Nowhere in the Federalist Papers or New Hampshire’s own historic documents did I ever read that one of the powers the various founders of government intended be vested in government officials was the ability to imprison people for asking polite and respectful questions. Unfortunately for all good judges in New Hampshire (and I’ve seen quite a few), Judge Burke got caught on camera lying to have that done.
If I were to be standing trial for something civil or criminal in Keene, NH and Judge Edward Burke were assigned to my case, I would have serious questions about his ability to be fair and impartial.
I am not a lawyer, so this shouldn’t be viewed as legal advice. I’d ask you please view this as a suggestion on how I would protect my own rights from an enormously powerful government official.
Keene activists can always use new marketing ideas. Here’s a good one, presented by former Keeniac Rocco Fama at AltExpo X (with an interlude about the occupy movement): See the videos
Former City Councilor Cynthia Georgina offers some tips on where and when to contact Keene elected officials(PDF). It’s been on the City of Keene’s website for a while but with the ongoing “Thanks but no Tanks” campaign to convince the city councilors not to put an armored attack truck on the streets of our community, now is a good time to take Cynthia up on her tips:
A Councilor can expect to get input from constituents. This may happen in the Councilor’s home, via a phone call, or it may happen in a public place when a constituent recognizes the Councilor and wants to discuss a pending matter. It can also come in the form of a letter to the editor of the local paper or a phone call to a local radio talk show.
Now is the time to make your voice heard in opposition to the BEARCAT, armored attack truck. To get you started, here is a list of councilors and their phone numbers:
(603) 352-4822 Ruth R. Venezia [at large]
(603) 352-1105 Kris Roberts [at large]
(603) 352-6736 Philip Dale Pregent [at large]
(603) 352-0421 Carl B. Jacobs [at large]
(603) 357-1340 David R. Meader [at large]
(603) 352-7185 Janis O. Manwaring [ward 1]
(603) 352-5483 Mitchell H. Greenwald [ward 2]
(603) 357-2601 Bettina A. Chadbourne [ward 2]
(603) 352-1084 David C. Richards [ward 3]
(603) 358-5016 Philip M. Jones [ward 4]
(603) 357-8761 James P. Duffy [ward 4]
(603) 357-3827 June M. Donegan [ward 5]
(603) 357-3738 Thomas F. Powers [ward 5]
This is a video of 5 activists rolling into the Keene Police Department on Dec. 6, 2011 with cameras and tickets. They all want their day in court so that they can remind their accusers that there is no victim. (more…)
I was frustrated by some behavior at the last city meeting about Central Square, so I want to suggest a few strategies for wielding more influence at tonight’s meeting, and other meetings in the future. These suggestions are based on both my own experience talking to people and my understanding of the relevant social science research.
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Some people at the meeting will be prejudiced against libertarian activists and Juggalos. Why help them exercise that prejudice by advertising your background with your clothing? If you dress more discreetly, these people will be forced to listen to you without prejudice (at least for a little bit).
Dressing nicely and professionally helps, too– it automatically improves your social standing, and encourages people to give more weight to your argument.
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Decorum is important. If you break the rules of the meeting– say, for example, by speaking out of turn– that is perceived as rude. When people see that you are being rude and disruptive, they conclude (correctly) that you don’t care about what they have to say, and that you don’t intend to contribute to a productive meeting. Then they stop listening to what you have to say.
If you want your views to be dismissed out of hand, the most effective way to do that is to disrupt the meeting by breaking decorum. (So don’t do it!) See the rest
I know a lot of Keene activists who think of politics as immoral, ineffective, or, worse yet, boring. At the same time, many are generally supportive of libertarian candidates, and would enjoy seeing one win an election.
For those of you who fit this description, you can be much more helpful to political activists than you realize– and without ever getting involved in politics. The help I have in mind is simple and fun, and much more effective than merely voting. In fact, it might be the single most effective way you can help out local liberty-friendly candidates. I’ve been doing it for years, with great success.
What is this wild new form of activism? It’s outreach. (more…)
Former City Councilor Cynthia Georgina offers some tips on 
