I'm reviving the Sons of Liberty ...

[Caleb]

Scott,

Your concerns are really on two levels:

1)  How does this help the cause of freedom?
2)  How does it help my campaign?

On the first issue, let me make several points that may help you see why I feel this is important.  One, you've said so yourself, our position is weakened by the fact that even though many people might support a cause such as "secession" in principle, they won't actively support it because they do not think it is possible.  But I argue that they don't think its possible because no one is doing anything about it.   The second point I would make is that we aren't simply trying to win over "Libertarians" to the idea of secession.  That is undoubtedly a far easier task than what we must do:  win over the hearts and minds of Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Conservatives, etc, etc, etc.  By attacking tyranny in a way that is important to EVERYONE, you gain support across the spectrum.  For instance, if you emphasize your belief in "gun rights" you gain only Conservative/Republican support.  If you emphasize belief in legalization of drugs, you get only support from the Left.  But issues such as a) eminent domain  b)  privacy rights (particularly anti-surveillance efforts) are bi-partisan and gain the type of support we want.  They are thus difficult for fedgov to fight us on.  These are the issues they just want us to be quiet on; these are the issues they just want to go away.

As to the second issue, how it affects my congressional run.  First, two points. 1)  I am significantly underfunded in comparison to my opponent  2)  My opponent is trying to run as a mainstream, middle of the road candidate.  It goes without saying that if I try to appeal to his "base", I won't get anywhere.  He has way too much money.  But if I run as who I am (a guy who hates the loss of our liberties and will fight tenaciously to get them back), I am reaching a substantial segment of the Democratic base that Hodes can't touch because they feel he is out of touch with them.  Furthermore, if the revival of the Sons of Liberty can generate enough local media attention, then I will have gone a long way towards overcoming the funding gap between me and Mr. Hodes.  Free publicity, you know. It could possibly even attract money from liberty-oriented PACS from across the nation if we generate enough national media attention.  The revival of the Sons of Liberty idea was my own, but the actual protest idea came from hard-core members of the Democratic Left, the very "base" that I am trying to reach.  Afterwards, one of them told me, "I feel energized in a way that I haven't in a long time.  You even got Dennis (a notoriously laid back guy) all excited about this idea!  keep it up!"

Caleb

[Russell Kanning]

So what day do they want to do this?

[Caleb]

So what day do they want to do this?

I'm thinking Saturday, February 25th.  There's nothing on the calendar for that day, so far, and that gives those who want to participate plenty of time to 1) recruit others.  Remember, a lot of those who want to be a part of this are not on this forum, so they need a little extra time to contact people and set their schedules 2) acquire any costumes they may want to wear.

Caleb

[Bald Eagle]

Lets see.  If I were to rig up cameras to watch over a small town, I'd sure as heck have all of the cameras watching each other in case someone tried the smasharooney idea.  The cameras would have to be destroyed by an unidentifiable patriot, or from out of range of the other camera(s). 

Maybe you could set up a marksmanship competition at a rifle range and use camera-effigies as targets.     Spray paint or hydrofluoric acid do wonders to camera lenses.  So does high-intensity reflected sunlight.  Picture the fun you could have with a really BIG parabolic mirror.    <sizzle>  Know any telescope enthusiasts?

I'd also turn the camera idea around onto the perpetrators.  Follow them everywhere and film everything that they do.  Stake out their houses and film them and their families through their windows with a zoom lens.  Incessantly photograph them and mail the pictures to them and the press.  Photograph their children going to, at, and coming home from school.

I'd also create stumbling blocks to the intallation and maintenance of the cameras.  Show up and make sure everything gets a healthy dose of habenero extract with a little dash of fiberglass.  You know - the door handle to the installers' truck, their tools, the wire spool, their gloves, etc. 

FOIA the cost of the cameras, their installation, and their UPKEEP.  The continuing costs are what will really steam the tax slaves.  Find out where the cameras will be monitored from, and have endless fun with THEM.  EMP pulses do nasty thing to electronics.  A little dimethyl telluride would make that part of the building uninhabitable due to the stench.  Put a little sign on the door: "Nosy people STINK!"   

Bald_Eagle

[Russell Kanning]

So what day do they want to do this?

I'm thinking Saturday, February 25th.

Should we head out of Keene after the peacenik session at noon and meet at 1pm?

[Caleb]

I'd also turn the camera idea around onto the perpetrators.  Follow them everywhere and film everything that they do.  Stake out their houses and film them and their families through their windows with a zoom lens.  Incessantly photograph them and mail the pictures to them and the press.  Photograph their children going to, at, and coming home from school.

That's a great idea!  Actually, some of us have tossed around that idea of getting a video recorder and hassling them.  People act different when they are on tape, and you can rattle them pretty easily.  The thing is that no one locally really has been bad enough to deserve that treatment.  Now ... if we lived in D.C. ... that would be a different mattter.

Now, the Bellow's Falls guys ... they could do that.

Caleb

[KBCraig]

Delaware Online: "Cameras keeping an eye on city"

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060131/NEWS/601310360/1006


Chicago Sun-Times: "Daly: Cameras will make us safer"

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-camera31.html

[Russell Kanning]

We will have to keep those out of NH. Does anyone know of any that have snuck into the state?

[president]

We will have to keep those out of NH. Does anyone know of any that have snuck into the state?

I told you guys about the cameras on Rt. 3(at the state line) and the intersection of the D.W. Highway and Spit Brook Rd. in Nashua a year ago when you did the free jim perry crap. The cameras feeds are broadcast on the Nashua cable system.
http://www.reclaimthemedia.org/stories.php?story=05/08/15/0411491

by ANDREW NELSON, Nashua Telegraph

NASHUA, NH ? Comcast will give the city $210,000 to improve government and educational access cable channels as part of a new franchise contract.

The 10-year contract between the cable giant and the city also provides Nashua with two additional government channels, with one reserved for educational content. The new pact also includes standards to enforce good customer service from the cable provider.

?This is a major improvement over the last contract,? said Larry Hersh, chairman of the cable TV advisory board.

The contract is supposed be discussed at the special aldermen?s meeting today.

The new municipal cable channels will broaden the content of government telecasts. The one channel now available for municipal business focuses on governmental meeting and traffic cameras. But that would change. Hersh said one of the new channels would provide educational content, whether telecasting events from the Nashua Public Library, Stellos Stadium or the city?s high schools.

http://www.ci.nashua.nh.us/downtownparking/ParkCardAnnounce120803.pdf

Parking Garage Security
The parking garages have a security system installed and operational. A total of 40 video cameras and 13 emergency call stations have been installed in the City?s two parking garages. These cameras are located on all the parking levels as well as in the stairwells and by the elevator doors. The Nashua Police Department has access to view the cameras and the call boxes have a direct voice line to the Nashua Police Department.

Looks like they are talking about it in Keene:
http://www.ci.keene.nh.us/minutes/msfi/2004_02_11_msfi_minutes.htm

7.      DISCUSSION - Traffic Cameras to Record Traffic Violations at Intersections

Chair Greenwald recognized Linda M. Peruzzi, Assistant City Attorney.  Ms. Peruzzi stated that she was asked to contact Red Flex regarding the cameras at key intersections.  She stated that it would be necessary to change legislation that addresses criminal issues.  She explained that she spoke with Aaron Rosenberg of Red Flex to see if the company would provide assistance with the lobbying it would take to make that sort of change in the legislature.  She stated that there would be assistance with the Ordinance, but not the legislation that would be necessary.  She stated that in talking with Chief Walker who had spoken with the Department of Safety, it would be illegal to implement the system and the enabling legislation would be necessary.  She stated that the Department of Safety feels that it might be possible in five years.


Chair Greenwald recognized Arthur Walker, Police Chief.  Chief Walker agreed with Ms. Peruzzi stating that implementation of the program would be problematic.  He stated that the State of New Hampshire says that the driver must be cited for the violation.

Mayor Michael E. J. Blastos encouraged the Committee to accept the report as informational stating that it would not make sense to pursue the idea further given the most recent information.

On a vote 5-0 the Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure Committee accepted the report as informational.

[citizen_142002]

Second Vermont Republic is the nearest thing to our movement in New Hampshire. Since the cameras are going to be errected in the Republic of Vermont, I think it would only be courteous to invite them. They could carry a Vermont Flag and we could carry one from New Hampshire. To me that brings to mind revolutionary era New England camraderie.
What's the idea with the press releases though? There is a fairly high risk of arrest as it is, and I for one would want to hand myself over by alerting the media. You are threatening to destroy federal property, an act of sabatoge, and under the patriot act that could be labeled a "terrorist threat".
Before I jump on board I need a little more information about just where the cameras will be. Is this plan designed to monitor sections of the city that have nothing to do with the federal government, or are the cameras watching primarily the grounds around a federal building. Personally I am not incensed about the feds placing the cameras on a federal instilation to monitor the perimiter. If this is a larger surveillence move however, I will go along.
I think that we should keep in mind that the Boston Tea Party was terribly illegal and only met the public's approval because the tea tax was widely hated. I think that most of the American public finds the idea of being watched by government cameras creepy, but they might not think that cameras on a federal installation are a threat to our rights.

[Russell Kanning]

What federal installation would there be in Bellows Falls? I think they would be to monitor roads and such.
Why carry a flag if you don't want anyone to see that you are doing it with a press release. Either it is right to tear down the cameras or not. That is the big decision. The cameras might not be up yet, so nothing to tear down yet.
Until you no longer fear arrest, you are not free from government tyranny.

[Caleb]

What's the idea with the press releases though? There is a fairly high risk of arrest as it is, and I for one would want to hand myself over by alerting the media. You are threatening to destroy federal property, an act of sabatoge, and under the patriot act that could be labeled a "terrorist threat".

The Press Releases are designed to get plenty of attention.  Like you said, there is a pretty decent chance of arrest.  If we get arrested, might as well have 280 million people know about it, don't you think? 

Personally, I'm not threatening to destroy any federal property.  I guess you could say I'm being prophetic:  "This is what will happen to your camaras" ... sounds like prophecy to me.  There's a fine line between free speech and "inciting a riot" I suppose, but since I'm a pacifist, it would be difficult to put me on any sort of terrorism list.   If they did ... well, "live free or die", right?

Before I jump on board I need a little more information about just where the cameras will be. Is this plan designed to monitor sections of the city that have nothing to do with the federal government, or are the cameras watching primarily the grounds around a federal building

No, the plan is to set up the camaras in different parts of the city, to monitor the city.  As I understand it, they are moving camaras: they pan around to get a 360 degree view (or perhaps not a whole 360 degree view, but you get the idea)  Technically, it is not "federal property".  The feds are paying for it, but it is Bellows Falls that is putting them up with federal grant money.  That's pretty much the same problem they were having in the revolution:  local "loyalists" were cooperating with the British oppression system.  Let's face the facts:  The FBI wants local governments to put up surveillance camaras because it is a small matter for the FBI to obtain the records.  And if it weren't for the feds paying, the odds of local governments putting them up would be somewhere between a snowball's chance and not very bloody likely.

I think that we should keep in mind that the Boston Tea Party was terribly illegal and only met the public's approval because the tea tax was widely hated. I think that most of the American public finds the idea of being watched by government cameras creepy

Most of the great and wonderful things that have happened in man's history have been terribly illegal.  I for one feel there is a higher moral law.  We have threatened neither to harm person nor property.  Yet we must constantly fear for our own lives and property as a result of THEM.  I think I'm going to start my own "terrorism watch list" and put the federal government on it.

Caleb

[Viscid]

Bellows Falls Plan for camera system dropped Residents heard; chief disappointed

ASSOCIATED PRESS and SENTINEL STAFF

Wednesday, February 15, 2006


BELLOWS FALLS ? Trustees have dropped plans to install a village-wide, closed circuit, security camera system.

At a meeting Tuesday the trustees opted instead to use a $98,000 federal grant earmarked for the camera system to purchase a digital radio system.

The 3-1 vote against using the money for the camera system came on the heels of a public hearing last month in which residents strongly opposed the plan, proposed by Bellows Falls Police Chief Keith Clark.

At that meeting, more than 100 people packed the town hall for a three-hour discussion of liberties and crime. Most of those who spoke at the meeting were opposed to the proposal to put 16 cameras around the village, including at the recreation center, the water and sewer treatment plants, the police and fire stations, several parking lots and town hall.

At that time, Clark explained reasons for proposing the cameras. While reports of simple assaults, larcenies and domestic abuse have dropped, vandalism reports have not, he said. Last year, the department handled 98 vandalism cases, 44 of which would?ve been caught on tape had the security cameras been in place, Clark said.

That didn?t seem to sway residents of Bellows Falls and Rockingham, who presented the trustees with a 500-signature petition against the cameras.

Roy Lidie, a retired Army officer who moved to Bellows Falls in 1994, said he didn?t like the idea.

?My service and the oath that I swore was to protect and defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights of the United States of America,? Lidie said at last month?s meeting. ?The business of running roughshod over the rights of the citizens of this country and the citizens of this village really disturbs me.?

A few residents supported the request, saying that cameras in town would be no different than those used to monitor banks and gas stations.

Clark had asked trustees last year for permission to apply for a grant to pay for the cameras. The trustees approved his request.

The wireless system would have transmitted images to the police station, where they would have been monitored 24 hours a day. The cameras would not have recorded audio and the images would have been saved for seven days.

After the vote Clark said he was disappointed.

?I?m glad they made the decision to move on, but I am disappointed that I spent a year on this,? the chief said. ?We had a chance to do something that no other community in Vermont had done.?

http://www.sentinelsource.com/main.asp?SectionID=31&SubSectionID=37&ArticleID=98211

[Kat Kanning]

Cool

[Lloyd Danforth]

That is a great turnout.. They should consider replacing the chief if his goals are limited to 'doing something no other Vermont community has done'.
They might consider getting the cameras, firing all but 3 cops and 3 people to watch the cameras and dispatch a cop when some crime shows up on the camera, over  a 24 hour basis.