Interestingly, per capita, (based on data from CoinMap) Keene has more bitcoin-accepting businesses than San Francisco, which has recently been promoted in news articles as the city with the strongest bitcoin presence.
Businesses that accept bitcoin are able to tap into a new market and also virtually eliminate transaction fees. Credit card companies usually hit a business for about 3% of each transaction, and bitcoin’s fee is just pennies, no matter the size of the transaction. By adding bitcoin as an option for their customers, businesses keep more profit from each bitcoin transaction than if they were to use credit card. Whether you are a buyer or a merchant, you can learn more about bitcoin here at WeUseCoins.com.
Dozens of New Hampshire’s inhabitants braved constant rain and cold to come out for the epic event, which also featured state representative Kyle Tasker toking up. Tasker later said in an interview exclusive to Free Keene, “The message sent by law enforcement and heard loud and clear by protesters was police have more important things to do than harass otherwise law abiding citizens over marijuana possession and public use even when it was clear there were amounts present at the protest that could be charged as a felony. The New Hampshire senate needs to consider how productive it is to keep an unenforced, indeed nearly unenforceable law on the books with which the public disagrees.”
No one has ever been arrested at these events despite mass civil disobedience of the cannabis possession laws taking place right outside the state house’s front doors. In fact, obvious police presence was near-zero this year, with a lone state trooper sitting across the street idling in his cruiser for a short time. In previous years, troopers have stood inside the state house windows, watching with crossed arms. This year, nothing!
Rich Paul kicked off the ceremony with his traditional invocation and a short speech. Afterwards the megaphone was open to anyone with something to say, and several attendees spoke out on various subjects. See the raw video here, courtesy Garret Ean. Here’s an edited clip of the beginning of the event:
Even mainstream media is speculating that cannabis decrim may pass in NH this year. 80% of the house voted for decrim already and now it awaits its turn in the NH senate. However, the state’s governor, Maggie Hassan has promised to veto it. This, despite the fact that she admitted to having used it when she was younger. Do you think Maggie would be better off today had she gotten a misdemeanor on her record had she been caught with her pot in her college days?
Unless Maggie finds her conscience, the senate would have to pass cannabis decrim with a veto-proof margin (as did the house – solidly) to protect the legislation from her veto. Now is a good time to contact “your” state senator and talk to them about how they feel about decriminalizing cannabis.
A lack of sunshine did not deter the roughly forty individuals who were present for the annual 4/20 celebration at the New Hampshire state house. Multiple outlets captured video and photography of the scene, including a feature published this morning in the Concord Monitor. Attached below is the Monitor article by Nick Reid. For full raw coverage from Fr33manTVraw, check out this playlist.
A group of activists exercised civil disobedience yesterday by smoking marijuana on the steps of the State House and decrying the war on drugs through a megaphone.
At 4:20 p.m. on April 20, the unofficial pot holiday, about 30 participants huddled away from cold rain under the awning at the front of the State House while the event organizer, Rich Paul, kicked things off.
“We smoke these in remembrance of lost liberties,” he called out, “and in hope for a day when the people do not fear the government, because the government fears the people.”
For the sixth consecutive year, activists will be taking to the State House lawn today, Monday, April 20th at 4:20pm to demand the repeal of the continued war on cannabis consumers. Some will likely engage in civil disobedience. Despite roadblocks put up by NH governor Maggie Hassan, we hope that this will be the year that we win more liberty for our people. Please join us today at the State House lawn at 4:20pm!
The Uncoinventional Family & Bitcoin Bus Parked at the LRN.FM Studios
In the long tradition of interstate, large-vehicle liberty tours launching from or traveling through Keene including Motorhome Diaries and Liberty on Tour, the Bitcoin Bus kicks off an “uncoinventional” tour across the Eastern United States! Free State Project participants John Bush, Cat Bleish and their two kids have taken possession of the Unschool Bus and have converted it into the Bitcoin Bus!
Today, the family rolled out from the Shire to their next destination in New York and will stop in other places along the way to their home of Austin, Texas. Along the way their goal is to spend only bitcoin. This is the family’s third bitcoin-only tour, but the first for the Bitcoin Bus!
LRN.FM is sponsoring the bus (with bitcoin, of course) as are some other great sponsors including the super-cool new WageCan, which is finally offering a bitcoin-based Mastercard tied to a bank account in Hong Kong.
You can follow them along via their Uncoinventional website which features a podcast and plenty of photos.
According to Ademo’s update streamed live this morning via Bambuser, he had a 15-minute conversation with the judge (on a Saturday!) who said he respects what Ademo does at CopBlock.org, and that yesterday was a misunderstanding. He was then released from his contempt sentence and set free!
