by Garret Ean | Oct 14, 2012 |
One year ago today was the US drone strike in Yemen which targeted Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki, son of Anwar Al-Awlaki. Two weeks prior, the elder Al-Awlaki became famous as the first US citizen officially killed abroad with no due process of law or even a warrant from a robed man. Another US citizen, Samir Khan, was also killed in the predator drone strike. Their execution marked a step further into the darkness for the feeble conscience of the empire, but the targeted killing of Anwar’s sixteen year old son several days later showed that the world’s military police force knew no nadir. Abdulrahman, his seventeen year old cousin, and seven others were killed while dining at an open-air restaurant. The US government has still provided no explanation for the violent execution of Americans other than to claim that the males killed were of ‘military age’.
by Highline | Oct 14, 2012 |
Today the Union Leader is featuring an article about Cheshire County Department of Corrections Corporal Thomas Schoolcraft requesting to be pardoned for a string of burglaries he was involved in.
(The only uniformed law enforcement/corrections position that a convicted felon may hold in New Hampshire is county corrections officer. County corrections officers possess no arrest authority and may only use force to detain offenders brought to them by order of law enforcement agents or courts.)
In the article it appears that the reporter inquired with the Corporal about why he isn’t simply attempting to obtain a more common “annulment” for his offenses:
“Schoolcraft prefers a pardon to annulment for his convictions because he doesn’t want them to disappear from his criminal record.”
He “prefers” a pardon.
I presume that the Corporal knows precisely what his present impediment to advancement in New Hampshire law enforcement is: if he had his felony conviction annulled (not pardoned) he still could only serve as a county corrections officer.
New Hampshire Police Standards and Training rule Pol 301.05 (g) (2) specifically forbids certification of an individual who has committed a felony even if it was annulled. If you are a felon, you must receive a pardon to be eligible to serve as a certified law enforcement officer in New Hampshire.
Pol 301.05 Background Investigation. The following shall apply to the background investigation required on the applicant by the agency:
(g) The hiring authority shall evaluate the results of its background investigation and the agency shall not appoint or invest with authority an applicant who:
(2) Has ever been convicted of a felony by a civilian court or by a military court, whether or not the charge had been annulled nor whether a suspended sentence was completed, and for which he or she has never received a pardon;
If we as a society are going to forgive the Corporal for things he did that actually hurt people, how can we not simultaneously forgive all felons convicted of things that never hurt anyone? I’m sure he is a good guy working hard to now live a law-abiding life, but there are way too many “felons” in New Hampshire who (unlike Corporal Schoolcraft’s crime spree eight years ago) created zero victims.
Pardon him? Pardon them.
by Garret Ean | Oct 13, 2012 |
It was announced earlier from on high that none other than the United States government president himself, Barack Obama, will be gracing the state of New Hampshire with his presence. A campaign event at an undisclosed location in Manchester on Thursday (Oct 18) will be the most high’s second visit Shireside in two months. Beyond that, little is revealed about it.
Joe Biden and Barack Obama are perhaps the two people on Earth who yield the power to shut down major american cities around them, as their seemingly endless entourage of vehicles secures the ground before which they tread. In recent years, the security theatre has become increasingly more inconveniencing for ordinary civilians, as they try to proceed about their day. A recent visit by the federal vice president to Concord saw all streets around the capitol closed to even pedestrian traffic, and the outer surrounding streets closed to motor vehicles as well. The performance was orchestrated so that several dozen of Biden’s supporters could hear him speak on the barricaded state house lawn. Granted, Obama likely draws more of a crowd, but if I felt so insecure that I needed thirty police units in front of and behind me anywhere I go in the United States, I’d probably do the people a favor and not close their neighborhoods down so that I can campaign to continue ruling them.
Who else is so incogitant to announce that they’ll be in a city on a particular day with less than a week’s notice, but not disclose the location? A supremely flexible schedule and/or last minute planning are perchance veiled under the header of national security.
by Ian | Oct 9, 2012 |
You may have heard that I am running for State Rep in Keene this year against Chuck Weed and Delmar Burridge. Chuck Weed is good on ending cannabis prohibition and is also the incumbent – to his credit as well, he will be debating me in the upcoming candidates’ forum on 10/16 at 2pm in the Keene library.
Delmar Burridge, however, is not going to appear at the candidates’ forum. Perhaps because he thinks he has the election in the bag, or maybe because he doesn’t really want voters to hear his sick, twisted views. Allow me to refresh you on what Burridge has to say. I would like to take you back to 2008 when Free Keene blogger and then host of Free Minds TV Toby Iselin had an email exchange with Burridge regarding cannabis decriminalization. After Toby asks Delmar to do the right thing and move the legislation forward, Delmar responds with an insulting screed that actually advocates Toby snitch on his cannabis-using friends, saying,
“You are very passionate in your beliefs and would make a great snitch. It is thrilling to dime on your so called friends.”
-Delmar Burridge to constituent
The rest of his outrageous email to Toby is worth reading. This sociopath ex-law enforcement officer is my competition in the upcoming Keene state house race. If you want to vote for oppression of freedom, Burridge is your man. If you want to vote for liberty, I’m the clear choice, having been endorsed by the NH Liberty Alliance.
by Ian | Oct 8, 2012 |
The following are my answers to the Keene Sentinel‘s candidate questionnaire:
Name: Ian Freeman
Age: 32
Town: Keene
Party Affiliations: NH Liberty Party, Libertarian Party
How long have you lived in the area: Since 2006
Family: Yes
Education: Associates in Radio/TV Broadcasting
Occupation: Talk radio personality on Free Talk Live, Program Director of LRN.FM
Organizations to which you belong / have belonged: NH Liberty Alliance, NH Liberty Party, Libertarian Party, Free State Project, FreeKeene.com
Public/governtment Service: Longtime peace and pro-accountability activist.
1. Why are you running for the NH House?
The NH Liberty Alliance consistently ranks Keene’s “representatives” very poor (C-F) on their yearly report. I would provide a principled voice for liberty in the state house.
2. What are the three top issues facing state government and how would you deal with them? Please be specific:
The question has it backwards – the issues are those that have been created by the state government that are actively harming the people of NH. Here are three:
-Victimless crimes: (more…)
by Ian | Oct 8, 2012 |
I am grateful to have been on as a guest on WKBK’s “Talkback” with Cynthia Georgina and Mitch Greenwald this past weekend for about fifteen minutes, where I answered Cynthia’s questions, took a couple of phone calls, and had the chance to advocate for voluntarism and secession. She had me on since I am a candidate on the ballot this year for state rep in Keene. You can grab the archive here.
A couple of weeks prior I had called in to announce my candidacy for state rep in Keene and also comment on the hosts suggesting they would consider a ban on profanity in Keene. Here’s that archive.
One year ago today was the US drone strike in Yemen which targeted Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki, son of Anwar Al-Awlaki. Two weeks prior, the elder Al-Awlaki became famous as the first US citizen officially killed abroad with no due process of law or even a warrant from a robed man. Another US citizen, Samir Khan, was also killed in the predator drone strike. Their execution marked a step further into the darkness for the feeble conscience of the empire, but the targeted killing of Anwar’s sixteen year old son several days later showed that the world’s military police force knew no nadir. Abdulrahman, his seventeen year old cousin, and seven others were killed while dining at an open-air restaurant. The US government has still provided no explanation for the violent execution of Americans other than to claim that the males killed were of ‘military age’.
