mid-winter in honor of Big Mike. He was arrested for brushing up against an MPD undercover officer. Big Mike has been imprisoned until the trial in April because he’s using his so-called right to remain silent and refusing to give up his name. Our blogger Sam was imprisoned for 58 days for the same thing last year. Disobey, and you stay in their cage.

Here’s BikerBill‘s excellent coverage of the events in the park. Hopefully someone else got footage of the entire MPD being called out later on at the jail…

Porcupine 411 Gets Press!

Michael Hampton’s brilliant Porcupine 411 service has gotten a big story in today’s Concord Monitor! If you don’t subscribe to Porc 411 and you consider yourself a liberty activist, you’re missing out. Don’t forget that if you can’t subscribe to porc 411’s regular emails or podcast, you can also get the latest messages in text form via Twitter!

Here’s the story (which mentions Keene activism!) from the Concord Monitor’s Annmarie Timmins:

When Michael Segal decided to trade Florida for New Hampshire and its “pro-liberty” opportunities in August, he dialed 413-0411 with the news. As he approached Concord, Segal dialed again with his ETA. And when Segal got to Concord, it was as he expected.

“There were a dozen people waiting at my place,” Segal said. “I’d never met them before, and they were there to help me move in.”

That’s one way Free Staters and other liberty rights activists are using their instant messaging network, Porcupine 411. But the phone number is as frequently used to report allegations of police harassment, document arrests at marijuana protests and promote Saturday night karaoke in Keene. (more…)

Details on Saturday’s Arrests

More from the Keene-inspired activists in Manchester, who have experienced their first civil disobedience arrest in recent memory. More video may be coming, but for now here’s the scene as described by liberty activist Joe Skinner:

Two Activists Arrested in Manchester for a 420 Celebration.

Saturday January 16th 2010 was an unseasonably warm day in the New Hampshire region. Because of this my roommate Mike and I figured it would be a perfect day to go, live free and hold an impromptu 420 celebration at Veteran’s Park in down town Manchester. Celebrations like the one we were planning that morning were held throughout the late summer and fall in both Keene and Manchester, NH. These celebrations, in which the participants partake in the public and open consumption of cannabis, were left completely unmolested in every instance of them occurring in the Manchester area. That is until that Saturday in January.

Around 4:00 PM Mike and I arrive on scene, close to the corner of Elm and Central in down town Manchester. We did not expect a large turnout because of the short notice, so we sat down smoked a cigarette and figured we’d just wait around until the hour arrived to do the public consumption and leave. We had done this dozens of times a few months earlier and it all seemed almost routine that afternoon. By the time it reached 4:20PM there were a total of six of us that had gathered, three of which were actually participating in celebration.

As we were passing around a marijuana cigarette (and may I mention, not hurting, nor bothering any passersby) two gentlemen who were wearing jeans, fleece jackets and baseball caps, entered the circle and asked if we were smoking. As we were not there to hide anything we acknowledged what we were doing without even giving it a second thought. At that moment the two men identified themselves as police and stated that we were observed to be smoking marijuana in public and that we were being detained by the officers. (more…)