Thursday, April 25, 2013

Punished For Being A Crime Victim?

The NH Senate Judiciary Committee considers HB388, "relative to the storage of firearms," 4/23/2013, in 2 parts.

Should you be responsible for crimes committed with your property -- and not just firearms, because this principle is entirely transferrable -- after, due to no reasonably construed negligence on your part, it's been stolen from you? Could any security be considered "perfect" enough to reliably insulate you from such liability, short of prohibiting ownership of that object in the first place?






Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Repeal of 'Stand Your Ground' Moves to NH Senate

HB135, "relative to physical force in defense of a person and relative to the definition of non-deadly force," having squeaked past the NH House, moves on to the NH Senate Judiciary Committee, 4/23/2013.

But first, Jenn Coffey of 'Second Amendment Sisters' and 'Knives, Lipstick and Liberty', the NHLA's Michelle Levell give their take. Then, attorney Penny Dean and Rep. Dan Itse explain the practical realities of Constitutional law and legislation and process.

I'm certainly not a lawyer, but I can read English. And here's the inconvenient truth, IMHO, about this nevertheless anti-liberty bill: not only can't you ever know with certainty that you can retreat in complete safety, even less can you be certain that a third person can. And this bill justifies your not running away if they can't do so, too. Let's take a look at the relevant portion.
III. A person is not justified in using deadly force on another to defend himself or herself or a third person from deadly force by the other if he or she knows that he or she and the third person can, with complete safety:
(a) Retreat from the encounter, except that he or she is not required to retreat if he or she is within his or her dwelling[,] or its curtilage, [or anywhere he or she has a right to be,] and was not the initial aggressor;...
Too many double negatives, but here goes. So you are justified if you don't know (but again, how can you ever, anyway) that both you and (not or) a third (or fourth or tenth) person can retreat in complete safety, regardless of location. We haven't gotten to the 'location' condition yet, which is an override to the "if you somehow know you can retreat safely" bit (i.e., you're still not obligated to if you're home). But here, we're talking about if you can't be sure. So where you are is utterly irrelevant as soon as your or that third person's (complete) safety is in question. Go save those innocents, citizen, whether this passes or not...

So I ask again: other than rendering the legal situation (umm, clearly) cloudier, what is this bill supposed to accomplish, exactly? What is the intended purpose in advocating its passage?

But this is why it still matters:
(While we're about it, though, that cop in the Bearcat aiming his AR15 at the photographer in the 2nd-story window in Watertown, MA during the bomber manhunt will be charged with felony criminal threatening, too, right...?)








Sunday, April 14, 2013

Hemp For Victory!

Hemp For Energy! Hemp For Health! The NH Senate Judiciary Committee hears testimony on HB153, "prohibiting the designation of industrial hemp as a controlled substance," 4/11/2013. But we'll start with hopeful farmers Glen Dickey and Bill McGonigle and the prospect of rational analysis. The NH House hearing, too, is around here someplace...





Saturday, April 13, 2013

NH MMJ Prohibitionism Jumps the Shark

Sure does feel like it, doesn't it? Belligerent servants in unrelenting irrational opposition to any relaxation of medical medicinal -- sorry, therapeutic marijuana prohibitionism appear finally to have accepted the prescription-writing on the wall. Now mere delay is their strident meddlesome battle cry -- most notably, perhaps, from the throat of a "usual-suspect" bureaucratic-fetishist authoritarian physician (who even got a certain reporter from a certain public radio station rolling his eyes and exchanging smirking glances), whom I really have to question whether sees actual patients, or merely gleefully pushes papers -- although that's clearly her passion (and who am I to deny to her her passion as long as she isn't harming anyone, say, by doing something barbaric like denying them entirely peaceful pain relief, amIright?).

Herewith, having already cleared the House, the NH Senate Health, Education & Human Services Committee hears testimony on HB573, "relative to the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes," 4/11/2013 (watch it quick, cuz Blip.tv has apparently decided I'm not commercial enough for them and will be summarily deleting all my content entrusted to them soon, and I haven't figured out where else to republish it all yet -- suggestions appreciated), preceded by select testimony from NHCompassion.org Executive Director Kirk McNeil, taxpayer Rich Paul, and Ian Freeman from FreeTalkLive.com and FreeKeene.com.

 Press




Friday, April 12, 2013

NH Senate Considers Being a Little Less Draconian

Again. HB621, "decriminalizing possession of one quarter of an ounce or less of marijuana," having survived the NH House, confronts the Senate Judiciary Committee, 4/11/2013.

But first, Rep. Mark Warden, and Ian Freeman of FreeTalkLive.com and FreeKeene.com offer distinct perspectives on the de-escalation of the the "War on People Who Use (Some) Drugs"™.

(Btw, Blip.tv -- absolutely not recommended anymore, in case that's not clear, unless you're into 'fly-by-night' -- today announced [not so much "announced," though, since I had to accidentally stumble on it, and there's still no indication from them that they had any intention of actually informing me in advance had I not come inquiring] that they will be closing my account and deleting my content within a month, for vague and capricious reasons. Essentially, "new business model: nothing personal, sorry, bye..." All ~70 videos there will therefore soon become unavailable, and will eventually have to be re-uploaded to another provider and re-embedded throughout this blog. I may or may not be able to again post long videos on YouTube come July; we're kinda fuzzy on that one, too. In the mean time, if anyone can suggest A RELIABLE alternative long-video hosting provider, I'd be deeply appreciative...)