Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear did not veto a bill to legalize cultivation of industrial hemp in the Bluegrass State, though it did become law without his signature.
Kentucky now joins North Dakota, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Oregon, California, Montana, West Virginia and Vermont as the nine States to have passed a law allowing for farmers to cultivate industrial hemp. Despite the legality in these nine States, farmers have not yet begun to grow it because of fear that the DEA will seize the crops. (more…)
Despite a fine performance by New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union attorney Barbara Keshen, the sad, obedient jury did what the state wanted and convicted the Trespassive Three of Occupy NH for “Criminal Trespass” for the crime of exercising their rights to free speech and assembly after 11pm in Manchester’s Veteran’s Park.
The jury’s guilty verdict basically says that a city ordinance can trump the constitutional supposed “protections” for the rights we allegedly have as human beings. It is a terrible decision against their fellow human beings.
After the trial, several activists awaited the release of the jury and attempted to offer cash for a quick interview. They were not having it, one even saying “we’re not talking to you” which is a strange thing to say, since she was walking alone when she said it. (I didn’t record that interaction.) Were they instructed to not talk to us? One juror in the video says they weren’t given such an instruction, but I have to wonder if that is true.
The juror who speaks to us later is not shown in the video, at her request. Could that be because she was ashamed of what she did? She decided to talk to us only after all the other jurors and court security had left. (more…)
Congratulations to the Free State Project for crossing the 70% mark with now more than 14,000 signers of the goal of 20,000. Despite the fact that the move hasn’t been triggered yet, (and won’t be until 20,000) the FSP has had tremendous impact with only 1,144 people in NH already. The aggressors are scared and have called the FSP “the single biggest threat the state is facing today”. If Rep. Cynthia Chase thinks it’s a big threat today, I wonder what she’ll think when the mover number hits 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and so on. Remember, the amount of the 20,000 who are already here is only just over 5%!
We’re just getting started. If you love liberty and are willing to take action to achieve it, there is no better place to be than The Shire. Please join the Free State Project now and plan your move ASAP! There is much to be done.
This morning on NHPR’s “The Exchange” with Laura Knoy about the Free State Project‘s first decade in NH, the haters were on the attack against liberty activists here in Keene. Keene activism dominated the conversation with FSP guests Carla Gericke, Joel Winters, and Carol McGuire (both are state representatives – Joel a democrat and Carol a republican).
Perhaps the host of the show will have another episode actually featuring Keene activists who can respond to the ridiculous critics. The usual complaints of toplessness in front of middle schoolers, smoking pot, harassing crossing guards, police, and court staff and other misinformation came up and the guests’ answers were dodgy at best or outright attacks on Keene activism. Carol McGuire, for instance, agreed with the host when she asked her if she thought Keene was a “black eye” on the Free State Project.
One thing is for sure, as Joel Winters points out, Keene activism gets people talking. Too bad none of the speakers on the show bothered to address the ridiculous critiques straight on. No one pointed out:
Yesterday I was engaged in conversation with Keene police’s Fintan Moore regarding a small chalking that was cleaned off of a barrier wall on a parking garage ramp downtown. Supposedly the city attorney considers there to be legal protection for sidewalk chalkings, but not chalkings on vertical surfaces.
There is a question as to what public property can lawfully be chalked and what cannot. The wall of a handicap ramp at the Manchester district court has been decorated with chalk numerous times in the past as bailiffs have looked on, only acting when the wall of the building itself has been marked. The spot in question in Keene was in a location which would have washed away naturally, and there are plenty of sidewalk areas covered by a canopy which prevents chalk from washing away. While I may not agree with the determination of the city’s legal agent, I did inform his messenger that I would relay his communication to the chalking masses. Here’s the video of our dialogue.
On March 26th, Ridley was trying to interview local officials including Gatsas who told the independent journalist that he must get permission from the City Clerk’s office before recording. According to Ridley, “an enraged security officer shortly appeared and made similar demands.” He describes the upcoming demonstration:
“In the absence of some major unexpected event, there will be an anti-censorship demonstration outside City Hall starting 6 p.m. on Monday, April 8. Then I intend to enter the lobby *with* my camera recording and *without* asking permission. I’ll try to record, non-disruptively, the outskirts of a City school-committee meeting. I’ll likely remain until arrested or until 7:30 p.m…whichever comes first! I invite all peaceable folk to join me.”
![inthenews-nhpr[1]](https://i0.wp.com/freekeene.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/inthenews-nhpr1.jpg?resize=100%2C100)
