by Kelly | Feb 17, 2012 |
From Radley Balko‘s Huffington Post article on the Keene BearCat issue:
“These people are crazy,” Massery said. “They hate cops. They hate the government. They remind me of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who take on the Red Cross. Why is anyone listening to them?”
![jim massery](https://i0.wp.com/freekeene.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/jim-massery-232x300.jpg?resize=232%2C300)
Jim Massery (right), standing in front of the BearCat
I must say that I found this statement from Jim Massery, the Lenco representative I met at the city council meeting on the BearCat, to be a bit confusing. Jim and I had had a good conversation following the BearCat meeting in which he stated that Keene had the most passion in standing up to police militarization that he had ever seen. So why is he quoted on the Huffington Post as saying I’m crazy? If I’m crazy, why did he even bother to hold a conversation with me, much less to pay me such a nice compliment?
If he thinks I’m some whack-job, why didn’t he stand for his opinions and tell me so to my face?
That doesn’t really sound like the way a Christian ought to conduct himself. (more…)
by Kelly | Feb 17, 2012 |
Considering that the front page of the school newspaper displays a graphic which actually appears as though a BearCat is driving right on
through, I was a bit surprised that more students weren’t familiar with this issue already. However, despite the cloudy grey afternoon, Ian, Derrick J., and I managed to distribute over 300 “Thanks, but no tanks” flyers to students throughout the KSC campus.
Most were extremely receptive and happy to take the flyer. I continued the discussion past that point with quite a few students and received some pretty colorful feedback, ranging from surprise to dismay to anger. Strong language was used in several instances, and one student pondered using the BearCat as a public restroom. (more…)
by Kelly | Feb 12, 2012 |
After attending a four hour school board meeting on Saturday morning, Ian and I were having breakfast when Ademo called, saying that the police had just been at the Keene Activity Center looking for myself, Ian, and Derrick (video to come). Because Ademo said that a Swanzey police car was accompanying two Keene cars, we assumed that it had something to do with the high school outreach the three of us had participated in at Monadnauck Regional High School in Swanzey; which resulted in massive controversy when a student, Mason Amadeus, confronted us in opposition to the outreach we were doing at his school. (more…)
by Kelly | Feb 12, 2012 |
Our success at Thursday’s city council meeting here in Keene has made national news, as featured this morning on The Agitator.
Free Staters in Keene, New Hampshire, are pushing back against the town’s proposed plan to buy a Bearcat armored personnel carrier.
Interestingly, LENCO, the company that makes the vehicle, pulled the promotional video below from its website in response to the Keene protests. DHS has given out hundreds of homeland security grants to local police departments across the country to purchase these vehicles. (more…)
by Kelly | Feb 11, 2012 |
Things like this make it all worth it to me. A note I received from Melody Kazmarik in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania….
Kelly! My 13 yo daughter and I love your work. You are a much better role model than Lady Gaga. (more…)