Keene activism alert! : 2-16-23 next Thursday

Shire Renaissance
,
#1

Hear ye hear ye
I was at the flop meeting Wednesday night Feb 8th at City Hall.
On the table was whether or not to accept the proceeds of drug bust forfeiture; 12k.
I told them to reject it.
Of course they accepted it unanimously.
I believe they know the drug war is wrong, but Mr policeman comes up there with 12K and all that goes out the window.
I suggest people write to the city council because it’s not too late; and implore them not to accept those proceeds. Ill-gotten gaines is what I think of it as, but you know, you can’t say that to the city council because they’ll think you’re crazy.
But they know the drug war is wrong, I don’t know anybody who would think that it isn’t, so I suggest persuading them with letters, between now and the next city council meeting.

Imagine a news story that was that headline: “City Council rejects drug forfeiture money”.
That would make the news.
That would be the best sacrifice of 12k ever

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#2

this is a great post… i’m adding it to my " call talk radio about" list. wkbk open mike coming up in just 90 minutes i’ve set my alarm… usually i can’'t get thru at that hour but sometimes.

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#3

I’ve written a LTE about it… Hopefully it will be in the paper before the Council meeting…

I delivered this to city hall (they have cubby hole type mail boxes for communications from the public). :

"Reject the drug Forfeiture money.

Did you know that accepting the drug for forfeiture money means you’re giving the City of Keene’s approval to the drug war?

Do you know that the drug war is a monumental and historical failure, that cost billions of dollars and damaged millions of human lives? And that the drug epidemic is at a high, right here in New Hampshire.

But the Keene City Council will give its stamp of approval to the drug war.
Because, $12,000!!!
That’s why! :“Free money!”
It’s not “free money” for the above stated reasons.
And the Keene City Council should resoundingly reject it. And thereby, send the message, that the City of Keene calls the drug war a failure, and that we will not be party to it!

We won’t sell our souls, and accept the 12 thousand dollar bread and circus thrown to us.

Billions and billions of dollars spent on the drug war and New Hampshire still has the worst opioid problem through the nation.

REJECT THAT TWELVE THOUSAND MEASLY DOLLARS.
You won’t.
You’ll eat it up like crumbs thrown.

You will sell Keene’s soul for 12k."

Unquote…
They will get ^that^ today…
I don’t have much faith, as it indicates in the letter, but nothing ventured, nothing gained :slight_smile:
Oh I also added my phone number should they want to discuss it

#4

Federal money?
I mean where is the money from, would the feds have it otherwise?

#5

I guess, yes, the feds will give it to someone else.
Presumably.

Along the same lines :
The feds have some of Ian’s money, that they took, when they smashed his house in.

It’s up in the air whether or not they’re going to keep Ian’s money.
But if they do keep it, it’s probably going to go through the same process that the money in question went through. Though Ian’s money is different in that it’s not from the drug war. …
But it’s the same in that it was forcibly taken and people were harmed.

That question is an interesting one…

#6

I guess I’m a one man activism front on this ( except ridley)
They published my LTE, in time!

#7

I guess this is my activism dejour… There meeting is imminent… they are going to take the$$. I hate them… starts in 5 … It’s online

So there was a small resistance of two counselors… to accepting it.

They tried and they get props for that.

I believe they were newer ones… Of course…
I will get there names later as my internet glitched just then.

#8

There was some resistance… So at least it didn’t go through like shit through a goose… Just really close to that. There was a vote to send it back to committee, 6 voted to do that, 7 voted against doing that (some were absent)
I really believe that the sole reason that this didn’t just go through unanimously… Was because of my speaking out… here’s the meeting… it’s at about 52:43… Dave did some activism also, I think he mentioned, so that’s good… Because with more people the less they can disregard by saying “it’s just one wack job”

#9

I called in to free talk live and WKBK radio Keene about this last week… got on the air both places to talk about your concern, thank you irving. WKBK was already familiar with this council decision to my surprise so it was already getting some attention.

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#10

I did hear your call on wkbk… Dan is pretty caustic towards activism but, he mostly let’s his show air calls etc.
So that’s good.
He’s not fertile ground but he mostly let’s people talk.
:+1:
But yes, his show is the show to call, in the Keene/Cheshire county area, no doubt. And it’s easy to get on air so…

#11

So I sent a follow up letter to the city council, after their vote to accept the money. Then I sent that letter, that I sent them, to be publish as a LTE, IN THE SENTINEL. This is that sentinel LTE:

"I don't know how many people read my letter to the editor trying to influence the city council's vote on accepting drug forfeiture money. They voted on that this passed council meeting.

This is a letter I sent to them as a follow up to the results of that vote:

"To the mayor and council,

This is David Crawford again, this is a follow up to the outcome of the city council vote.

When I left my phone number in a last communication, I was sincere in wanting to discuss it because putting ideas and positions to the test, to me, is what it’s all about : My mind can be changed.

I put my position out there. No one else did,
at all.
The only one who put a alternative position to mine was me, lol: “we are taking it because it’s free money”

The city council accepted it with only one descending vote, they didn’t have a discussion at all.
They didn’t face challenges to their position.

Thank you Mister Williams.

And thanks to those who did consider sending it back to committee for more discussion.

In closing.
I’m aware of the X-police chief on the council, his experience in that position, as a police officer, could have added to the discussion.
But that discussion didn’t happen.
And with New Hampshire at the top of the opioid crisis list, nationwide.
Over 400- 600 deaths last year.
What a horrible record to have.
One would think a civic mind x-cop would have something to say about that.
Thanks to those who did consider more discussion.
Over and out
David Crawford"

Unquote. ^ that is it… Thank you for reading my LTE"

#12

good on you David thanks for doing this

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#13

Thank You! , Dave, for joining . :metal: