Today I am painting a neighbor’s house for some cash. Tomorrow I’ll be weeding another neighbor’s garden. This is how I’ve been raising money while I prepare for the “Tour” part of my Exile to kick off (Aug 18th). It’s therapeutic putting my body to work at these tasks, though I would much rather be filming and editing videos with a liberty message. I’m making the best of this time though, and I’m finding that making connections with neighbors and providing services for them is rewarding in a different–almost spiritual–way.
Even if I work this way every day for the next 2 weeks, I still won’t be totally prepared for Exile. I’ll need some money for Greyhound tickets, meals, and crash-spaces, as well as the ever-important livestreaming services I’ll be using to document the journey. Some supporters of mine have chosen to donate to help me cover these costs. You can too! I’m already 43% of the way to completing my goal of raising $1,000 to begin the tour. Read more about how you can support me here. To those who have already donated, thanks for your support!
540 days in jail for dancing, smoking, going to court, and riding a bike. “Derrick J’s Victimless Crime Spree“, is a feature-length documentary chronicling liberty activist Derrick J Freeman’s exciting first year of activism in The Shire.
Instead of spending his 30th birthday with those that love him, Ademo is sitting in a cage at Valley Street Jail.
Ademo is sitting for two months for “resisting ” (going limp) when kidnapped for writing with chalk last summer. Ademo appealed, but due to a clerical error (or purposeful action), he was denied the chance to be judged by his peers.
If you support Ademo, please send some love his way by a) donating, b) sending him a letter, or c) working to get more eyes on his current situation. http://copblock.org/pledge.
Written by Ademo Freeman, from Valley Street Jail in Manchester, NH
Today is July 23rd, my 12th day (of 60) in Valley Street Jail for resisting arrest. They (my captors) claim this is the Hillsborough County House of Corrections, but I’m failing to make such a connection. Every day my 40+ roommates and myself are brought food, which we didn’t cook, handed clean laundry, which we didn’t wash, and even have the channel on the TV changed for us. Sure, there are some programs like AA, GED classes, and a class where you can learn English – but nothing actually focuses on correcting the inmates’ behavior.
My first cell, while I was in “classification” status, had a view of the flat roof, a bare space with rocks and vents on it. I couldn’t help but think how great some raised garden beds would do up there. Also, if this place really wanted to replace bad behavior with “better”(or more productive) behavior, it would be great to teach inmates how to grow their own food. Of course, I state this overlooking the fact that most inmates I’ve encountered wouldn’t be here if the War on Drugs didn’t exist. How about letting some of these guys out to make their victims whole? Inmates who stole without using force or violence could be working off their bad deed directly to those they’ve harmed. Instead, we sit in our pod and have everything done for us.
Aside from the lack of responsibility we have for everyday basic needs, we, the inmates, are hassled regularly for silly things. For example, every time an inmate leaves his cell, according to the jail staff, he must make his bed, both sheets must be used, the jail-issued blanket must be on top and all four corners have to be tucked in. Anything less will get you written up and could possibly cost “good time” – your opportunity for early release. The other day, my cellmate and I were “warned” for having books and a deck of cards on our desk. You can not have anything other than the Bible on your desk when you are not using it. Another corrections officer made us move our toothpaste from the desk to our shelf – again, stating, “next time you’ll be written up!” Some other rules I’ve learned while being here are: (more…)
A suspicionless checkpoint will be established by the police on the roads of Concord some time during the first week of August. It’s no wild guess to predict that the court-sanctioned violation of rights will be occurring on either a Friday or Saturday evening. At the checkpoint, vehicles will be profiled and stopped without probable cause for the offence of happening to pass through the designated security area. These checkpoints are established in the name of preventing DUIs, though often more arrests are made for victimless crimes not related to impaired driving. Beyond the arrests made, the police produce thousands of dollars in revenue for the state by operating these checkpoints, as dozens of drivers are cited for innocuous motor vehicle violations. At a recent suspicionless checkpoint in Bedford, the Union Leader reports that of the 330 vehicles that were stopped, twenty-eight drivers were given motor vehicle citations, four were arrested for non-alcohol drug possession, one arrested on an immigration charge, and a whopping four drunk drivers were arrested. Also profiting from the festivities are the towing and impounding companies utilized by police.
In the Union Leader’s thorough overview of a night spent at the police’s peacetime security checkpoint, they describe the state’s modified RV, the DUI Mobile Command Center. In case you’ve ever wondered what it’s like inside the Command Center, here’s a video I took of the vehicle on display at Concord’s law enforcement National Night Out, August 2, 2012.
Today I am painting a neighbor’s house for some cash. Tomorrow I’ll be weeding another neighbor’s garden. This is how I’ve been raising money while I prepare for the “Tour” part of my Exile to kick off (Aug 18th). It’s therapeutic putting my body to work at these tasks, though I would much rather be filming and editing videos with a liberty message. I’m making the best of this time though, and I’m finding that making connections with neighbors and providing services for them is rewarding in a different–almost spiritual–way.
