High Priests' 'New Clothes' Continue to Fade

"House Address" public hearings before the NH General Court's Joint Committee on Address, "for the removal of Philip Cross, marital master in the judicial branch family division in the Derry District Court, from his said office," morning session, 4/26/2010.

This is the first result -- the first officially documented "work product" fallout -- of the (unofficial, of course) "Legislators' Redress of Grievance Caucus'" (not a "committee," dammit!) "listening sessions" that House leadership has so desperately wanted to avoid that it has denied your representatives investigative accommodations within State office space. Find more on this long strange trip here.

Rep. Paul Ingbretson was a guest (again) on 'Capitol Access' (another video project involving your humble chronicler) just last week, discussing this very topic.

But first, the "Curious Timing Award" goes to... The (Merrimack County?) Sheriff's Department, who shows up to serve an arrest warrant on the primary witness, David Johnson -- a long-time, easy to find community member, and rather unlikely flight risk given the potential to further jeopardize contact with his daughter -- before his scheduled testimony in front of the legislative branch against the judicial branch. Hmm...

Cooler heads eventually prevail. Props to the NH State Police on State House duty who allegedly took some issue with the intended process. This is the same State Police detail that didn't overreact at the HCR6 brouhaha, and more recently have left State House 420 celebrants alone twice now...

Guest videographer, my own Rep. Gary Hopper delivers the money shot. Fascinating how law enforcement's attitude of blanket authority changes so quickly with as simple (and so minimally assured) a challenge as, essentially, "what's the law you're citing...?" Straight from "you don't have my permission" (well, you weren't asked for it) to "I'd appreciate it if you didn't" (y'know, you being government functionaries subject to RSA 91-A's exception to RSA 570-A, an' all -- not to mention your utter lack of anything remotely approximating a "reasonable expectation of privacy" in this pubic building WHILE WORKING FOR ME -- I'm infinitely more concerned with David's wishes than your own) just that quick. 'Course, "I'm a state Representative, and I am, too" doesn't hurt, either...

Lastly, I just gotta say, it never fails to make me feel just a little bit more secure in my person, papers and effects when I observe government agencies earnestly occupying themselves with opposing each other rather than cooperating in opposing me...




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"Looks like we're taking the steps..."

420 at 4:20 on 4/20/2010, State House, Concord, NH. Short answer: victory.

In excess of 100 celebrants, with signs and bullhorns, guitars and drums. Dancing girls, even. And lots of cameras...

Initially out front, on the Main St. sidewalk, waving to honking traffic. Eventually smoking right on the State House steps (not that that hasn't happened before, of course), and chiding the bureaucrats inside for their infidelity to liberty.

NH Public Radio had been reporting the planned celebration all day, and much of NH's most dominant mainstream media were represented on-site. Yet despite recent coordinated crackdowns and subsequent roundups related to similar -- and similarly peaceful -- celebrations, the cops apparently never got word, somehow: three uniforms meticulously avoiding us across the street was as close an encounter as we experienced.

On the drive home, NHPR was reporting that the NH State Police stationed inside (as usual) were watching, but had no intention of doing anything unless the crowd got agitated. (edit: the word they used was "unruly," actually)

Umm, yeah, uh-huh. The pot smokers were gonna get agitated. So basically, the official position was that as long as the cops didn't escalate the situation, the cops wouldn't escalate the situation.

Boringly uneventful as a result, actually. Which is the point, after all, right...?

And here's an interesting list.

Coverage (as I find it):
Associated Press
Concord (NH) Monitor
Manchester (NH) Union Leader

Fox Boston
Manila Bulletin
Seacoast Online (borrowed from Concord Monitor)
NPR
(Johannesburg) Times LIVE
(Munich) Focus
CBC
Daily Mail

More coverage links

NH's 2nd Amendment March

Scenes from the 2nd Amendment March and Rally in Concord, NH, plus a modest proposal, 4/10/2010.




This. Just... this.

NH Liberty Alliance Campaign Training, Level 2

As a follow-up to former NH state Rep. Don Gorman's session of 2/6, Free Staters, Rep. Joel Winters and Rep. Carol McGuire lead phase 2, on the 'nuts-'n'-bolts' of running a political campaign, on how to get elected, for the NH Liberty Alliance, 4/3/2010.

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