It is no surprise to those of us who write here at FreeKeene.com that we have many readers from the Keene community and beyond that firmly disagree with various things that we advocate. If you happen to be one of the aforementioned, chances are that you’re a supporter of the state and the constitutions that define how it can behave. Hopefully, I can appeal to you through this brief article.
Two nights ago two of Free Keene’s contributors had their constitutional rights violated by government employees that they both are forced to fund. The argument of whether Ian Freeman and Sam Dodson were looking for a confrontation is irrelevant and no excuse for the behavior of government officials that was initiated by government officials. In this state and country the government is prohibited from interfering with peaceful free speech and protest. The onus is on government employees to comply with the entirety of the state and federal constitutions, at all times… even when confronted by people peacefully expressing their displeasure at the continued enforcement of a government policy.
Especially when confronted by people peacefully expressing their displeasure at the continued enforcement of a government policy.
The video of last night’s arrests is not yet available – stay tuned here to Free Keene for that. However, the Keene Sentinel’s Kyle Jarvis has written up his report:
Two men affiliated with the libertarian Free Keene movement were arrested Thursday night when they refused to dispose of what appeared to be alcoholic beverages during a Keene City Council meeting.
Ian Bernard, 30, of Keene, who goes by the name Ian Freeman, and Sam Miller, 34, of Keene, who goes by Sam Dodson, were arrested by Keene Police Chief Kenneth J. Meola during a recess of the meeting.
The men were part of a group protesting the city rules on having an open container of alcohol in public.
As the meeting began, approximately eight to 10 people associated with Free Keene.com sat in the audience, some wielding video cameras, including Miller.
About half appeared to be drinking bottled beer, which they’d brought in a small cooler.
About 10 minutes into the meeting, Mayor Philip Dale Pregent announced, “We do not allow alcoholic beverages in council chambers,” and advised the group, “If you don’t dispose of the beverages, you’ll be asked to leave.” (more…)
If there were no War on Drugs, drugs could be sold legally anywhere. People could go to the corner store, for instance, to buy their marijuana and other drugs. They would be manufactured safely and distributed with usage recommendations, just like aspirin. They’d also be cheap because in the regular market competition brings prices down when the distributors aren’t jacking their rates due to risk of arrest.
Since unfortunately there IS a War on Drugs, criminal thugs are frequently the only way to acquire the drugs that people are looking for. This is because criminals are the ones most willing to risk arrest to do business. Since people are going to do drugs regardless of their legal status, this puts a lot of buyers in serious danger of being ripped off, or worse. The Keene Sentinel reports on the “or worse” part of drug prohibition. When was the last time the clerk at Walgreens beat the shit out of a customer trying to buy some aspirin?
This is what prohibition gets you:
More details have been released concerning a brutal attack last month at Carpenter Field in Keene, but questions still remain.
Kevin Alley Perry, 21, who is listed as homeless in Keene, was arraigned Monday morning in Keene District Court. He remainsat the Cheshire County jail in Keene for lack of $25,000 cash bail.
He faces two charges of felony first-degree assault in connection with an incident July 24 that left two people — Joshua Abrams, 21, of Keene and his girlfriend Paige Wilson, 18, of Gilsum — battered and bloody in the field. (more…)
Ohio city forces people who want to contest red light camera tickets to pay a $95 court fee, which happens to be the same amount as the fine, police accidentally taser a UK man in the groin, a deaf man wrongfully convicted of rape wants to be let out of prison, and the Congressional Christmas tree has been chosen but may require secret service protection so vandals won’t ruin it.
A woman arrested while topless in downtown Keene last week was arrested again Tuesday, this time clothed, for protesting outside Keene District Court.
Heika Courser, 26, formerly of Richmond and currently listed as residing at 20 Forest St. in Keene, was charged with common law criminal contempt and obstructing government administration.
Courser was one of about 15 people standing on the sidewalk in front of the courthouse about 10:30 a.m. protesting a hearing for fellow Free Keene member Richard Paul.
Police Lt. Darryl Madden said Courser was arrested for “yelling” into a bullhorn, causing ruckus that led Keene District Court Judge Edward Burke to recess court. (more…)
Expect local officials across the state to review state and local nudity laws following weekly protests by topless women in Keene, according to the head of a police association.
“It will cause people to look and review their policies … and make sure they are protected about this issue,” said David Cahill, president of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police.
“Sometimes, the worst thing you could do is create a knee-jerk reaction,” said Cahill, Sunapee’s police chief.
More than a half-dozen people were either ticketed or arrested last Sunday after police received reports of people drinking alcohol and taking off their clothes in Central Square.
Keene police Lt. Jay Duguay said no women were charged for being topless because it wasn’t deemed lewd behavior. The city prosecutor concluded a man painting a woman’s breast didn’t violate the state’s public decency law either, he said, adding the city has no local nudity law.
The topless women sparked discussions involving public morality, free speech and the political Free State Project, whose members were involved in last Sunday’s incident. (more…)
