City of Keene Illegally Endorses Religion, Freedom From Religion Foundation Responds

At this point it should be of no surprise that even when people are taking oaths they’re breaking them within minutes. During the inauguration of the new city council in Keene there was not one but two sectarian prayers which completely disenfranchise the people in the city who don’t believe in a god or don’t believe in that particular god. Of course government endorsement of religion is also against the law. Using phrases such as “Gracious and holy one.” “May God give you courage.” “We pray in your most holy name.” obviously flies in the face of the law as well as the people who live in Keene.

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The Most Entertaining State House Hearing I’ve Ever Seen

Thursday Darryl and I appeared at the state house in Concord for the Criminal Justice committee hearing of a new cannabis decriminalization bill that would reduce the penalty of possession of up to an ounce of cannabis to only a violation punishable with a $100 fine.

The committee is full of people who know this issue and are very educated about decriminalization and legalization. This bill has passed the house several times in the past, by a wide margin. Perhaps that’s why the police actually didn’t show up! Normally they show up in uniform to oppose any decrim proposal, but not this time! However a couple of state attorneys, one for the attorney general’s office and another from the “department of safety”, did show up to support the status quo and they got GRILLED by the committee:

Here’s a full video of the very entertaining hearing, courtesy Biker Bill:

Sentinel Editorial Sides With Liberty Activists in School Warrant Article Controversy

Keene SentinelDuring a recent school board meeting, the board and voters in attendance gutted several warrant articles proposed by Conan Salada, which had been signed by dozens of voters. In a Keene Sentinel editorial, the editors of the paper actually side with liberty activists, saying they think the articles should have been left alone for voters to decide as-is. Here’s the editorial:

If anything can be said to be at once both riveting and interminable, Saturday’s Keene School District deliberative session fits the bill. The nearly six-hour meeting consisted largely of a back-and-forth between school officials and members of the Free Keene movement.

The latter had proposed several articles by petition for the March 11 school district ballot, some attempting to reduce the proposed school budget, others seeking to limit the school board’s power. (more…)

Now “The City” Wants to Mediate the Robin Hood Case?

Robin Hood of KeeneThe Keene Sentinel’s Kyle Jarvis reports on “the City” and their newfound desire to mediate with Robin Hood of Keene‘s merry men and women. Our attorney, Jon Meyer, responds that we’re not negotiating – the issues in the case are fundamental principles of freedom. They are not subject to negotiation:

Trying to settle a lawsuit out of court between the city of Keene and a group known as “Robin Hood of Keene” looks to be tough, that group’s attorney said this week.
The “Robin Hooders” fill expired parking meters before city parking enforcement officers can write tickets for the violations.

Last year, the city accused members of the group of harassing and intimidating the officers when they were performing their duties. It sought a 30-foot safety zone between the officers and activists. Keene officials also sought financial reimbursement because the officers weren’t able to perform their jobs properly; for counseling; and for costs because one of the officers quit and had to be replaced, the city said in a complaint.

Cheshire County Superior Court Judge John C. Kissinger Jr. dismissed the city’s complaints in December, citing free speech rights under the First Amendment.

City officials have appealed to the N.H. Supreme Court.

The court recommends resolution through mediation, according to Jon Meyer of Manchester, an attorney representing the Robin Hooders for free. But he’s skeptical that could be accomplished easily. (more…)

Black Sheep Rising – Episode 39

The Keene school district served us up a big ol’ helping of suck at last week’s deliberative session.  School Sucks Project’s Brett Veinotte gets pulled into our outrage as we discuss the shenanigans that took place.  Later, we bring it down even further with tales of suicidal penguins and rabbits on Viagra.  Oh, the Horror.  Show notes at BlackSheepRising.org