Behind every blade of grass...

Apocryphal or not, the quote from which that phrase is taken embodied the spirit -- and, indeed, even the tactics -- of the men and women who fought the first American War for Independence over a century and a half earlier, as well. The objective of Project Appleseed is to instill that spirit of independence and those skills at arms in the current generation.

Project Appleseed visited Goffstown Fish and Game Association, Weare, NH, 6/4~5/2011, for the club's inaugural Appleseed shoot. Herewith, the weekend in 34 minutes. "Drinking from a firehose." Concentrated.

Review the "After Action Report." Read more about the history of the Battles of Lexington and Concord -- and NH's own Fort William and Mary's involvement (some more here) -- in 'Paul Revere's Ride' by David Hackett Fischer. And Steve Martin concurs.

Watch the sites for our next shoot. Don't forget plenty of ammo...




Oh, and hey. Here's Steve...

In a Free Society, Recording Cops CANNOT Be Illegal

Essentially by definition, in fact. Unfortunately, public servants all too often hold a differing -- and somehow weightier than yours, citizen -- opinion. Herewith, an open letter to the NH Senate (previously submitted to my own Senator Sanborn, to enthusiastic support, as expected) regarding government accountability and transparency. In a phrase, its intended subservience to the People for whom it ostensibly works. Following which, the referenced hearing record in toto, and selected testimony from William Kostric, Seth Hipple and John Lewicke. And serendipitously, a little something extra from Reason.tv...

Senators,

HB145 as originally introduced, "permitting the audio and video recording of any public official while in the course of his or her official duties," served particularly to clarify the rights of citizen journalists and detained "suspects" (to produce their own evidence, as per Part First, Article 15) in the face of continued legal threats by, particularly, less-than-transparent local police departments -- arrogance that will inevitably cost the taxpayers, in liberty as well as lucre.

It reflected, in good faith, the NH GOP's own platform, in fact ("Will work to amend the wiretap statute to allow citizens to make audio/visual recordings of interactions with public officials"), as well as the fundamental concept that in a free society, public servants are, as Part First, Article 8 states and RSA 91-A reinforces, "at all times accountable." On the job means on the record. Public servants, rationally enough, are accountable to that public. "Private" citizens need to take off the badge.

The bill as currently amended, however, in addition to muddying what should logically be an already clear legal picture with regard to audio recording of public servants on the job, as well as limiting its scope to law enforcement only (who are nevertheless still granted "wiggle room"), also for the first time appears to introduce purely video recording (such as, say, security cameras) to the ranks of potentially prohibited activities in NH. And it makes no allowance for recording with the permission of someone "personally interacting with the officer." Whither, then, Rodney King?

This is altogether entirely unacceptable. In as much as, for example, (actually) interfering with law enforcement is already illegal, prohibiting "surreptitious" (audio) recording of public employees is certainly the limit of what a proper bill might restrict. But then where would investigative news teams, exposing government corruption, be?

HB145 was heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 26th. I was there, brazenly recording the authoritarians without their consent -- the evidence is below -- because I have a right to hold my employees accountable. Particularly, it should be noted, the ones with a (granted and revokable by the People, let's never forget) monopoly on force and the tools to impose it. And citizens who can't be personally on-scene -- whether in the State House or at a traffic stop -- nevertheless have a right to know what their government is up to, in their name, on their dime. "At all times accountable."

I trust that we, the liberty community, the "small government" community, the "accountable government" community, the "citizen journalist" community, can count on your earnest efforts to amend HB145 back to its simple, straightforward, clarifying, proper original form. And then compel the House to stand with the courage of its declared convictions against the special interests of clandestine -- and as recent history, particularly, has clearly demonstrated, capricious and petty and vindictive and profligate -- government agents. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Thank you.

The committee, later that day, voted to recommend more study...

"Three times a charm"

Texas Congressman Dr. Ron Paul announces his candidacy for the GOP 2012 presidential nomination, Exeter, NH, Town Hall, 5/13/2011.

Manchester Finally Going to the Dogs

And it's an impressive community-directed thing. An unused city-owned longtime eyesore (too bad government never cries "blight!" and somehow relieves itself of its "own" property, handing it off to private interests, eh?) begins the process -- more a ground-covering than a ground-breaking -- of being transformed into a functional center of Manchester, NH, neighborhood activity -- a dog park, the city's first -- all through voluntary funds and effort, on this otherwise dreary (snow spitting between the rain and sleet -- no traditional New England Easter blizzard, thankfully, but the ground was white when I got home) Saturday, 4/23/2011. (Pushing the envelope of electronic prudence rather too hard resulted in some, um, technical difficulties, and thus this substantially delayed posting -- oh, the sacrifices we make for activism, eh? -- up-side: hey, I'm gettin' a new camera...)

Now if we could only convince the city to divest itself of property it has no business "owning" in the first place ("the city" is a fictional entity, of course: it owns nothing, it produces nothing -- you own it, whether you like it or not. But then they'll threaten you with trespassing! On your property! Does that seem right to you...?). And how did this government-controlled property even arguably benefit the taxpayers before people finally managed to overcome government opposition to these improvements?

Sell off publicly-owned real property, thus immediately generating cash the government claims it needs, and return it to the tax rolls, thus increasing the property tax base (and concomitantly decreasing the rate -- if you keep an eye on 'em, that is), and letting the (invested) market -- not uninvested bureaucrats, with no personal skin in the game, just other people's money -- decide its most sustainably productive use. In the mean time, do the best you can to minimize the harm government intentionally and methodically does to civilization.

So kudos to tenacious Manchester (now) state Representatives Tammy Simmons and Phil Greazzo for finally bringing their vision to fruition. For providing an example of what people can accomplish voluntarily to improve their own lives despite their government's best efforts to thwart them. May your dogs always be content. See some earlier debate on libertarian perspectives on this project here.

Redress of Grievance with Weare PD

Well, an honest attempt, anyway. Unfortunately, honor ain't hardly their strong suit. Here's the text of the event, Weare, NH, 4/27/2011:

After repeated attempts to get in touch with the police chief of Weare, NH, the time has come for action. The police of Weare cannot get away with felony arrests of multiple people for recording said public officials.

Join me in a public protest over the actions of these rogue officers and a police chief who has refused to address these serious issues within his department.

If he decides that he would prefer some sort of press conference or public forum, then the event will be changed. But for now plan to show up with video cameras, signs, and all of your charming personalities. The event has been made on a Wednesday, but can be changed to Saturday if enough people make the request. I figured that if it was on a weekday, the chief may be in his office and would not be able to ignore us any longer.

Again let me reiterate Chief Gregory Begin. I would prefer some sort of press conference or public forum. But if you will not get back in contact with me then there is no other course of action but a public rally against the actions of your department.

Short description: When bullies are challenged, they run away and hide. Sometimes then they taunt from the safety of distance. 'Course, these bullies are paid by the taxpayers. Accountability is comin', fellas. Next up: the Board of Selectmen...

UPDATE: Weare police practices protested

This Just In: Society, Yet Again, Doesn't Collapse

420.4:20.4/20/2011 at -- and in -- the NH State House. Well, where would you hold it...?

And we get an update from old friends, Jonathan Irish and Stephanie Taylor, on their battles with NH DCYF, et al, over previously kidnapped newborn daughter Cheyenne, reported first here, and most recently here in these chronicles.

Also, separately, the entire '420' anti-prohibition concert, direct from the State House lobby...

Let the Games Begin!

Former NM Governor Gary Johnson announces his candidacy for the 2012 GOP nomination for US President, State House, Concord, NH, 4/21/2011. I am absolutely giddy at the prospect of seeing Johnson and Ron Paul tag-team this cycle's version of Rudy McRomney in the primary debates...

Once More Into the Breach

Rep. Ron Paul speaks at the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH, 4/15/2011.

Power to the People

HB146, 'relative to the right of a jury to judge the application of the law in relationship to the facts in controversy' -- that's jury nullification, a plank of the NH GOP's own platform -- before the NH Senate Judiciary Committee, 4/14/2011.

There's really no question about the existence of the natural and common-law right of jury nullification. Juries find contrary to the government's desires every single day, and need give no accounting of themselves whatsoever. They already do it, and there's nothing that can stop them.

The issue at hand is merely whether your servant government may continue to suppress this information, or must instead acknowledge this "inconvenient truth," must inform you, the juror, of your rightful independence, of your inalienable, Constitutionally protected (Part First, Article 4) natural right of conscience, a Constitutionally recognized right that (at the very least) thereby clearly supersedes any RSA a legislature can fancifully dream up. As Jim Rockford once relatedly admonished, "General, I'm a civilian. I outrank you."

Government cannot be allowed the hubris of presuming to be the ultimate arbiter of its own authority. The jury of these government-outranking peers of civilians is the final 'box' available to a civil society before the revolution comes:

• the soap box to persuade
• the ballot box to instruct
• the jury box to overrule
• the ammo box "to alter or abolish"

By what point in that progression would you, dear reader, prefer resolution be found? When government is unresponsive to its bosses, the People, the jury is the last peaceful refuge of a free, moral society against tyranny. And that is why government is so deeply loath to recognize the jury's inherent and intended independence over its servants.

Grand thanks to Ed Comeau for babysitting my second camera while I covered the concurrent HB442 medical marijuana hearing next door.

Yes, Medical Marijuana Prohibition Is Socialized Medicine

It's government overruling the market -- not to mention self-ownership and basic common sense -- to inflict its opinions (and those of its buddies in Big Pharma, of course) on you and your thus arbitrarily and capriciously limited healthcare options. Whimsical government control of healthcare.

"We don't want government-run healthcare for a reason. They shouldn't be involved in the decision-making of doctor-patient relationships."
-Rep. Phil Greazzo-

Now, there's a meme that really needs to catch on relative to medical marijuana. Your health care decisions are too important to trust them to centralizing -- and medically ignorant -- "one size harms all" bureaucrats and politicians. To submit them to their whims and prejudices and superstitions. And to their cozy crony capitalism. You pay your doctor for health care advice. Shouldn't your doctor be free to help you make the best choices for you?

We've heard it all before, of course. Ad nauseam. But it now seems almost as if the authoritarians' malevolent little spirits have been broken, doesn't it? Where ever is the ever-hysterical Chief Crate, just for one obvious example? Almost sad, in a way. Na-a-ah, who am I kiddin'? Only time will tell, though, if the political opportunist Gov. Lynch will irrationally insist on continuing to side with them regardless...

HB442, 'relative to the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes,' before the NH Senate Health & Human Services Committee, 4/14/2011.

But first, Rep. Greazzo speaking truth to power, on government making medical decisions, regarding the determination of the effectiveness of drugs, for individuals.