by John Smith | Jun 4, 2009 |
In January, 2009, Andrew Carroll held a plant in his hand and government people arrested him. The plant was a marijuana bud, and the government people were (and are) violent. The law enforcement officers were not shouting or jumping or hitting – they were calm and relatively pleasant to talk to – but a calm and well-spoken thug is a thug nonetheless.
Instead of thinking for themselves – instead of showing anywhere near the amount of courage that Andrew showed in publicly announcing his protest in advance – the law enforcement officers arrested his because he did something that words-on-paper somewhere said was a bad thing to do. They could have thought to themselves, “This guy is not hurting anyone, not threatening anyone, not damaging any property, not stealing anything, not committing fraud, not lying – not a single person even complained that they had a negative opinion of him standing here holding this plant. He is causing no harm at all. This law is a pointless one. We should leave him alone.” Instead, they arrested him because they either can’t or won’t think for themselves, or their understanding of what makes a peaceful society is dangerously distorted.
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by Dale Everett | Jun 4, 2009 |
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Bureaucrash has been a bold voice for liberty for years, steadily growing in popularity, but it’s taken on a not-so-bold new direction toward partisan politics as usual. Lee Doren was chosen as the new Crasher in Chief by the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
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by Sam Dodson | May 18, 2009 |
Wednesday, May 13:
Yesterday I wrote about the “MPR,” the group of prisoners who work, and specifically the work release program where some are allowed to leave for outside jobs. While I’m sure all of their rules exist for a reason, government involvement typically results in a never ending series of unintended consequences. Despite the best of intentions, government solutions often end up missing the forest for the trees. The MPR is no exception.
The idea is a simple one. Take prisoners about to be released, and acclimate them to a structured work environment similar to what they may encounter once released. Unfortunately, the punitive authoritarian environment makes this objective impractical if not impossible.
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by Sam Dodson | May 14, 2009 |
I would like to extend a special thanks to the Keene District Court, Superior Court, and New Hampshire Supreme Court. My name is Sam Dodson, and on April 13 I was arrested for filming on public property, the lobby of the Keene District Court. Since then I’ve been denied the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, the right to a speedy and public trial, the right to due process of law, and the right to be “formally and substantially” presented with the charges against me (as required by the New Hampshire Bill of Rights).
By order of judge Burke and judge Lane of the Keene District Court, I am currently being held indefinitely without trial. To protest what I believe to be an unlawful and illegal detention, I have refused solid food since my arrest, currently over 28 days ago. Several motions and writs have been filed with the aforementioned courts. They so far have only denied, delayed, and hid behind their procedures despite the clear understanding, from the courts’ own written order, that I am being held indefinitely without trial.
Through their actions, they have demonstrated utter contempt for the oath they swore to uphold, the rule of law, and civil rights fundamental to the founding and history of this country. Essentially, they have engaged in civil disobedience, and for this I thank them. As a voluntarist, I, too, believe in and understand the power of civil disobedience to bring about social and political change.
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by Ian | May 13, 2009 |
Today at the arraignment for Richard, one of the “disorderly six”, (a trial is scheduled for July) Keene District Court security agents had no issues with allowing two videographers into a packed courtroom. No one had to fill out motions to do this, they were just allowed in, like they always should be.
The only question is, will the court continue respecting the free press, or will they arbitrarily change the rules again later? Time will tell, and we’ll be sure to blog about it.
by Ian | May 9, 2009 |
Topics include calling Paula out on her labeling open carriers into the city council meeting as “shooters”, WKBK’s programming, freedom to assemble, Andrew Carroll’s marijuana trial, Sam’s call from jail, Sam’s hunger strike, control and obedience, and the free market. You’ll also hear from the old-guard statist contingent.
As I write this post, it’s Saturday morning and this week’s edition is streaming live on the Liberty Radio Network and people are in the chat room. Join us for our weekly “Talkback” listening and chat session on Saturday mornings from 9a-12p ET in the Free Keene chat room and get details on how to call in on the Free Keene Forum.
Download the MP3.
