by Ian | Mar 8, 2012 |
Tomorrow at Keene High School, students and teachers will be taking part in an event called “Hold your color” to show solidarity behind students who have been allegedly harassed and threatened for wearing rainbow clothing by school administrator Thomas Burke (is he related to Keene district court judge Edward Burke?). People at school will be wearing rainbow to show support. Here’s a guest blog by KHS student Renee LeBlanc with detail on what is happening:
The Mission of Keene High School is to provide each student with the tools to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. However, one administrator finds it necessary to restrict diversity in the form of rainbow clothing.
Back in December, a senior at Keene High school was in his house office on school business. He happened to be gay, and sporting a rainbow shirt. While in the office, Mr. Thomas Burke asked to speak with him about the shirt he was wearing. It read “Can’t think straight” and a rainbow was featured under it. The shirt was not revealing, obscene, or in bad condition. Burke demanded that he not wear it again, claiming it was “bad for the school environment.” He then wrote him up for a “dress code violation” yet gave no detail on the slip. From there, Burke proceeded to threaten the student with suspension. This student and his friends were very offended by this.
A freshman girl, who is straight, was in the same house office about a month earlier. She had been absent the day before and needed an admit slip. However, while the secretary was writing, she informed the student that she had been reported for her low cut shirt. Mr. Burke then appeared and asked to speak with her. Burke asked her to pull up the shirt, (more…)
by Ian | Mar 4, 2012 |
Andre in Manchester posts his final video from the 1st Annual Gay Dance-Off. Check this epic vid:
Posse from Notes for Robots on Vimeo.
The “bitter feud between two Shire cities” takes a new form, creating a schism which threatens to ridicule anyone who would take such a thing seriously — the Gay Dance Off!
Andre, from Manchester, and Derrick, from Keene, competed in 3 rounds to win the accolades of the audience and the judges: J. Buzz Webb of Buzz’s Big Gay Dance Party fame, Neal Conner, co-host of Flaming Freedom, and token hetero Mike Ruff, the Porcupine Mediator.
This is Round 3.
by Pete Eyre | Feb 23, 2012 |
“We must be the change we want to see in the world”
The quote is often attributed to Mohandas Gandhi, though like another researcher, I have yet to track-down when that phrase was first written or spoken. Still, no matter who first stated it, the phrase makes sense, right? Rather than sitting by idly and complaining the surest way to bring-about the world you want to live in is to be proactive and create.
Yesterday Luke Rudkowski, one of the founders of a grassroots organization that took its name from the quote (WeAreChange.org) told his 7,000+ Twitter followers “thanks but no tank!”
The link took Twitter followers to this video: Thanks But No Tanks – Keene Residents Speak Up
(more…)
by Ian | Feb 15, 2012 |
WMUR reports on the “Thanks but no Tanks” anti-BEARCAT movement here in Keene. Unfortunately, they get the information wrong that it’s “free staters” who are the opposition to this monstrosity. In their video you can see local, longtime NH inhabitant David Crawford singing with us “flatlanders”. I never once used the terms “free state” or “free stater” with the reporter, and told her I was a blogger at Free Keene, yet FK did not get a mention and they titled me “Free State Blogger”. Here is the report as aired on tonight’s newscast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy8BYn0CVnE
Here’s another video posted to their site of just the “Thanks but no Tanks” singing at city hall: (more…)
by Ian | Feb 15, 2012 |
Thanks to Christopher Elliott at the Huffington Post for linking to Kelly and Derrick J.’s “Don’t Strip our Rights” protest/outreach video at Manchester Airport in this article.
Oh, and you are invited to the next “Don’t Strip Our Rights” event at MHT, 2/24 at 5:30pm. It will also be a “Live Free or Dance” party. Here’s the facebook event.
by Pete Eyre | Feb 14, 2012 |
Have a few minutes? Pretty sure of your views? Challenge yourself!
Here’s a taste of what you’re in for, compliments of Justin Longo: “To evaluate policies, you must have a framework or lens you use to determine what is good and bad policy. This is entirely foreign to most people.”
I’m a big advocate of thinking critically, of striking-the-root, and of consistency in views. Justin does a superb job making his case while doing all three.
I want to give you the tools to build a foundation that will guide you to a consistent philosophy. I don’t necessarily want you to agree with everything I’m about to say, but rather, to use the guidelines of establishing first principles to form your ideals. I believe it is extremely important to constantly “check your premises.” First principles are those premises.
“First principle” defined: foundational principle. Cannot be deduced from any other proposition – in other words, an irreducible principle. Sometimes called “axioms.” First principles have no assumptions built into them.
(more…)
