This morning I had an excellent conversation with the University System of New Hampshire General Counsel Ronald Rogers and Plymouth State University Vice President for Student Affairs Richard Hage. I got a genuine sense that these two professionals were doing their very best to balance what is understandably is a difficult situation to deal with.
In response to the respectful way that the General Counsel and Vice President’s concerns were addressed to me, Tommy and I have decided that during our educational outreach we will have unloaded weapons with both trigger and breech locks securely affixed. In other words, the firearms we intend on carrying for symbolic speech will be rendered absolutely non-functional.
As has been reported here at FK, first the Keene district court banned cameras from its lobby. Activists Sam Dodson and Dave Ridley were arrested for defying this ban. A couple of years later, the ban was extended to all media devices and applied to the entire courthouse. It was at this time that the “superior court” in Keene also picked up the ban and began confiscating cell phones and other devices. District court had Derrick J arrested in the lobby for recording this summer (the charges were dropped later) and superior court later had Jason Talley arrested for recording in their lobby. He is still facing trial on that matter. Around this same time, the total media device ban was extended to all circuit courts in NH.
It has been an all-out assault on press freedom in the NH courts for the last couple of years, but all-of-a-sudden, a new “Administrative Order” has been released on 12/1. Here’s a link to the superior court version of it by head judge Tina Nadeau, which has nearly identical language as the one that the circuit (district) court also released.
As is their habit, the people calling themselves the “City of Keene” have threatened Beau Davis with caging if he sets foot on Central Square. This is the same thing they have done to FK blogger Derrick J and other activists arrested there since this summer. It’s a desperate attempt at control. Here’s Beau, interviewed across the street by Fr33 Agents:
The following is a press release regarding a information distribution Tommy Mozingo and I will be partaking in at Plymouth State University on 12/09/11. The intent of the information distribution is to call attention to the illegal regulations that the University System of New Hampshire has enacted to restrict self-defense rights by both students and public members.
Regarding my blog on 12/02/11 regarding the University System of New Hampshire illegally enforcing a firearm and knife ban, I recently was contacted by a government official who suggested I make you aware that quite openly in the media the University System of New Hampshire is claiming that they HAVE the authority to do what state law pretty clearly says they do not.
“New Hampshire is one of 25 states that allow individual campuses to set their own rules on weapons, though the policies are close to identical. All of the campuses ban firearms and most other weapons, and that’s the way education officials want it to stay.”
Incorrect. No political subdivision can regulate knives or firearms without the express permission of the NH General Court.
“Private businesses can put in place any rules about firearms they want, “but as long as UNH receives taxpayer money, they are a subdivision of the state and they are completely disregarding the law,” said Republican state Rep. J.R. Hoell of Dunbarton.
