Photo by Claire Haus

Free Speech Friday kicked off earlier today in Keene’s Central Square but unfortunately a family emergency kept Derrick away. Instead he e-mailed me the speech he was preparing to deliver and I read it with the help of Beau Davis. Here is the text of the speech which covers the recent caging of two peaceful people – Ian Freeman and Jim Johnson:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Isn’t it wonderful to live in a free country?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of enlightenment, it was the age of foolishness.” – Charles Dickens, a Tale of Two Cities

Isn’t it amazing that in the information age, a person can type any question into a search engine and instantly browse millions of links with answers, and yet human freedom still alludes us?

I am thrilled that you’re here today because that means the first ever Free Speech Friday is commencing. I think this is a fitting place to address some of my grievances with the state.

First of all, to those who do this sort of thing, please stop kidnapping and caging peaceful people.

Ian Freeman is in a cage at 825 Marlboro St. His crime? Standing in front of a vehicle. He hurt no one.

Jim Johnson, recently bailed out of jail after being caged for 21 days. His crime? Trespassing on public property and refusing to fill out a piece of paper. These cases may sound extreme and non-sensical, but they are the two cases with which I am most familiar since my arrival in Keene 6 months ago. These people are friends of mine, the first people I met when I came up here, and they’re decent, peaceful people. Peaceful people do not belong in cages.

I address this grievance to you, my neighbors, because I think you’ve been fooled, and I want to petition YOU, rather than the state, to help me curb this aggression. You see, there’s this group of people who call themselves the state, and they claim to serve and protect the people of this community. I am doubtful of this claim. Why? Because they don’t give me the option to opt out of their “services.” In fact they force their services on me and other peaceful people daily, acting as if I approve of aggression. When my friend Ian was kidnapped, where were the protectors? They were doing the kidnapping. I do not ask mosquitoes to stop seeking blood, and I do not petition the state to stop using violence.

I petition you, instead. A proper redress of grievances is partnered with solutions. The solution I propose involves you. The violence perpetuated by those who call themselves “the state” cannot persist without YOUR obedience. Most people want to live their lives and be left alone. One may pay off a bully rather than take a beating. But there comes a point where one no longer lets the threats of bullies decide one’s actions.

What can one do, you ask, in order to act with self-authority?

I would encourage you NOT to vote, for this only encourages the gang. Replacing one bully for another is hardly more than giving your master a facelift. Peaceful people don’t endorse violent behavior, and I’m sure you’ll agree that it is violent to force obedience from everyone inside an arbitrary geographic location.

One effective way to say “no” to the violent gang is to refuse to take a plea deal, and encourage others to do the same. If just 10-15% of all the victimless crimes charged against peaceful people were taken to court, the establishment would be incentivized to take a discerning look at how it spends its time and resources. For instance, it’s likely that the more often charges for possession of marijuana are brought to court, the less often the state will victimize those who possess marijuana. In this way, you have the power to jam the cogs of the “justice system,” arguably the weakest leg of the state.

Another effective way you can impact the community’s freedom is by utilizing what is called “Jury Nullification.” This means you, as a juror, have the power to free an individual from the clutches of the government by declaring a person “not guilty.” An individual who acts with self-authority does not follow the confines of the “legal system” as it is presented to him. He instead follows his own moral code, allowing his conscience to guide his decisions. If no property was damaged, and there was no victim, then can there really be a crime? If you have the opportunity to be on a jury, communicate your disapproval for bad laws by nullifying them in court. All it takes is one person to plead not guilty. Before you support putting humans in cages, ask yourself, “Would I spend $40,000 per year to keep this person away from his freedom?”

Those who call themselves the state have no power unless YOU sacrifice your own. I ask that you keep your power and use it. Exercise your own authority as a peaceful, sovereign, sentient being. STOP asking others to use force on your behalf, and LIVE FREE!

Thank you.

Derrick spoke to Talley.TV live on the night of Ian’s kidnapping and caging by law enforcers employed by “Cheshire County” and here is what he had to say:

Derrick recently started a new Fr33manTV channel on YouTube that I just subscribed to.