by Mr Penguin | Jan 13, 2022 |
On Tuesday a democrat in New Hampshire’s house introduced a bill in support of free software. The House Bill (HB) 1273 would be a step forward for software freedom. It proposes to help protect the user freedom of New Hampshire residents in a number of important ways.
- Prohibits the state government from requiring residents to use proprietary software, whether in remote court appearances, tax filings, standardized test-taking, coursework in public schools, or matters relating to any state benefits
- Forbid employers from using non-compete clauses to prevent their employees from contributing to free software
- Prevents state agencies from mandating the use of non-free JavaScript
- Prohibits NH law enforcement from participating in the investigation or prosecution of copyright claims brought by proprietary software developers against free software developers
- Forms a state commission to promote the use of free software in state agencies
Now much of the legislation is a bit wishy-washy with no real teeth, but there are some parts that in theory if passed could have a beneficial impact on our freedom. Other parts could be a little more problematic for those who are libertarian and do not believe in the use of violence to achieve social and political objectives (outside that of a defensive nature anyway). Fortunately most of the bill is tailored toward government and is more defensive in nature than not. Some not so great parts would likely also not have much real world impact.
One part in particular should get libertarians everywhere excited. While it probably was not intended by the legislator proposing the bill, a democrat, it would none-the-less be an amazing step forward in reducing the harm of violent thugs in government. The bill would ensure that users have the right to access the source code for any device utilized in the creation of evidence. This would in effect result in evidence being thrown out whereby the government could not produce the source code to the device that created it. Evidence from such devices as radar guns would no longer be valid in court for all practical purposes. The reason for this is that the suppliers of such devices will not release such source code and thereby prosecutors won’t be able to comply with the law. Before the socialists get upset by this though it’s something everyone should be concerned about. It’s already well known that these devices are full of bugs and this would likely result in evidence being invalidated everywhere if the code were released- not just in NH- and so the device manufacturers would never want to do this short of significant improvements to the code. The solution is to pass this in more states and force manufacturers hand-else let this stand as a means of eliminating a law that should not be in that there is no party that can actually show injury.
To have any real chance of seeing this pass the legislation would likely need to be significantly trimmed. Some parts are problematic such as the forbidding of employers from using non-compete clauses to prevent their employees from contributing to free software for instance. This would likely be unpopular with many state legislators who otherwise support software freedom while also supporting ones right to negotiate a contract free of government interference. Maybe there is a way to put this into law that were more freedom-focused, like letting such terms be unenforceable via law, but either way much of the legislature isn’t going to want to interfere in the private affairs of employee-employer relations either way. I suspect this is likely to have little impact in either case given non-compete clauses within the free software world are already taboo and many of us (myself included) would not sign (or require it) such in an employment contract.
One interesting aspect of the bill is that it would prohibit NH law enforcement from partaking in investigation or prosecution of copyright claims against free software developers. While I can in good conscious support this and would go farther to argue for the elimination of copyright it’s unclear to me where this is currently an issue. Maybe it’s connected to the breaking of digital restrictions such as would be the case with something like DeCSS. A free software program that breaks encryption on commercial DVDs. This falls under copyright law and might be prosecuted by state agencies although that said it’s normally a federal offense. State law enforcement can generally however prosecute federal crimes as I understand it or otherwise partake in federal investigation and prosecution thereof. Of which is more common I do believe with civil asset forfeiture cases.
In spite of some of the issues with the legislation a small contingent of libertarians showed up to more or less in support the legislation as well as others from the free software community. One Jon “maddog” Hall, the Board Chair for the Linux Professional Institute, for instance came out and spoke in favor of the legislation.
Jon “maddog” Hall is the Board Chair for the Linux Professional Institute
The main theme surrounding the hearing seemed to be that of software security and the cost of implementation. New Hampshire’s head of IT for instance also spoke from what appeared to be a purchased lobbyist point-of-view. Declaring more or less that it would be of significant burden and cost to transition to free software (while saying they’re already using free software humorously). The opposing side of course pointed out the truth in that there is always a cost to migrate from one release of a program to another, but it’s not significantly different from that of migrating to free software. Not to mention that while free software isn’t about price, but the liberty, security, and control, this twisting and confusing of the bill was quite disingenuous. The long term costs are reduced as no license agreements need be acquired. Commercial support is generally available too despite the head of IT trying to confuse the reps by comparing commercial software to free software. These are for all intensive purposes one and the same. You can acquire commercial support from Redhat for instance for free software and even much of Microsoft’s own code is based on free software. This bill was about libre, not gratis where libre means freedom, and gratis means price.
While the head of NH IT argued against free software on the basis of features, commercial support, and security the reality is these are more often than not mute points given features can be added to free software unlike the proprietary software he favored. Security bugs can be fixed not at the whim of a particular company, but that of either, you, the community, or the commercial entity you contract with for said free software (example: Redhat). Yes- you can buy free software and many companies do. Just because something is libre doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t pay for its development/support. And unlike proprietary software free software can be seen, read, and audited by third parties with or without the consent of the company producing it (once released). These are the things that ensure security- not anti-virus software or proprietary software vendors of which the former is a kin to putting up a fence and expecting it to stop ants from coming onto your property. The head of IT didn’t stop there- even implying that free software was insecure through association with Bitcoin. While not said outright during the hearing he referenced recent socially engineered attacks on municipalities. Somewhat recently there were reports of municipalities being ‘hacked’- which were in reality social engineering attacks primarily involving the traditional banking system. It was only after the attacks occurred and the money paid by employees of the municipalities to criminals overseas that said money was utilized to purchase Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. If there is a flaw- it’s not the software- and it’s certainly not the result of it being libre.
Video Of The Hearing On House Bill (HB) 1273
by Ian | Dec 23, 2021 |
Jason Short, in 2014 outside Phat Stuff DEA raid.
In the most pleasantly surprising news of the year, the Keene Sentinel has broken a story about Keene Police lieutenant Jason Short advocating mass civil disobedience regarding the city’s recently passed mask mandate. Though the Sentinel piece appears to want to shock readers with Short’s opinions, those of us who have engaged with him over more than a decade of peaceful civil disobedience activism are proud to see his evolution.
The Sentinel reveals that Short posted the following to his facebook account:
“Remember the bad guys in movies don’t know they are bad, they think they are doing the ‘right thing’ for the benefit of society. It is only when the ‘good guy’ stands up to them that they realize they are wrong. Citizens need to stand up and stop simply complying to this nonsense mandates.”
The rest of the Sentinel piece is designed to gin up outrage that a police officer dared to openly speak against the city gang’s precious mask ordinance. However, surprisingly, Keene Police chief Steven Russo actually covered for Short rather than throwing him under the bus, explaining to the reporter that it’s Short’s right to express himself as Short doesn’t lose the right to free speech just because he works for the state. Russo claims, “Lt. Short will enforce the Ordinance consistent with my guidance and in the same spirit as all of our Officers regardless of his personal feelings”, but doesn’t say what his “guidance” is. There is a good chance Russo’s “guidance” is to encourage Keene police to use discretion regarding enforcing the ordinance.
Many people, including those railing against Short online for expressing independent thoughts, simply do not understand that all police officers have discretion. Discretion is the ability for each officer to decide whether to enforce any given statute or ordinance, with few exceptions. As I understand it, generally, police officers are only obligated to enforce certain violent felonies. So, even if Russo tells Short to enforce the mask mandate, Short can still use his discretion and the worst than can be done to him is he’d likely get a stern talking-to or perhaps reassigned to the night shift.
Keene Police Officer Jason Short, Civil Disobedience Advocate
City mob boss Elizabeth Dragon was even approached by Sentinel reporter Caleb Symons for comment on whether Short could be disciplined, but she wisely refused to return his calls, as she probably doesn’t want to admit there’s nothing the city council can do if the police refuse to enforce their ordinance. From what I understand, Short isn’t the only police officer who feels as he does.
A decade ago, Short was the antagonist during Derrick J Freeman’s “Victimless Crime Spree“, arresting Free Keene blogger Derrick J in Central Square for open possession of cannabis. In 2014, as the DEA was raiding then-Main Street business Phat Stuff, Keene police were running cover for them and I confronted Short outside the business about his role in the situation. During the conversation, I asked him how he feels about a productive downtown business being destroyed by the DEA, and he told me, “what I feel don’t matter”. I responded that it does matter, which is why I asked him for his opinion.
Now, more than half a decade later, Short appears to have changed his tune, and for the better. He’s not only expressing his opinion about bad law publicly, he’s also taking the correct position – that the mask mandate is evil and needs to be disobeyed. That’s because good people disobey bad laws and good cops refuse to enforce them.
If Jason Short can go from bad guy to good guy, maybe there is hope. Whether or not activists like Derrick J have had a positive influence on Short over the years, kudos to Short for taking a stand.
by Bonnie | Aug 22, 2021 |
If you drive to the wrong location in New Hampshire, you may still end up at a protest. Nikki, (a nurse from Massachusetts,) and I intended to drive to the vaccine protest going on in Concord, but we drove to the wrong Dartmouth-Hitchcock location, the one in Lebanon. There is a larger gathering going on certain days at the Concord location, so at first we thought, “Where is everybody?” There was a group of just three guys on the side of the road by the entrance to the hospital with signs saying things like “No forced shots”. We went up to them with our camera and found out that the organizer of this protest and his wife had only left for a bit and would be back, and that the organizer had been sleeping in his military-style truck on the side of the road every night just to keep the protest going. We had accidentally found a second protest, and it was a 24/7 protest!
The organizer and his wife, a nurse named Nicole, returned and I interviewed her about her opinions on Dartmouth-Hitchcock mandating COVID vaccines for all of their staff. Their protest is getting a lot of attention from people driving past, and even getting conversations started. A group of teenagers whose parents flipped the protesters the bird as they drove by later returned without their parents to ask questions. They have sueDHMC.com on a huge sign that is visible from the road. Keep up the great work, protesters! Here’s the video:
by Ian | Aug 11, 2021 |
Heroic mom Rochelle Kelley went to trial today and faced up to a year in jail after her arrest for daring to bring her kids to a Concord, NH playground in April of 2020 while the playground was closed due to “governor’s orders”. The courtroom was full of supporters and after the pathetic cops testified, the robed man actually found her not guilty! This is the full trial video, only available here on our Odysee channel:
by Bonnie | Jun 14, 2021 |
Nobody Interviewed on Wake Up Call at WKNH-FM.
The former Pope Indigent of The Church of the Invisible Hand, Nobody, is still in jail. He has been meeting other prisoners, listening to their stories and proselytizing while locked up. He started a newsletter called “Spank”, and has been gathering addresses of people both in and out of jail. I, Bonnie, Peace Nun of the Shire Free Church and one of the Priestesses of the Church of the Invisible Hand, have taken on the role of typing up some things he has written in jail and getting them out to subscribers of Spank. Here is the introduction that will be in every newsletter.
Welcome to “Spank”, the newsletter of the Church of the Invisible Hand’s Prison Outreach Ministry.
Here, we will discuss the spirituality and beliefs of the Church, the sources that inspire it, the ideas that inform it, (both as a whole and in individual practice,) and the practices, both universal and individual, by which we express our beliefs and exercise our faith in them.
As we enter into the long predicted Tribulations and the time of Persecutions of our faith, we beg of our newer Brothers and Sisters to views us with an open mind. Our ideas may seem foreign to you. Our ways may seem strange. But if you study them, we believe you will find, as we have, a faith that works for us, both in theory and in practice. We ask nothing of you but your time and thoughts. If our ways are not for you, we will gladly refund your misery.
The Church is, like Discordianism, an open-source religion. If you agree with us for the most part, but find some of our beliefs unacceptable to you, we invite you to discard those parts of our faith that do not work for you and replace them with others that do. There are a few parts of our faith which cannot be changed without rendering your brand of religion alien to, and irreconcilable with ours. If you believe that you have the right to force your ways on unconsenting others, then your ways are not ours. Please reconsider, and if you cannot, go from us in peace. We advise you not to try to impose your ways on us, or on those we love. If you can do even this, you can live in peace with us. If you believe that races are superior to, or inferior to other races, then we have no time for you. There is one race; the human race. All else is nonsense. We will council you if you wish to hear us, but we will never recognize you as being of our faith until you recant this nonsense. Claim no connection to the Church, we excommunicate you.
The invisible hand of Nature, and its antithesis, the Visible Boot of Government, are not entities or deities in the classical sense. They are more similar to the yin and yang of Taoism. Masculine and feminine, light and dark, right and wrong, good and evil. If you feel your understanding of the Tao is so good that you may force it on others, you have no understanding of the Tao. The way which can be spoken is not the true way. The course which can be forced is not the true course.
If you know anyone who you think would enjoy our newsletter, please send us their name and address at the return address included. Soon, we hope to be able to include business reply postcards, but these things take time, and we are but an egg. Or, perhaps, a clutch. Conversely, if you wish to cancel your subscription, just let us know, or pass future copies on to others. If you want our words to be heard by others, send us money and help us amplify, market and promote our message. Five bucks a month will pay for printing and mailing for many.
We look forward to meeting you and knowing you, as we trudge the road to happy destiny. Until then, we leave you with the traditional Blessing of our People: May the Visible Boot of the Government kick not in thy Door, nor thy Teeth, nor Stomp Upon thy Face. Ramen.
If you’re interested in getting on the mailing list, email a mailing address or email to bonnie@freetalklive.com. Or send mail to Nobody at:
Nobody (Formerly Rich Paul)
314 Daniel Webster Hwy
Boscawen, NH 03303
by Ian | Mar 9, 2021 |
The “Sticker Pimps”: Frank ‘Footloose’ Staples, Skylar Bennett, and Jason Gerhard
The heroic “Sticker Pimps” arrested by Manchester police are not facing death, but they have been kidnapped by Manchester’s “finest” gang and are being prosecuted for “criminal mischief” for the dastardly “crime” of placing counter-propaganda White Rose Society stickers on so-called “public property”. Here’s what you need to know about them:
- Frank ‘Footloose’ Staples – The founder of Absolute Defiance, Footloose has been leading the protests outside NH gang leader Chris Sununu’s home. He was recently arrested in front of Sununu’s home for speaking to a cop.
- Skylar Bennett – Skylar made headlines in December for being the first person arrested at Sununu’s house – for holding a peaceful candlelight vigil. He’s also a YouTuber vlogger on his channel, Savage Truth 603.
- Jason Gerhard – Jason is currently a candidate for Selectman in Northfield, NH in an election happening TODAY. He’s qualified a warrant article for the town meeting this weekend which – if passed – instructs the Selectmen to ask some very interesting questions of the IRS. We discussed it with him in detail on Free Talk Live this last Saturday. Jason also spent nearly 13 years in federal prison for supporting tax freedom advocates Ed and Elaine Brown and was released in early 2020.
The situation is very reminiscent of what happened in 2011 when eight activists – mostly from Keene – were arrested and charged with “criminal mischief” among other catch-alls, for chalking pro-freedom messages outside Manchester’s police gang headquarters. They were the “Chalking Eight”.
The White Rose has been a very active group on Telegram, with photos posted daily from people placing their eye-opening, thought-provoking, and sometimes amusing stickers on various things all around the world. According to one of the channel’s admins, thus far with perhaps thousands of activists stickering around the world, the first to be arrested were New Hampshire’s “Sticker Pimps” in the supposed live-free-or-die state.
Not long after their arrests, someone stickered the front entrance to the Manchester police gang headquarters!
After arresting the men, Manchester Police Gang Headquarters was targeted for a stickering.
Stay tuned here to Free Keene for more.
