I had the pleasure this week of seeing Jim of Flex Your Rights give a presentation to a couple dozen students at Keene State College. He covered various aspects of how to handle encounters with police and encouraged not taking a plea deal and going to trial rather than just paying fines.
I found it really rewarding to see Jim’s presentation. It was informative and relevant to the students watching it and I’m glad I had the night off to be able to record it so others who couldn’t attend can benefit. When Jim started college in Keene, he wasn’t an activist. Now he’s working with one of the most prominent know-your-rights groups in the world, Flex Your Rights. His path to where he is would not have been possible without his time in Keene and the liberty activism here that had a positive, inspirational impact on his life. What an honor to have had a role in that.
Some people don’t understand why I do the activism that I do. Why take risks by standing up for your rights? Why speak out in favor of peace and liberty? Why do activism that could and does offend? Because as an activist and communicator of the ideas of liberty, you never know whose life you’ll touch. When you stay true to yourself, put your message out there, and stand up for yours and others’ rights, the right people will see it and pay attention. When the student is ready, the master appears. Your actions just might be the spark that ignites the next superactivist.
I’m grateful to the staff of the Andover Beacon, a monthly local paper delivered to all households in Andover, NH. Thank you for inviting me to prepare a 250 word statement that is being included in their voter’s guide that is being delivered to mailboxes today! They asked me to talk about some key issues. Here’s the statement:
The biggest issue in New Hampshire today is drug abuse and the solution is simple – end prohibition. We know from history that prohibition is a failure and only makes the problems with addiction worse. Jailing and forcing addicts into treatment is not compassion. Prohibition should be ended for all drugs and addicts will feel safer to seek help when they aren’t afraid of prison.
Another big issue is the constant presence of the federal government. Its taxes and regulations are an ongoing burden to our people and businesses. They do not provide anything of value to us in return for our money and obedience and only put us in great danger with their war-mongering around the globe. It’s time New Hampshire ends our involvement with the United States and declare independence.
Of course, seceding from the federal government won’t solve all our problems in New Hampshire, but at least we’ll have more resources and freedom to make our own choices. One major change that should be made to the state government is to make all taxes consensual. It’s wrong to threaten our neighbors if they do not agree with supporting certain government programs. Making taxes voluntary is a huge paradigm shift and will instantly make all branches of government more accountable to the people. They’ll know their budget isn’t a guarantee unless they actually make taxpayers happy.
I’d also like to see ballot access made fair for all political parties. Thanks for reading! Visit NHliberty.info for more info.
I was eating dinner with my boyfriend in our kitchen watching a Facebook live stream debate about guns on campus at the University of Texas when suddenly the video stopped. A pop up said something like, “Session expired.”
Someone reported a photo of me my friends at the beach as nudity, and Facebook responded by restricting my ability to communicate with you on their platform in two ways. I can not post on my wall or respond to messages using Messenger for the next 3 days.
I feel sad that I can’t use Facebook. It is the primary way I communicate with the world. Especially the Messenger app. An acquaintance I met at a conference asked me a question, and I am not able to respond. I am not even able to explain why I can’t respond. That is embarrassing and frustrating. I want to maintain a good reputation with this new friend, but I can’t respond to him, and he doesn’t know that I can’t. Fortunately I have been using Signal, Telegram, and other messaging apps, so I am still largely able to communicate. (more…)
Darryl and I are running an outreach booth this weekend at NH Hempfest in Lancaster at Roger’s Campground. We’re sharing the Shire Society declaration with attendees, along with plenty of know-your-rights propaganda, and a Bitcoin Vending Machine. We’ll be at the booth all day until Sunday and at night we’re hosting Free Talk Live.
Hempfest is packed with dozens of live bands and is kicking off right now. Hope to see you!
Lachance recently announced the big news privately to his friends via his facebook profile, which included photos of him in uniform from his days as a Bedford officer. Then, after a final confirmation from the LEAP board late last week, he authorized Free Keene to break the news. He will have his first speaking engagement at the upcoming NH Hempfest and Freedom Rally happening at Rogers Campground August 25th through 28th.
When he started his career in law enforcement, Lachance was totally brainwashed into believing in prohibition. It didn’t take him long to realize that arresting drug users was only making their lives worse. In an email Lachance told me he, “saw first-hand how the war on drugs is a failure…Arresting someone for a small amount of cannabis or controlled substance only adds to the problem. The war on drugs encourages the cartels to make a black market for banned substances and creates a huge profit motive for the underground.”
Rick Naya, NH Hempfest Organizer and Joe Lachance
Lachance isn’t the first speaker that LEAP has had in New Hampshire. Cheshire county jail superintendent Rick Van Wickler has been speaking against prohibition for many years now. There are other LEAP speakers who are former cops from Concord and Durham as well. The more, the merrier! More police coming out of the closet against prohibition means we’re getting closer to ending the insane “War on Drugs”, which is really just a war against our friends and family.
Lachance gets why prohibition doesn’t work. He points out, “Drug violence isn’t a reason to fight the war on drugs…it is a reason to END the war on drugs. Take away the cartels’ main source of revenue and they too will go away, much like in the 1920s with Al Capone.”
