When hearing stories about how high tensions have risen in Keene regarding activist adventures, one ponders the many indicators of derision. There’s the fear and hate mongering at STOP FREE KEENE!!!, which when boiling over to violent rhetoric or threats thereof, occasionally gets censored. Then there’s the realistic incidents of actual violence in Keene’s streets regarding activist related activities. Two violent clashes on consecutive evenings tangentially related to Central Square chalkings led to one person’s hospitalization and earned another a felony charge. It would be nice to believe that the xenophobic posturing that has been aimed at individuals were to have reached its climax long ago, but judging by a shouting match in the streets of an otherwise quiet suburban neighborhood, it seems there are those who are making it their life’s effort to embody the forces of antagonism.
This synthesis of negative energy came together after recent re-mover to Keene Christopher Cantwell decided to have a word with neighbor Matthew (more…)
I am sad to report that Gary Chase allegedly hung himself in his home last week. Longtime readers of this blog will remember that Gary was constantly under attack by bureaucrats in the notoriously corrupt town of Winchester, NH. Gary and his former wife owned a valuable piece of property in the heart of downtown and Gary believed the town gang wanted to take his land for their downtown redevelopment “master plan”. Years ago, the town thugs made their first move against Gary and his wife by targeting the property for zoning violations, claiming it was a junkyard and ultimately coming in and stealing over $300,000 of various construction equipment, and allegedly appropriating some of it to themselves and their buddies.
The endless court struggles and follow-up threat against his home led his wife to leave him. Despondent, he reached out for help, but no one wanted to stand against the corrupt goons calling themselves the “Town of Winchester”. On top of this stress, he also was suffering the physical pain of a spine injury. No compassion came from the “town” – they continued to press him. He pleaded to the Cheshire superior court to listen to him. Ultimately, more of his property was stolen by the town gang and liens placed on his home.
“Town of Winchester” Gang Members Smirk as Gary’s Property Is Stolen
The constant harassment pushed Gary over the edge into paranoia. At one point he told me that he believed that the town criminals were hacking into and reading his emails. Of course, when they really are out to get you, you can’t blame someone for being paranoid. Gary met with me in person and spoke to me by phone – his case was persuasive, but there was so much to it, it was hard to really grasp it all. I wanted to do more for him, but I’m not an attorney so I brought the story out here on the blog in three posts (linked here in this article) over the last couple of years since I first met him in early 2013.
Now Gary is gone from this world, dead by allegedly hanging himself in his own home. (more…)
Free State Project founder Jason Sorens was published in the Washington Post today, asking the question, “Where Scotland failed, could New Hampshire succeed?”. As it stands, approximately one in four Americans support their state seceding from the U.S., which is an excellent starting point to begin a discussion on the issue. The more we can talk about the idea of seceding, the more realistic it will become, so now is a great time to talk to friends, family, and co-workers about what happened in Scotland and why we need to seriously consider the same thing here.
While the Reuters poll on secession shows New Englanders being the least likely to support secession (19%), we all know that Granite Staters are not of the same mindset as the rest of New England. Unfortunately, the poll does not break out individual states’ responses. Hopefully we’ll see a NH-only poll conducted at some point in the future. Meantime, we need more liberty-loving people to move here as part of the Free State Project and for people to start discussions with loved ones about this idea. The Foundation for New Hampshire Independence has some good outreach information on the idea. Let’s make it a reality!
On Thursday, a majority of Scots voted against independence from the United Kingdom. Their desire for self-determination, though, is easy to understand: The same impulse motivates present-day demands for federalism and state autonomy in the United States. Over the past decade, for instance, the Free State Project has been drawing libertarians to the relatively libertarian-friendly state of New Hampshire to pursue smaller government. Could New Hampshire or another state (one in fourAmericans want their state to secede, according to a poll last week) ever hold its own vote on independence? (more…)
It always catches me by surprise when a public official continues to express belief in an incorrect analysis of law. Yesterday afternoon in Keene, a chalk artist was approached by a bailiff who exited the front doors of the court to issue a pseudo-order to stop chalking. Classifying the chalking as ‘disorderly conduct’, a vague legal term to which chalking does not apply, the authority figure retreated when questioned about his statements and suggested that he would contact Keene police. A KPD SUV rolled by, and another officer walked past the chalking and into the courthouse, but no further action was taken. And, the chalking remained over 24 hours later!
I suppose this was simply an incident in which one bailiff had an incorrect interpretation of the rights of people to express themselves. It was respectable to see the issue dropped once the false information was corrected. One longs for a day when chalking itself does not cause such an elevation of the emotions for bystanders and authority figures.
KEENE – A move to return the city’s BearCat armored police vehicle to the federal government was rejected by city council members 11 to 3 Thursday night.
City Councilor Terry Clark made the request to return the BearCat in a letter to Mayor Kendall Lane and the council dated Aug. 19.
Clark asked Lane and councilors to withdraw from the Homeland Security grant that funded the BearCat and return the specialized vehicle in light of the “the lack of use of and practical need for, as well as the derogatory impact on our fine city’s name,” he wrote. (more…)
Following the victory of the Merry People at the New Hampshire superior court level, Robin Hood of Keene is now scheduled for another decisive win over the conniving legal team calling itself ‘The City of Keene’ — this time at the state’s highest court, the Supreme! On Wednesday, October 15 at 9:30am, attorneys for the city as well as Robin Hood’s legal counsel will present brief oral arguments in support of their filings regarding the appealed case which was heard over the course of three full days last autumn. While one robed person entertained the narrative last time, on this examination, there will be no less than five dark-clothed individuals asking questions and formulating opinions regarding the legal parameters of the whimsical case.
As many stories that reach NH’s only appellate court resonate, this case has also prompted amicus curiae briefs from the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union in support of ‘Hooding and an opposition brief filed by the ominous New Hampshire Municipal Association. The location of the Concord court and details of their process are listed on their website.
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