New Hampshire

Tuesday • November 26 • 2024

Vol.XVI • No.XLVIII

Manchester, N.H.

Bill Hearings for Week of January 08, 2024

N.H. Liberty Alliance - Sun, 2024-01-07 17:17 +0000

These are the most liberty-critical hearings for the week
Click on the bill number to read the bill.
Click on the committee name to email the committee your thoughts.

If you’ve ever wanted to testify in a public hearing or would like to improve your skills there is a great opportunity this week.

Representative Dan McGuire ( Merrimack – District 14) has offered to host a training session on Wednesday morning in the

Legislative Office Building (LOB)
33 North State Street
Concord, NH 03301 .

Following the training, you are invited to testify and/or watch other testify in front of the Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services committee ( LOB Room 206-208 ) where the NH Liberty Alliance political director Michael Granger will be among the members hearing your testimony.

If interested, please sign up here so that we can let you know the room number for the training and make you aware of any event disruption.

Of the 152 hearings in the House, we are recommending support of 21 and opposition of 22 with 18 being of interest.
Of the 57 hearings in the Senate, we are recommending support of 3 and opposition of 9 with 2 being of interest.

Position	Bill	Title	Committee	Day	Time	Room	State Analysis
Oppose	HB1014	relative to the registration of high school students to vote.	Education	Mon 1/8	10:00 AM	LOB Room 205-207	This bill requires school districts and private high schools to develop programs to inform high school students about registering to vote.
Oppose	HB1293	relative to prohibiting the use of certain fertilizers using phosphorus.	Environment and Agriculture	Mon 1/8	10:00 AM	LOB Room 301-303	This bill prohibits the use of certain fertilizers using phosphorus.
Of Interest	HB1294	relative to prohibiting the state of New Hampshire from enforcing the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency.	Environment and Agriculture	Mon 1/8	11:00 AM	LOB Room 301-303	This bill states that the federal Environmental Protection Agency has no constitutional validity in this state, and requires that the New Hampshire department of environmental services provide for all environmental protection in this state.
Oppose	CACR14	relating to the environment and natural resources. Providing that the state shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment for present and future generations.	Environment and Agriculture	Mon 1/8	1:00 PM	LOB Room 301-303	This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution would require the state to maintain a clean and healthful environment and protect New Hampshire’s natural resources.
Of Interest	HB1398	relative to utility recovery of costs associated with net energy metering.	Science, Technology and Energy	Mon 1/8	2:00 PM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill requires that costs of net energy metering be assessed under a stranded cost recovery mechanism by electric distribution utilities.
Support	HB1425	relative to prohibiting the suspension of drivers’ licenses in child support enforcement matters.	Children and Family Law	Tue 1/9	10:45 AM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill prohibits the suspension, revocation, or denial of a driver’s license for failure to comply with a child support order, and allows for reinstatement for those whose driver’s license was suspended, revoked, or denied for such reason.
Of Interest	HB1598	relative to the department of health and human services management of social security payments and veterans benefits for children in foster care.	Children and Family Law	Tue 1/9	1:00 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill clarifies the obligation of the department of health and human services to ensure that social security payments and veterans benefits for children in the care of the department be held securely until the child has reach the age of majority or is no longer in the care of the department. The bill makes an appropriation to the department for this purpose.
Of Interest	HB1590	relative to training regarding child abuse and neglect for licensed physicians, advance practice nurses, and physician assistants.	Children and Family Law	Tue 1/9	1:30 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill sets training requirements for entities employing certain medical professionals caring for children under 18 years of age.
Of Interest	HB1183	relative to prohibiting the sale of agricultural land and land essential to critical industries to China.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Tue 1/9	10:00 AM	LOB Room 306-308	This bill provides that certain companies owned, in whole or in part, by the people’s republic of China or the Chinese communist party shall not own, lease, possess, or exercise any control over agricultural or farm lands and land essential to critical industries in this state.
Support	HB1232	prohibiting state or local governments from using central bank digital currency.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Tue 1/9	10:30 AM	LOB Room 306-308	This bill prohibits the state treasurer, state agencies, and political subdivisions from accepting a payment using central bank digital currency or participating in a test of central bank digital currency by any Federal Reserve branch.
Of Interest	HB1674	relative to establishing the New Hampshire legal tender act and establishing a state bullion depository.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Tue 1/9	11:00 AM	LOB Room 306-308	This bill creates the New Hampshire legal tender act; establishes gold and silver as legal tender; establishes a state depository; and enables digital use of gold and silver.
Support	HB1444	relative to local regulation of digital mining.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Tue 1/9	11:30 AM	LOB Room 306-308	This bill adds limits to the regulatory powers of political subdivisions over digital asset mining businesses.
Oppose	HB1207	relative to single-use disposable plastic foodware accessories.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Tue 1/9	1:15 PM	LOB Room 306-308	This bill prohibits certain food service facilities from having self serve/self-service disposable plastic foodware accessory dispensers, and from providing or offering disposable plastic foodware accessories to any customer, except upon request of that customer.
Oppose	HB1636	relative to creating the New Hampshire container deposit, refund, recycle, and reuse system.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Tue 1/9	1:45 PM	LOB Room 306-308	This bill creates a New Hampshire container deposit, refund, recycle and reuse system. It establishes a producer responsibility organization (PRO) to implement a beverage container recycling redemption refund program to issue redemption refunds to consumers for beverage containers. It contains labeling requirements, establishes performance targets for the PRO, contains reporting requirements, requires the PRO to establish an Operations Advisory Committee and an Equity and Access Advisory Committee and contains provisions concerning reimbursement, enforcement, administration and other provisions.
Oppose	SB379	relative to emergency action plans for sports related injuries.	Education	Tue 1/9	9:15 AM	LOB Room 101	This bill establishes requirements for the placement and maintenance of automated external defibrillators (AED) and requires an individual trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation to supervise school sponsored sports activities.
Support	SB444	relative to the public posting of board of education agenda items and meeting materials.	Education	Tue 1/9	9:30 AM	LOB Room 101	This bill requires the board of education to post agenda items and meeting materials on its website at least 48 hours before each noticed meeting.
Support	HB1305	relative to freedom of speech and association at public institutions of higher education.	Education	Tue 1/9	10:15 AM	LOB Room 205-207	This bill establishes procedures governing freedom of speech and association at public institutions of higher education.
Support	HB1690	relative to hiring, promotion, graduation, or admission in higher education.	Education	Tue 1/9	2:15 PM	LOB Room 205-207	This bill prohibits any institution of higher education that discriminates in admission, hiring, promotion, graduation, or admission to any program on the basis of sex, race, sexuality, national origin, ethnicity, or ideology, including but not limited to permitting diversity, equity, and inclusion statements, from accepting funds from the state or any local government or any subdivision thereof. This bill further establishes procedures for enforcement of this prohibition.
Oppose	SB346	prohibiting the use of dogs while hunting coyotes.	Energy and Natural Resources	Tue 1/9	9:15 AM	SH Room 103	This bill prohibits the use of dogs while hunting coyotes.
Oppose	SB454	increasing the annual real estate transfer tax revenue contribution to the affordable housing fund.	Finance	Tue 1/9	1:00 PM	SH Room 103	This bill increases the amount of annual real estate transfer tax revenues which are transfered to the affordable housing fund.
Of Interest	SB322	relative to licenses to carry.	Judiciary	Tue 1/9	1:00 PM	SH Room 100	This bill requires a license authorizing an individual to carry a loaded pistol or revolver in this state to include the name, title, and signature of the person issuing the license.
Oppose	SB577	relative to imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.	Judiciary	Tue 1/9	1:35 PM	SH Room 100	This bill establishes a waiting period for the delivery of a firearm, subject to certain exceptions.
Oppose	SB571	relative to requiring a background check prior to any commercial firearm sale.	Judiciary	Tue 1/9	2:00 PM	SH Room 100	This bill requires commercial firearms sales or transfers in this state to be subject to a criminal background check and provides a criminal penalty for a violation. This bill further provides a process for a commercial sale of a firearm where neither party to the prospective transaction is a licensed firearms dealer.
Oppose	HB1258	relative to a waiver from property taxes for disabled veterans.	Municipal and County Government	Tue 1/9	11:30 AM	LOB Room 301-303	This bill increases the range of the optional tax credit for service-connected total disability.
Of Interest	HB1697	suspending New Hampshire’s participation in emissions reduction credit programs for a period of 2 years.	Science, Technology and Energy	Tue 1/9	9:30 AM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill suspends New Hampshire’s participation in emissions reduction credit programs administered by the department of environmental services for a period of 2 years.
Support	HB1031	relative to motor vehicle certificate of title exemptions.	Transportation	Tue 1/9	10:00 AM	LOB Room 203	This bill exempts motor vehicles older than 10 years from the title requirement.
Support	HB1032	relative to certificate of title exemptions for vehicles 20 or more years old.	Transportation	Tue 1/9	10:20 AM	LOB Room 203	This bill exempts vehicles 20 or more years old from having a certificate of title.
Of Interest	SB512	relative to the 10-year highway plan.	Transportation	Tue 1/9	1:45 PM	LOB Room 101	This bill adds a traffic-calming scheme on a portion of Route 101 to the New Hampshire 10-Year Transportation Improvement Plan.
Oppose	SB466	relative to allowing the department of transportation to erect sound barriers upon request of municipalities.	Transportation	Tue 1/9	2:00 PM	LOB Room 101	This bill establishes 2 noise barrier programs and the noise barrier construction fund, and makes an appropriation to the fund.
Support	HB1391	allowing new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.	Transportation	Tue 1/9	2:00 PM	LOB Room 203	This bill allows new vehicles purchased in the model year or before to be inspected in the second year after purchase.
Support	CACR15	relating to taxation. Providing that a 2/3 vote is required to pass legislation imposing new or increased taxes or license fees, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds and providing that the general court shall appropriate funds for payment of interest and installments of principle of all state bonds.	Ways and Means	Tue 1/9	10:00 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution provides that a 2/3 vote of the house of representatives and the senate shall be required to pass a new tax or license fee or to increase any tax or license fee that has been levied, or to authorize the issuance of state bonds.
Of Interest	CACR18	relating to the tax exempt status of churches. Providing that churches shall not be exempt from state taxes.	Ways and Means	Tue 1/9	10:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution adds an amendment specifying that churches, religious organizations, and houses of worship are subject to state and local taxes.
Oppose	HB1254	relative to an optional local public safety assessment on certain room occupancies.	Ways and Means	Tue 1/9	11:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill enables a municipality to collect a public safety assessment on hotel occupancies for the purpose of public safety associated with the increase in tourism and transient traffic.
Support	HB1515	relative to the meals and rooms tax rate.	Ways and Means	Tue 1/9	12:00 PM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill reduces the meals and rooms tax rate for taxable meals from 8.5 percent to 7.5 percent and sets a minimum amount of revenue apportioned to towns.
Oppose	HB1406	relative to gender-based pricing of goods and services.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Wed 1/10	10:00 AM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill prohibits price discrimination based upon to whom goods or services are marketed and establishes a mechanism for enforcement.
Oppose	HB1071	relative to the right to repair certain educational technology.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Wed 1/10	10:30 AM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill requires the manufacturer of certain educational technology to provide authorized independent repair providers with the necessary parts and equipment for repair. The failure to do so would be a violation of the consumer protection act.
Support	HB1624	relative to allowing the distillation of hobby liquors.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Wed 1/10	11:00 AM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill allows the hobby distillation of liquors produced from beer or wine.
Oppose	HB1621	requiring the liquor commission to distribute certain information in liquor stores.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Wed 1/10	1:45 PM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill requires the liquor commission to produce and distribute information about alcohol use disorder at liquor stores.
Support	HB1227	relative to extending the hours of alcoholic beverage sales for on-premises licensees.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Wed 1/10	2:45 PM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill extends the hours of alcoholic beverage sales for on-premises licensees.
Of Interest	HB1021	relative to body-worn cameras and exculpatory evidence.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Wed 1/10	9:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill makes changes to which individuals are allowed access to police body-worn camera (BWC) footage by allowing criminal defendants greater access. This bill further repeals the requirements that officers only use BWCs while in uniform and that they not use the BWC to record communications with other police personnel.
Support	HB1022	relative to decriminalizing certain acts between consenting adults.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Wed 1/10	10:00 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill reduces the penalties under the prohibition against prostitution and related offenses, including decriminalizing certain conduct.
Support	HB1025	relative to disorderly conduct.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Wed 1/10	10:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill repeals the prohibition against directing at another person in a public place obscene, derisive, or offensive words which are likely to provoke a violent reaction on the part of an ordinary person.
Oppose	HB1583	relative to the per pupil cost of an opportunity for an adequate education.	Education	Wed 1/10	9:00 AM	LOB Room 205-207	This bill increases the base annual cost of providing an opportunity for an adequate education.
Oppose	HB1656	relative to increasing the adequacy grant for pupils receiving special education services.	Education	Wed 1/10	9:30 AM	LOB Room 205-207	This bill increases the annual cost of an adequate eduction for each pupil in ADMR receiving special education services.
Oppose	SB403	relative to health care workforce investments.	Health and Human Services	Wed 1/10	9:30 AM	LOB Room 101	This bill: I. Extends the deadlines of the legislative commission on the interdisciplinary primary care workforce issues. II. Makes clarifying amendments to the home health care provider and nurse practice act statutes. III. Establishes the position of and regulation of community health workers. IV. Establishes various programs and provides appropriations therefor focused on community health and health care employment.
Support	SB351	relative to statewide work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents on food stamps.	Health and Human Services	Wed 1/10	1:15 PM	LOB Room 101	This bill provides that the department of health and human services shall not seek any waiver or exemption of the work requirements for able bodied adults under the food stamp or SNAP program.
Oppose	SB456	relative to establishing a nurse retention school loan debt relief program.	Health and Human Services	Wed 1/10	1:30 PM	LOB Room 101	This bill establishes a nurse retention school loan debt relief program in the department of health and human services. The bill also establishes a dedicated fund and makes an appropriation to the fund for this purpose.
Oppose	HB1068	relative to establishing a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools.	Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs	Wed 1/10	9:45 AM	LOB Room 210-211	This bill establishes a blood lead level testing requirement for children entering day care and public schools.
Oppose	HB1593	relative to funding for developmental services community integration.	Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs	Wed 1/10	1:00 PM	LOB Room 210-211	This bill establishes a developmental services community integration fund in the department of health and human services to support individuals with developmental disabilities and makes an appropriation therefor.
Oppose	HB1520	establishing a family assistance car ownership pilot program in the department of health and human services.	Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs	Wed 1/10	1:45 PM	LOB Room 210-211	This bill establishes a car ownership pilot program for participants in the New Hampshire employment program and family assistance program. The bill makes an appropriation to the department of health and human services for this purpose.
Of Interest	CACR23	relating to the right to abortion. Providing that all persons shall have the right to abortion prior to 24 weeks.	Judiciary	Wed 1/10	10:00 AM	SH Room Reps Hall	This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution establishes the right to abortion prior to 24 weeks.
Oppose	HB1007	relative to notice of terms and conditions of remote work arrangements.	Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services	Wed 1/10	9:45 AM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill requires an employer to provide the employee with notice of the terms and conditions of any remote work arrangement.
Oppose	HB1023	relative to requiring employers to provide notice of resources available to support veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).	Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services	Wed 1/10	10:30 AM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill requires employers to provide their employees with notice of resources available to support veterans with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Oppose	HB1178	relative to an employee’s unused earned time.	Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services	Wed 1/10	11:15 AM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill requires an employer to pay an employee for unused earned time.
Oppose	HB1322	relative to the state minimum hourly rate.	Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services	Wed 1/10	1:00 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill increases the minimum hourly rate, increases the base rate for tipped employees, and adjusts both rates annually based on the most recent 12-month average of the Consumer Price Index.
Oppose	HB1668	relative to establishing a 4-day work week.	Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services	Wed 1/10	2:00 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill mandates a regular work week of 32 hours in 4 8-hour days.
Support	HB1377	relative to granting workers free choice to join or refrain from joining labor unions.	Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services	Wed 1/10	3:00 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join or contribute to a labor union.
Of Interest	HB1495	making provisions for the prospective of all legislative acts on a sliding scale based on the vote count when passed by the house of representatives.	Legislative Administration	Wed 1/10	9:00 AM	LOB Room 203	This bill makes provisions for the prospective of all legislative acts on a sliding scale based on the vote count when passed by the house of representatives.
Of Interest	HB1367	relative to establishing immunity for certain testimony in public legislative hearings.	Legislative Administration	Wed 1/10	10:30 AM	LOB Room 203	This bill authorizes the granting of immunity to witnesses that appear before the legislature for testimony concerning potential criminal conduct related to the statute that is the subject of the hearing.
Oppose	HB1423	requiring the commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state of New Hampshire.	Resources, Recreation and Development	Wed 1/10	11:20 AM	LOB Room 305	This bill requires the commissioner of the department of natural and cultural resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state of New Hampshire.
Oppose	HB1477	relative to environmental surety bonds for businesses that pose a significant risk to the state’s natural resources.	Resources, Recreation and Development	Wed 1/10	2:00 PM	LOB Room 305	This bill directs the commissioner to develop a program requiring environmental surety bonds for businesses that pose a significant risk to the state’s natural resources.
Support	HB1334	relative to the sale of beer in refillable containers.	Commerce and Consumer Affairs	Thu 1/11	2:15 PM	LOB Room 302-304	This bill allows for the sale of beer in a refillable container.
Support	HB1035	relative to limitations on extradition.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Thu 1/11	9:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill prohibits the extradition of an individual charged solely with violating a firearm licensing regulation of another state.
Of Interest	HB1404	relative to criminal procedure and the right to a jury trial.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Thu 1/11	10:00 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill provides a right for a jury trial in any criminal offense or for a violation where there is a fine of $20 or more. This bill further provides new processes for appeals of circuit court verdicts to the superior court for jury trials. This bill also requires courts to allow criminal defendants to present any evidence to their proffered defense.
Support	HB1438	criminalizing interference with a whistleblower.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Thu 1/11	10:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill criminalizes interference with whistleblowers in certain circumstances.
Oppose	SB418	relative to THC concentrations for driving offenses.	Judiciary	Thu 1/11	1:00 PM	SH Room 100	This bill sets maximum THC concentration levels for various driving offenses.
Support	SB570	establishing a misdemeanor for first-offense controlled drug possession.	Judiciary	Thu 1/11	1:45 PM	SH Room 100	This bill amends the penalty for obtaining, purchasing, transporting, possessing, or having under a person’s control a controlled drug to a class A misdemeanor, and amends the penalty for a subsequent offense to a class B felony.
Support	HB1064	relative to penalties for violation of protective orders.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Fri 1/12	9:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill repeals the provision directing peace officers to seize any firearms, ammunition, and certain deadly weapons subsequent to an arrest for a violation of a protective order issued under the chapter.
Of Interest	HB1073	relative to repealing the prohibition on placement of simulated explosives.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Fri 1/12	10:00 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill repeals the prohibition on the placement of simulated explosives.
Of Interest	HB1599	relative to the use of artificial intelligence for personal defense.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Fri 1/12	10:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill affirms that, under the second amendment to the United States Constitution, a person may use autonomous artificial intelligence for defense purposes, subject to specified limitations.
Support	HB1237	relative to the use of unmarked or stealth police vehicles for traffic enforcement.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Fri 1/12	11:00 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill establishes a requirement that any police vehicle purchased after January 1, 2025 must be clearly marked and labeled as a police vehicle in order for it to be used in traffic law enforcement.
Support	HB1238	requiring all municipal police department vehicles to bear municipal police license plates.	Criminal Justice and Public Safety	Fri 1/12	11:30 AM	LOB Room 202-204	This bill requires all municipal police departments to affix municipal police license plates to all department-owned vehicles.
Of Interest	CACR20	relating to declaring independence from the United States of America. Providing that if the national debt reaches $40 trillion, New Hampshire shall declare independence and proceed as a sovereign nation.	State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs	Fri 1/12	9:30 AM	LOB Room 206-208	This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution amends the constitution to provide that if the US national debt reaches $40 trillion, New Hampshire shall secede from the union.
Of Interest	HB1338	relative to New Hampshire’s enforcement of the Military Selective Service Act.	State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs	Fri 1/12	1:30 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This bill prohibits state or local enforcement of the Military Selective Service Act except in times of foreign military invasion or declared war. This bill further repeals the state penalty provisions for lack of compliance with the Military Selective Service Act, and allows for the marking of “conscientious objector” when registering with the division of motor vehicles.
Of Interest	CACR13	relating to slavery and involuntary servitude. Providing that slavery and involuntary servitude shall be prohibited in the state of New Hampshire.	State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs	Fri 1/12	3:00 PM	LOB Room 206-208	This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution adds an article that prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude.

The post Bill Hearings for Week of January 08, 2024 appeared first on NH Liberty Alliance.

Categories: Articles, Front Page, New Hampshire

NH Civics Hires Diversity and Equity Community Organizer as Executive Director

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 17:00 +0000

I think everyone can agree that Civics education in America is suffering. Graduating students cannot answer basic questions on Civics. But there is a debate on how to improve Civics education for k-12 students.

I’ve attended public legislative hearings on Civics education in New Hampshire. Everyone agrees that we have a serious problem. It doesn’t surprise me that those testifying, admit that children are devoid of basic Civics knowledge. You would think that this would mean that everyone would want to improve Civics literacy. You’d be wrong.

Political activists see this as an opportunity to turn students into political activists. This is why they want to focus on Civics activism versus Civics literacy. There is a big difference.

NH Civics describes themselves as: The Leader in Civics Education—
We envision a New Hampshire that is first in the nation in citizen preparation and a national leader in civics education.

One would think that this organization would be fighting for Civics literacy for New Hampshire students, but when you look at what they’ve been doing, it makes you wonder.

WESTHEIMER

Back in 2020, NH Civics hosted Joel Westheimer as one of their guest speakers. Westheimer is the son of Ruth Westheimer, the sex therapist. Westheimer is the University Research Chair in Democracy and Education at the University of Ottawa. He is also the education columnist for CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning and Ontario Today shows.

Westheimer is an author and has written a few books including Pledging Allegiance, the Politics of Patriotism in America’s Schools. If you scroll through the quotes he includes on his website, you can see that many of the people are considered far leftists. What does that mean for Civics education? Howard Zinn is featured in his book, as the person who wrote the Forward. Howard Zinn’s book “A People’s History of the US” has been used in classrooms across the country.

Mary Grabar exposes Howard Zinn in her book Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation against America.

Scholar Mary Grabar exposes just how wrong in her stunning new book Debunking Howard Zinn, which demolishes Zinn’s Marxist talking points that now dominate American education.

Then there’s the interview with Westheimer and domestic terrorist Bill Ayers:

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

One begins to wonder, what is it that NH Civics has in store for New Hampshire students?

Here is what NH CIVICS considers a good resource for teachers: Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools. The report was produced by the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, the Leonore Annenberg Institute of Civics of the Annenberg Center for Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

What does Annenberg Institute for School Reform prioritize for students in public schools? Literacy? Academic excellence? NO. Community Organizing.
The Strengths and Challenges of Community Organizing as an Education. If you scroll down to the Introduction and go to the last paragraph you will see where they reference Saul Alinksy as a source for community organizing:

6 Community organizing has a long history in the United States. Warren (2001), Shirley (1997), and Oakes and Rogers (2006) provide excellent reviews of the historical roots of modern education organizing, including the evolution of the theories of Saul Alinsky and others.

Annenberg can be traced back to domestic terrorist and radical Bill Ayers.

LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS

We know NH Listens through the Carsey School of Public Policy, is a Community Organizing group out of UNH.
See:
1) NH Listens? No They Don’t. They Tell!
2) We’re being followed…..again.. Welcome, NH Listens & the Carsey Institute!

3) SAU16/Exeter: Now Hiding Critical Race Theory Meetings From the Public

4) Community Organizers Coming to Henniker/SAU24 to Divide the Community?

5) NH Civics? A Front for Radical Leftism in the New Hampshire Classrooms?

So it was interesting to see that NH Civics’ announced that they had hired Executive Director Allyson Ryder. Prior to joining NH Civics, Ryder worked in higher education at UNH in the Office of Community, Equity and Diversity, and as a Fellow for NH Listens through the Carsey School of Public Policy.
That’s code for, she worked as a community organizer for leftists.

Her Linked-In profile refers to her as a Systems Change Leader:

Change Agents seek to change the political landscape and identify the resisters in their community wherever they serve.
See: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Agents-Schools-Barbara-Morris/dp/0931650003

Survival Sunday

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 15:00 +0000

First, I am merely an “enlightened amateur”. Please vet & check on your own. Caveat emptor. Consider these to be priming the pump for your own investigations. I know this is a long post; I am attempting to put out a lot of information as a resource. Read or skip sections depending on your interests.

Second, I fear spicy time is very close, but even a month of food, water, etc., puts you well ahead of most of the sheeple. IMHO, set your minimum sights on a three-month period.

Third, two things will be critical for having the best chance of making it through:

Mentality: first and foremost in survival is having a flexible mentality and cultivating the ability to adapt. Vanity has no place in survival.
Develop a meatspace network of people that are likeminded: cultivate your community ties and build alliances with neighbors (note: don’t babble about the Jab or globalists or depopulation, or start pointing political fingers when doing this)… and remember, the first rule of PREP CLUB is that there is no prep club.

And please follow both me, Nitzakhon, on Gab… as well as my blog host Granite Grok. FYI, here’s a link to the last Survival Sunday.

Note that these grow over several weeks.

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Hope is an expensive commodity. It makes better sense to be prepared.

Thucydides

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Top of the fold:

Well Being: Dietary Supplements – by Robert W Malone MD, MS (substack.com)

They don’t want you healthy.

>>>>>=====<<<<<

SITREP sites:

I used to do a SITREP post as a separate, stand-alone. I can’t afford that time any more. Here are some “starter places” for sites that I routinely go to get info about what’s happening.

The sidebar of my old blog, with links to other places. redpilljew

Gates of Vienna

Doug Ross @ Journal (directorblue.blogspot.com)

The Other McCain

TheBlaze

ancipient news

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Oddments – random thoughts on prepping:

Bayou Renaissance Man: Emergency food supplies: points to ponder

Food shortages coming, by dribs and drabs. MHO is that the supplies will slowly, slowly constrict to avoid mass panic… until the absences become so noticeable that there’s a “preference cascade” where the mass public becomes consciously aware in a very short timespan.

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Prepper Site URLS:

Most have daily articles; revisit daily. Please recommend others in the comments.

Ask a Prepper, how to prepare, survive and thrive, latest news

Mother Earth News

The Organic Prepper Home – The Organic Prepper

SurvivalBlog.com – The Daily Web Log for Prepared Individuals Living in Uncertain Times.

SHTF Blog – Modern Survival

Survival World – Everything You Need To Know to Survive

Homestead Survival Site – How to Live Off The Grid in Comfort and Style

Urban Survival Site | How to Survive a Disaster in the City

Mind4Survival – Survival and Preparedness

Gray Wolf survival

Sustainable Living (sustainablelivingideas.com)

The Classic Survivalist – Surviving in a Modern World

Primal Survivor – Practical and sensible prepping advice

Em Off-grid – We & Our Off The Grid Life – Em OffGrid

Resource for Practical, Daily Prepping Skills for SHTF & Survival (geekprepper.com)

Home – Backwoods Home Magazine (new)

Purpose Driven Homestead – Our family is on a journey to rediscover the ways that we can be more self-sufficient in our own backyards. (new)

And three aggregate sites listing their top favorite sites & links too:

TOP 50 SURVIVAL & PREPPER BLOGS

The 50 Best Survival Blogs

Prepper Website – Preparedness • Survival • Alternative News

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Specific, one-up articles:

Building an Outdoor Oven – Mother Earth News

The technology of the domed oven is ancient. In one of the world’s oldest excavated Neolithic villages, every house had a domed mud oven. That was 9,000 years ago! The technology hasn’t changed. Any refractory dome that has a hole cut into it (so you can heat the oven with an interior fire) will cook pizza and other foods when the fire is still burning. However, the ultimate power of the domed oven is that the dome functions like a battery, absorbing heat while it’s being fired. So, after the fire has died down, you can sweep out the embers and bake bread and casseroles with the stored heat radiating into the oven from the dome. When the oven is nearly cool, you can dry wild mushrooms, herbs, and fruit inside.

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15 Items Every Prepper Should Hoard – Off-Grid

Video embedded.

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EMP Proof Batteries For Off-Grid Battery Bank (modernsurvivalblog.com)

Looks like the “old batteries” are best.

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Related to Spicy Time:

If you’re out in the woods, got to build fires with minimal to no smoke.

Stop the Smoke, Do THIS to Your Fire Pit

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DIY Projects to Hide Your Survival Plants in Plain Sight – Ask a Prepper

Nevertheless, it’s highly likely that those neighbors will remember your garden when food runs out and they want something to eat. That’s when they might be tempted to slip over the fence and see what you have that they can reappropriate for their own use.

This makes it so that the real trick about growing a survival garden is keeping your garden from being obvious. As an alternative, some parts of your garden might end up being obvious, but you’ll want to make sure that not all of it is readily identifiable as a vegetable garden. The more of your garden that you can keep people from recognizing for what it is, the better.

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EMP: The First 72 Hours – Ask a Prepper

Excellent. MHO on an EMP. Anyone with the capability to EMP will likely do it several times, spread out over weeks or even months (assuming retaliations don’t kick off).

Three more from the same site:

These Common Items Will Become a Luxury When SHTF – Ask a Prepper

7 Assumptions That Can Get You Killed When STHF – Ask a Prepper

Meds FEMA Will Take From You in a Crisis. Hide Them Now – Ask a Prepper

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“It is interesting to hear certain kinds of people insist that the citizen cannot fight the government. This would have been news to the men of Lexington and Concord, as well as the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. The citizen most certainly can fight the government, and usually wins when he tries. Organized national armies are useful primarily for fighting against other organized national armies. When they try to fight against the people, they find themselves at a very serious disadvantage. If you will just look around at the state of the world today, you will see that the guerillero has the upper hand. Irregulars usually defeat regulars, providing they have the will. Such fighting is horrible to contemplate, but will continue to dominate brute strength.”

— Col Jeff Cooper USMC ret.

Citizens would win against the U.S. Military, here’s how | by Conor | Sword and Shield | Medium

(May need to register; you do get a “free pass” to 1-2 articles.)

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Related to Bushcraft specifically:

This actually WORKS! Primitive Water Filter Survival Hack!

US Boxing Makes ‘Wife Beating’ A Professional Sport

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 13:00 +0000

Having spent time with former police, I’ve heard my share of stories about ‘domestics.’ Fights between cohabitating partners if you prefer. I’m also familiar with recovering angry drunks who were abusive – my mom spent her life helping alcoholics in recovery. People hit each other, and some men hit women.

Some guys are more like Comedian Bill Burr, who said, I don’t condone hitting women, but I understand it. He was being funny and real. As I said, people hit each other. And yes, there are plenty of women who hit men. But put them in a ring, and there might be a lot of money in it if you can do it professionally and survive the abuse.

Boxing used to be the sport of kings, but now, thanks to US boxing, it is also the sport of queens. It is allowing men to fight in women’s matches if they claim to be women.

We used to call this violence against women. Now we call it a victory for trans rights. The trans cult is a mental health epidemic in our country and it needs to stop. https://t.co/GjDDMrDSn7

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 4, 2024

As policies go, this one is slightly better than most I’ve seen.

Under the new policy, included in the 2024 rule book, male boxers who transition can compete in the female category so long as they meet certain criteria.

Those under the age of 18 are still required to compete as their birth gender, but adults can choose their category as long as they state their new gender identity and fully complete gender reassignment surgery.

But it completely fails to address the actual threat. A male competitor who undergoes surgery still benefits from the increased bone density and muscle mass, height, and weight advantages. A female boxer would have to be crazy to get into the ring with a man who transitioned after maturing into adulthood. The likely difference in reach combined with power puts her at a significant disadvantage.

Transwomen will dominate the sport, effectively erasing it as a path for women to pursue athletically unless they like getting beat by women who were born men.

Ebanie Bridges, the bantamweight world titleholder, also said the policy has no place in the world of boxing.

“I don’t care about ‘political correctness,’” she wrote. “It’s politically incorrect to have a man fighting a woman… and [I don’t care] that’s exactly what this is… this society is too soft… This is our health and safety.

“The girls need to stick together or women’s sports in 50 years will be filled with male-born champions.”

She added in a follow-up post: “It’s bad enough having trans women breaking records in other sports like track and field, swimming and powerlifting but it’s a bit different to them breaking our skulls in combat sports where the aim is to HURT YOU, not just break a record.

And unlike domestics, where we might suspect something is off until someone ends up dead, we can see it from here. US Boxing just put a hit out on some woman; we just don’t know yet who it is.

The post US Boxing Makes ‘Wife Beating’ A Professional Sport appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

No … Republicans Do NOT Want The Border Closed And Secure

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 11:00 +0000

So I just (1/6 10:00 AM) read a post … in fact, it’s the most popular post … Night Cap: Chuck Schumer Explains The Democrat Game Plan Today, which presents the border as a Democrat versus Republican binary dispute. Essentially, if you want open borders, vote Democrat. If you want secure borders, vote Republican.

Republicans want the Border closed and secure. The Democrats want it open and a fast track to citizenship for illegals.

It is what the GOP Establishment wants you to believe.

It is what many … perhaps most … Republican voters want to believe. That the candidate with the “R” after his name is on your side. Except it is NOT true. While there are many Republicans serving in Congress who are sincere about securing the border with no strings attached, there is a critical mass of Republicans who represent the donor-class who will NOT secure the border … and secure should be in quotes: “secure” as in when they say that word it does not mean what you think it means.

When Trump was elected in 2016 … the last free and fair election … he swept into office GOP majorities in both the House and Senate. But the GOP Congress REFUSED to fund a border wall. Because Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell and their ilk represent the donor class, not Republican voters, and the donor class wants open borders … the donor class would call it something like “free markets require the free flow of labor,” which is a lovely euphemism for cheap labor.

The author of Night Cap: Chuck Schumer Explains The Democrat Game Plan Today, presents the House’s passage of H.R. 2 as proof that the border is a Democrat versus Republican binary dispute:

The House passed H.R. 2 last year, and Chuck Schumer will not bring it to the floor for debate. Who is obstructing? KJP says the Republicans do not want comprehensive Immigration Reform. KJP, have you read H.R. 2? I didn’t think so.

The donor-class GOP who voted for H.R. 2 did so knowing full well that it was D.O.A. in the Senate (and that would have been the case even if Cocaine-Mitch was running the show). The much better test of whether the House GOP actually wants something done about the border is their unwillingness to impeach Mayorkas. And as for you bitter-clingers saying that the Senate would NOT have impeached, the Senate would still have been required to hold a trial where the House Impeachment Managers could have shown the American people how the Biden-Regime has intentionally flooded America with illegals:

740,000 illegals have invaded the border since October 1st, 2023.

We must never stop sharing this list of 19 House Republicans who protected DHS Secretary Mayorkas from impeachment:

Rep. Dan Crenshaw
Rep. Nancy Mace
Rep. Patrick McHenry
Rep. Tom McClintock
Rep. Virginia Foxx…

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 28, 2023

And one final … and indisputable … point: It is no longer enough to secure the border. Once the illegals the Biden-Regime has let into the country have children … who by virtue of “birthright citizenship” are citizens and therefore get to vote … and those children reach voting age, there will be tens of millions of new Democrat voters and permanent Democrat majority. The open Southern border is the actual “attack on our sacred democracy.”

But there will be no political will to deport these millions of illegals. Even if somehow … despite the 2024 election already being rigged … you do get a real secure-borders GOP federal government in 2024, the first sob story on ABC, CBS, NBC, etc., and the GOP would crack on the issue of deportations. In twenty years, America will be totally unrecognizable and unsalvageable.

The post No … Republicans Do NOT Want The Border Closed And Secure appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

The 2024 Legislative Season Begins – Take Action on Two Important Bills This Week

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 09:00 +0000

As the 2024 legislative season begins, I wanted to thank you all for your continued support and help furthering liberty in New Hampshire.

Most weeks, we ask that you sign in to support or oppose bills and write a brief email to the committee with your thoughts. The emails can be as simple as one or two sentences asking the committee to support or oppose the legislation or as long as you need to express your personal thoughts, but it makes a huge difference for the legislators to know that people are paying attention.

If you have time, all of these are public hearings. I have posted the building and room number if you wish to attend in person.

Key:
LOB= Legislative Office Building
SH= State House
HB= House Bill
SB= Senate Bill

Tuesday, January 9th, N.H. House
Commerce
LOB, Room 306-308

10:30 a.m. – SUPPORT – HB 1232. This bill prohibits the government from using a central bank digital currency in any way. Central bank digital currency would mean a completely government controlled wealth system and needs to be fought in every possible.
Click here to register your disposition.
Email the committee.

Wednesday, January 10th, N.H. Senate
Health and Human Services
LOB, Room 101

1:00 p.m. – SUPPORT – SB 319
This bill prohibits the state from purchasing, promoting, or distributing vaccines and pharmaceutical products without human clinical trials. The state of New Hampshire did purchase, promote and distribute the COVID booster before human trials and this precedent cannot be allowed to stand.
Click here to register your disposition.
Email
Regina.Birdsell@leg.state.nh.us
Kevin.Avard@leg.state.nh.us
Jeb.Bradley@leg.state.nh.us
Becky.Whitley@leg.state.nh.us
Suzanne.Prentiss@leg.state.nh.us

The post The 2024 Legislative Season Begins – Take Action on Two Important Bills This Week appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Night Cap: No Wonder Sidney Powell Is Under a Gag Order

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 03:00 +0000

On May 7, 2022, Ms. Sidney Powell (a former DoJ prosecutor) gave a deposition to the “House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol pursuant to House Resolution 503.” Mainstream media has not covered it; it does not suit the official narrative.

And why hasn’t Ms. Powell tried to spread the word? She signed an agreement to be gagged as part of a plea deal (which I think has to do with Jan 6, not sure).

I’ve chosen only a small portion to print here (I downloaded a copy months ago – it’s about 50,000 words). If you wish to see the rest, you can contact me.

So, is there any conflict of interest by me (Mary Maxwell) in publishing this, given that I am currently a candidate for the January 23 Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire? There is a prejudice on my part to believe Sidney Powell. She totally won me over with her 2014 book “Licensed To Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice.” She is my hero of the 2020 affair.

Editing.

I have not “edited” this thing. The usual sign for elision, three dots, was used by me to indicate that a small portion was deleted, to spare the reader from non-essential chatter: I use “&&&” to imply a substantial omission, but in fact, most of the deposition is not here as you can guess from my presenting only 2.6k out of 50K words. As for the italicized headings, I made them up to lure you in.

[‘Grok] – reformatted to make it easier to read, but no other edits from us.

We want to thank Dr. Mary Maxwell for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL, … DEPOSITION OF SIDNEY POWELL
Saturday, May 7, 2022, Washington, D.C. [Greatly abridged, otherwise no alteration — MM]

Good morning, Ms. Powell. My name’s ____ I’m senior investigative counsel.
A Good Morning. You’re too young to be senior investigative counsel.
Q I think you’re gonna actually make me blush, ma’am. &&& I believe you were involved at some point in trying to get an executive order signed that would allow for the seizure and inspection of voting machines; is that correct?

Litigation was a means of getting to the truth I had hoped. I mean, that’s the way our court should have functioned.

A We were looking at the possibility, and I drafted the foreign interference findings if I remember correctly or at least had a hand in writing those, to support the use of Executive Order 13848 on cyber security to secure the voting machines hopefully in three to five cities where the voting irregularities were the worst, and then have them imaged by a bipartisan professional group that understood what they were doing. We even suggested the use of it being videoed if I remember correctly so that we could get the evidence of whatever happened and lay all this to rest.

And one of the things I really appreciated about — most of this was discussed on the December 18th, that meeting is one I have more recollection of than any others because it was the most pointed. A. … I didn’t have a broader strategy than getting the information I needed for the litigation other than like I said, my primary goal was to get to the truth. Litigation was a means of getting to the truth I had hoped. I mean, that’s the way our court should have functioned.

It wasn’t going to work for me to do anything with campaign people because they were politicians.

Q but did you have meetings with campaign staff in the time shortly after the election?

A I had one very short meeting with some campaign folks right after the election. That was kind of along in the timeframe where I realized it wasn’t going to work for me to do anything with campaign people because they were politicians.

[I] was gonna follow the truth and the law wherever it led, including on any Republicans.

Q Tell me what you can remember about that meeting that you just eluded to where you realized they were politicians and they weren’t really going to be of assistance to you?

A I don’t remember much about it other than it was very short. And I mean, they didn’t even want to look at me when I walked in the room.

Q Were they — were you able to at least share your perspective and your views on things?

A I don’t recall being able to do that.

Q Had you been invited to that meeting?

A Only by Mr. Giuliani, and he wasn’t much more welcome there than I was. Yeah. I was definitely persona non grata. Q. Do you have any idea what that was based on?

Well, I mean, part of it was I was the only female in the room. And part of it was that they know I wasn’t impressed with them and didn’t bow and scrape to them and was gonna follow the truth and the law wherever it led, including on any Republicans.

Threw the president under the bus…

A No. White House counsel was not there.

Q Was Jared Kushner there? 20 The Witness. Yes. Jared was there. Was Jason Miller there? Do you know that name? He might have been. I don’t know. You mentioned some meetings with Pat Cipollone. Earlier, you said that one of the reasons you felt like you weren’t welcome there was that the people in that meeting knew that you weren’t impressed by them. Why was that? Why weren’t you impressed by them?

A My impression was that they didn’t want to do anything, that they had thrown the President under the bus, that they had told him they were prepared for whatever post-litigation activity was needed, and they hadn’t done squat. And they knew they were gonna lose, and they were moving on to their careers on K Street or whatever big deals they’d made.

They were all looking at their next job, which they probably lined up before the end of the campaign.

MS. MURPHY: Why do you think these people thought they had lost?

A I think they — in retrospect, I think they knew they were gonna lose.

Q They knew they were gonna lose, but you didn’t believe the President was
going to lose; is that correct?

A I don’t think he did lose.

Q So the schism — the difference between you and this group of people is that they believed he was going to lose, but you did not believe that he had lost?

A I would call it more of they were acting in their self interest as opposed to the interest of the country or the voters. It was a very self-interested bunch.

Q They were self interested because they were accepting a loss that you didn’t believe was a real loss, or — can you explain a little bit more why you think they acted in a self-interested way?

I definitely think some Republicans had a role in getting rid of President Trump.

Q And you believe that plan was executed by some of these people who were Republicans as well as who else?

A I don’t know that those people in the room had any part in executing the plan, but I think they had realized that what was going to come down. And I definitely think some Republicans had a role in getting rid of President Trump.

I’ve been on the criminal justice reform kick since I wrote “License to Lie.”

Ms. Murphy. Great. Thank you so much, Ms. Powell, for clarifying that for me, with that I yield back. Ms. Powell, I want to ask about your interactions, if any, with Members of Congress in connection with the — with your election challenge efforts. Can you identify the Members you’ve had interactions with Yes. between November 3rd and January 6th with respect to the election challenge efforts?

A … I guess by way of background, I should tell you that I’ve been to the Hill a number of times. I’ve talked with a lot of them about different things related to Flynn. I’ve talked to them about criminal justice reform. I supported the act — whatever the second step act was or first step act to, you know, promote criminal justice reform. I’ve been on the criminal justice reform kick since I wrote “License to Lie,” and realize that we over criminalize, over incarcerate, and that falls predominantly on the minority communities when we do that, and there’s nothing good about it. …

President of the United States couldn’t get what he wanted in his own house.

Q Understood. I’m focused — or I’m really interested only in your conversations with Members regarding the challenges to the 2020 election.&&& . Was that the December 21st meeting at the White House? A Probably. Q I think we have some emails from you about — well, let me try and put it in some context so maybe it will refresh your recollection. …You were invited to the White House, you went to the White House, and then you were blocked from seeing the President?
A That sounds right. There were a number of times something like that happened.

Q Oh, it happened more than once?

A Oh, yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah. Q How did it — I think we’ve seen in your documents WAVES authorization for the 21st, and maybe communications with White House ushers or someone else, telling you you were cleared. A Yes. I was cleared to come into the White House, and then I was not allowed to go into the meeting with the Congress people.

Who told you you couldn’t join the meeting?

A. …Mark Meadows steered me off in another direction. And did he specifically tell you that you were dis-invited from that meeting? Essentially, yes. I don’t remember the exact words, but it was very clear. Okay. Tell me what you remember about that interaction. …

A One of the things that was very obvious and very upsetting to me as a citizen of the United States of America is that the President of the United States couldn’t get what he wanted in his own house.

I was showing him things he hadn’t seen before, and he was pissed.

Q Were there instances in which the President specifically reached out to you to set something up and then his aides blocked you from — or someone blocked you from actually going forward with the meeting? A Yes, siree.I think there were at least three times when he was expecting me, and I was not allowed to go through….

Q If we scroll down a little bit to the first-in-time email which is dated December 20th at 9:51 p.m. — do you see that? A Yes.

Q So this seems to describe an incident where you came to the White House to provide information to and brief the President and that you were blocked. You said you were, again, blocked from seeing the President. Do you see that? 20th? A Yeah. Yep, yep, yep.

Q Okay. So this wasn’t the first time that happened, it sounds like, December..&&&

Q — an email. And you see Mr. Meadows says: I was not aware that a meeting had been set up with POTUS — A Yeah. That was kind of the point of the meeting, I think.

Q What do you mean? A I mean, the President wanted to talk to me by himself. I don’t think he felt like he needed his hand held by Mark Meadows all the time.

Q Did he tell you that, the President? A No. Q So why do you say that was the point of the meeting, that Mr. Meadows would not know about it?

A Because it was supposed to be just me and the President. … Q And did you share with the President that you didn’t think he was getting your unvarnished or complete information because of people around him? Yes.

Q How did he respond when you said that?

A I don’t remember his specific response other than he was — well, like, for
example, the night of the 18th, I can give you that example because the night of the 18th, I was showing him things he hadn’t seen before, and he was pissed.

[Trump] was extremely frustrated with the lack of, I would call it, law enforcement by any of the government agencies that are supposed to act to protect the rule of law in our Republic.

Q Yeah. And definitely we’re going to talk about the 18th. I’m just wondering if you ever had a private conversation with him in which you shared your frustration that you weren’t able to… A Well, while I can’t remember any specific words, my impression was he was certainly fine with that, he was — he was, you know, comfortable with me and trusted me. That much was very clear. But I don’t remember specific words.

A I don’t remember. Somehow I knew about a meeting with Rudy and the President about the machines and the general issues obviously, but I don’t remember how I came by that.

Q Do you remember what the issue was that was creating the urgency for you to meet with the President face-to-face? A It was whatever the status of the evidence was at that time with respect to the machine fraud and getting access to the machines to — to image them. I mean, time was going by, and I don’t know whether Dominion had already come out with its Trusted Build problem — program by then or not.

So there was evidence at risk of being destroyed, and frankly everywhere there was any evidence at all by any voting machine company.

But, for example, in Georgia, they were already trying to wipe the machines and, quote, get them ready for another election. So there was evidence at risk of being destroyed, and frankly everywhere there was any evidence at all by any voting machine company. …So my concern was that we needed to get lawful access to machines and have a professional, nonpartisan or bipartisan group do them — do the images while they’re being videotaped, so there could be no question about the integrity of the process, and collect the evidence.

Q I note for the record that Mr. Schiff has joined the deposition.

Ms. Powell, the reason I’m curious on this is that you had had a very lengthy meeting with the President face-to-face on the night of the — or well into the night on the 18th, correct?

A Correct…. A Well, I know on Friday he had asked me to be special counsel to address the election issues and to collect evidence, and he was extremely frustrated with the lack of, I would call it, law enforcement by any of the government agencies that are supposed to act to protect the rule of law in our Republic.

I was fricking outraged and appalled that anyone could tell the President of the United States that what he directed was not going to happen…

A. if we were going to access the machines, time was a-wasting, and we needed to get after it.

Q And so, on Monday morning, on the 21st, you said to Mr. Meadows: It’s imperative I be included in the meetings scheduled today with you, Rudy, and with the President, about the machines and any of these issues. &&&

Q When you left the White House on the night of the 18th, do you understand that there was sort of a plan or strategy in place; had the issues that you had come to talk about been resolved? A Yes and no. Q Okay. Why do you say that?

A I was clear on what the President wanted, but — he wanted the same thing I wanted; he wanted the truth. Whether it meant he needed to walk to the helicopter, as he put it, with his head held high and know that he had lost fair and square, or whether he needed to fight for the preservation of the Republic in what I would call a Lincoln-esque fashion. So — but when I left, I knew from what Cipollone and Herschmann, and whoever the third guy from White House Counsel’s office…, had said, I mean, they flat out told the President he could name me anything he wanted to name me and no one was going to pay any attention to it.

Q Okay. And so how did the — so how were things left?

A So it was left that, from my perspective, nothing was really resolved. … I made a call to Mark Meadows the next morning, saying: Hey, I’d like my key and my White House pass. And his response was: Well, that’s just not going to happen. And that was pretty much the end of that conversation.

But I knew at the same time that the President still had his concerns, and as a citizen and an American, I was fricking outraged and appalled that anyone could tell the President of the United States that what he directed was not going to happen, or that he could do that and no one would pay any attention to it.

[M Maxwell’s comment: See?]
P.S. Remember, I too am “gagged” — by Disquis and so cannot reply in the Comments section.

The post Night Cap: No Wonder Sidney Powell Is Under a Gag Order appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Bear Pond Conservative Chronicles: Bellows Cannot Hide From Her Past

Granite Grok - Sun, 2024-01-07 01:00 +0000

Shenna Bellows, the Secretary of State for Maine, has been making the circuit of media news shows basking in the adoration of the Liberal talking heads. Bellows has turned her fifteen minutes of fame into a two-week media blitz.

Unfortunately for the Pine State Politician, she is no match for the folks in the national media, and she is getting caught up in her past that she hoped was buried forever. Shenna has practiced the holier-than-though persona that she is playing for the cameras. She is the keeper of the Constitution. The role of protecting Mainers had fallen to her, and she accepted the responsibility with all the zeal of a true American hero. The problem is she is a sham. This action to keep Trump off the Maine ballot is an embarrassment for Maine, shows how divided the state is, and is exposing a past that will now fuel the impeachment efforts by Republicans to remove Bellows from office.

Bellows knew her decision was flawed, so she ended her verbose 34-page conclusion with a one paragraph suspension of her ruling pending court challenges. The Secretary was playing both sides of the fence. She made the move to appease the Left of Maine, and her suspension was her built-in defense when the decision blew up. And it has.

Trump has already challenged the Maine decision in the Maine Supreme Court. The left-leaning court could rule against Trump, but that is highly unlikely. Nearly every Constitutional expert believes any court ruling will be unanimous in shutting down any removal of Trump, including Maine. Time is of the essence, as the primary in Maine is on March 5.

Papers have been filed to begin the impeachment of Sheena Bellows. Bellows has had a short career in Maine politics. She was a state senator for four years before being appointed to the Secretary of State position by the Legislature. The Trump decision is one of the reasons the Right is moving to impeach the Secretary. The other is what Bellows did before her public career.

She was executive director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine between 2018 and 2020. She served as the executive director of Maine’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) between 2005 and 2013. But less than a decade ago, she found herself in a far more subdued role: Interim Executive Director for Learning Works, a non-profit founded by socialist activist Ethan Strimling. It was this job that was the focus of complaints against Bellows.

Representative Sobolesky filed an ethics complaint against Bellows and wrote in a letter to the Maine Ethics Commission:
“What occurred appears to be election interference of the highest order. It would seem that Secretary Bellows did not act ethically and instead did what was best for her preferred candidate and the Democratic Party instead of the voters of the state of Maine.”

Trump claims in his challenge of Maine’s ruling that Bellows should have recused herself from the decision process. Trump and Sobolesky are pointing to Bellow’s position in Strimling’s non-profit.

Soboleski filed his complaint on January 1, accusing Secretary Bellows of bias in her decision to bar former President Trump from the 2024 GOP primary ballot in Maine. Strimling, the former mayor of Portland, was the ringleader behind the ballot eligibility challenge filed with the Secretary of State’s office, providing a pretext for Bellows’ ruling.

If Bellows is to continue her role in Augusta, she must beat the Ethics charge and the Impeachment action. With the Maine Legislature predominantly Democrat, she has a better chance of keeping her job than her decision holding up in court. Either way, her career is badly bruised.

The post Bear Pond Conservative Chronicles: Bellows Cannot Hide From Her Past appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

New Mexico’s AG Investigates META for Allowing Child Grooming and Trafficking … But Not Its Public Schools?

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 23:00 +0000

New Mexico’s Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, has filed a lawsuit. In the suit, “Torrez claims that Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, are a breeding ground for predators who target children for human trafficking, the distribution of sexual images, grooming, and solicitation.”

Teens and preteens can easily register for unrestricted accounts because of a lack of age verification. When they do, Meta directs harmful and inappropriate material at them. It allows unconnected adults to have unfettered access to them, which those adults use for grooming and solicitation. And Meta’s platforms do this even though Meta has the capability of both determining that these users are minors and providing warnings or other protections against material that is not only harmful to minors but poses substantial dangers of solicitation and trafficking. For years, Meta has been on notice from both external and internal sources of the sexual exploitation dangers its platforms present for children but has nonetheless failed to stem the tide of damaging sexual material and sexual propositions delivered to children. In short, Meta has allowed Facebook and Instagram to become a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey. Meta’s conduct is not only unacceptable; it is unlawful. This action seeks to force Meta to institute protections for children because it refuses to do so voluntarily.

We know that META can identify and filter, block, shadowban, and cancel anything it chooses, demonstrating a willingness to flag, segregate, quarantine, and even take down content at will. That is part of what is intriguing about the story. Torrez office and New Mexico (NM) Law enforcement have been investigating this for some time and “has asked a judge to prevent Meta from removing evidence of alleged child sexual exploitation from Facebook and Instagram, which it says is related to legal action it is taking against the company.”

Meta has said it can and will do what they should have done to prevent the need for any investigation in the first place, but the NM AG needs the evidence and wants a judge to tell Meta they’d best not delete or destroy it or make it inaccessible.

In the new court papers, Torrez said that one day after his office filed the lawsuit, Meta deactivated the accounts set up and used by investigators.

This was “even though the accounts at issue had operated for months without action by Meta, and even though investigators had previously reported illicit and unlawful content to Meta through its reporting channels”, the document states.

It adds: “Meta’s disabling of these accounts prevents the state from continuing its investigation into Meta’s activities. [The state] no longer had access to data within those accounts.”

We can hear the sound of the pants-zipper being pulled back up, but we do not see it happen and are too late to witness any wrongdoing.

At the same time, the story begs other questions. New Mexico is a blue state. The Governor is very liberal. The AG is a Democrat. Without looking, we can suggest that the public schools are all-in on the gender-grooming project that directs (to borrow from the AG’s lawsuit) “harmful and inappropriate material at them, [and] allows unconnected adults to have unfettered access to them, which those adults use for grooming and solicitation.”

Public schools are the preferred choice of pedophiles, given the unfettered access to victims, with significantly more cases of abuse than any other occupation, with the possible exception of anyone in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts or politics.

The legal definition of grooming in the lawsuit applies to the activity in public schools. Those legally defined as children have access to or are allowed to view explicit material, including images (cartoons count), normalizing the exposure and sexualization, complete with the mental health complications that come from exposing those with little or no concept or capability to conceptualize or understand it.

The usual suspects are operating freely in the state, talking about banned books anyone can order on Amazon right now and have delivered in printed form in a day or two or received electronically in seconds. As far as I can tell, the public school grooming culture is alive and well but not of concern to the Attorney General.

To be clear, what the NM AG is dealing with (in many cases) is pictures of naked minors being sexually exploited en masse and without restriction on META’s platforms, and that needs to be stopped, but then so shouldn’t the significant human and child trafficking that current open-borders policy has facilitated.

In other words, we appreciate the interest – and who doesn’t love to see META sued – but some consistency would be nice.

Stop exploiting children, even when it dovetails with your party’s culture war politics.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Divine Seeds of Liberty

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 21:00 +0000

Long ago, an unknown Chinese philosopher’s words described the biblical root of liberty that we call Americanism: “The well-being of a people is like a tree, agriculture is its roots, manufacturing, and commerce are its branches and its life; if the roots are injured, the leaves fall, and the branches break away, and the tree dies.”

This “tree” that produces ordered liberty is the fruit of biblical wisdom. Josiah Holland’s words draw a picture of liberty in the process: “God gives every bird its food, but he doesn’t throw it in the nest.” Godly wisdom summed up in a word: self-reliance. Self-reliance weaves fibers of strength into the backbone of our American Republic. In recent decades, there has been a tearing down of this virtue by a nefarious cabal to disrupt the civilized order.

The injured root of agriculture was first attacked in 1933 with the Soviet-inspired Agriculture Adjustment Act (read Dan P. Van Gorder’s book, Ill Fares The Land). It featured attacks on the self-reliance of our farmers that have now grown into the Department of Agriculture. American manufacturing and Commerce have suffered decades of socialistic bureaucratic laws hindering production and transportation. The poison of bureaucratic law deserves the title of the fourth branch of government, for these executive branch agencies are the source of thousands of laws while Congress, the lawmaking branch, looks the other way.

We want to thank Russ Payne for this Contribution – Please direct yours to Steve@GraniteGrok.com.
You can review our ‘Op-Ed Guidelines‘ on the FAQ Page.

America’s tree is rooted in Judao/Christian ethics of the Ten Commandments and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Enduring strength that has withstood two hundred years of war against God and the Constitution. Miraculously, America still retains the sovereign power for our leaders to rule our own destiny. Will you be the water that allows the roots to go deeper by doing your part? Will you engage our representatives and demand enforcement of our laws, which pass on to posterity? Or will you be part of the silent majority that has gradually enabled progressive forces? Silence enables the recreation of our nation upon the satanic roots of humanism that are now killing the leaves and branches of liberty!

Silent majorities in state and federal congressional seats of power will not be shaken from silence by the silent majorities of constituents. In the long run, silent mobs are more dangerous to the life of liberty than the violent mob. Edmund Burke’s words challenge silence: “When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Courage begets courage. Truth needs friends in Washington, D.C., and your state capital. The constituents must speak, and the representatives will follow.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Concord Mosque President Sues to Stop Adjacent Housing Development … Is it NIMBY or Something Else?

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 19:00 +0000

Concord has a new City Councilor named Ali Sekou. Congrats to him. He is also the president of the IQRA Islamic Society of Greater Concord. His Mosque sits on a piece of property adjacent to the First Congregational Church at 177 N. Main St, in whose lot (some) his Mosque attendees are alleged to have parked.

The church has been closed and unused for a while – I’m not clear how long, but parking is always an issue if you’ve spent time trying to access anything on Main Street in Concord. Given how little parking is available to anyone regardless of their religious affiliation, that empty lot most certainly looked inviting, and it was close.

There would be no good reason not to use it until the property was purchased by developers looking to add much-needed housing – and there are few in Concord who can’t shut up about the need for MORE HOUSING!

From Patch.com.

Their first proposal included 34 one- and two-bedroom apartments with rents expected to start at $1,400 monthly. The pair purchased the building and related parcels for $625,000 in October 2023 and planned on spending about $5 million renovating the building.

The Coalition purchased the building and connected parcels for $800,000 in December 2020.

Ali is a smart guy. The dude speaks four languages, is well-educated, ran for office supporting new housing development, and is suing the city to prevent the 30-unit housing development on the First Congregational Church property next to his Mosque.

The lawsuit lists several injustices, claiming the zoning board “acted unlawfully and unreasonably when it purported to find that it could reach the merits of the applicant’s second variance application,” “discouraged the public from repeating comments,” and that the development would “significantly alter this and create an intensity of use foreign to this property and area.” There are other concerns, not the least of which should be why a politician who ran for public office to address the housing crunch opposes new housing. It’s got a very NIMBY-like feel to it, with him being the mosque president.

It does get cold in Concord despite all the global warming rhetoric. Rain. Snow. It might be challenging to encourage new people to attend the Mosque, given the distance you might have to walk—all that noisy construction. It adds a disincentive to attend when the destination is inaccessible except by foot on city sidewalks, sometimes covering blocks depending on the hour and the day, but not to the 30 families who would be living next door for short money in the current New Hampshire rental property market.

Downtown. High walkability score. Everything is accessible, especially the Mosque! It’s right next door!

Of course, since the developers purchased the property, any available space for parking at the church has been cordoned off. One Concord resident I spoke with said there’s a no parking sign. I suspect there’s more to the story, and we love anonymous tips and whistleblowers (hint-hint).

I’ve no dog in this fight, not my city, so we wish both sides of this lawsuit the best. But NIMBY or parking, the current climate favors new housing, so good luck stopping that.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

High-Tax Nikki Haley Is Also Amnesty Nikki Haley Is Also A Democrat Poseur

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 17:00 +0000

Nikki Haley is a warmonger. She wanted, as Governor of South Carolina, to shift more of the tax burden to the working people; i.e. her proposal to cut the state income tax and raise the gas tax. And, among other things, she SUPPORTS AMNESTY. According to Miss Nikki, illegal aliens aren’t really illegal because they are coming to American for the right reasons:

Nikki Haley says it's inappropriate to call the illegal immigrants 'criminals':

"We don't need to be disrespectful. We don't need to talk about them as criminals. They're not, they're families that want a better life." pic.twitter.com/ypMi4H1Oya

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 4, 2024

This, among other things, is why the GOP Establishment loves Miss Nikki and why she is seen by the Left as the least worst Republican … SHE IS NOT REALLY A REPUBLICAN:

You thought Democrats were going to dump Biden for Gavin Newsom, but they're not. They're backing Nikki Haley instead. pic.twitter.com/KcpNMFdZAm

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 3, 2024

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Gun Control Bills in the Senate – January 9th

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 15:00 +0000

On Tuesday, January 9th from 1:00 – 4:00 PM, there will be two gun control bills heard in the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee. There is also a pro-2A bill that will be heard. If you can do it, show up AGAINST these bills.

The gun control crowd is spending a LOT of money this year to push their draconian, out-of-state legislation and will be paying people to be there.

It doesn’t matter that New Hampshire is consistently one of the safest states in the country. It doesn’t matter that New Hampshire has ‘Constitutional Carry.’ What matters to gun controllers is out-of-state legislation that will intentionally harm Granite Staters and infringe upon your fundamental human right to self-defense.

The gun control bills are listed below:

Senate Bill 571 – AN ACT requiring a background check prior to any commercial firearm sale.

This bill has been resurrected from the depths of Hell for at least a decade. And as always, this bill will make it so anyone who provides firearm training, other than those who are already FFL dealers, will NOT be able to provide firearm SAFETY training. Year after year after year, we have explained how this bill harms those who seek gun safety training but year after year after year, gun controllers don’t care. They claim to be all about gun safety but when it boils down to facts and reality, it’s more about control. They care nothing about actual gun safety.

Senate Bill 577 – AN ACT imposing a waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.

This bill seeks to stop law-abiding Granite Staters, who pass a federal background check, from taking the legally purchased firearm home for 3 days. If you’re a woman with a stalker or abusive partner and don’t have a restraining order, you’re out of luck when it comes to protecting yourself and practicing your fundamental human right to self-defense. NH’s 2A doesn’t mention anything about a waiting period, neither does the Constitution. The only people who want a waiting period are those who seek to enable criminals.

The only good bill to support is below:

Senate Bill 322 – AN ACT relative to licenses to carry.

When ‘Constitutional Carry’ was passed Granite Staters no longer had to ask permission from the government to carry a firearm how they see fit. Some Chiefs of Police decided not to sign their names on the pistol/revolver licenses (PRL) of those who still sought to get a PRL for reciprocity purposes in other states. This bill will require those who issue PRLs to sign their name to them.

You can email and/or call the committee members below:

First Name	Last Name	Email Address	Phone
Daryl	Abbas	Daryl.Abbas@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-4151
Sharon	Carson	Sharon.Carson@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3266
Shannon	Chandley	Shannon.Chandley@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3092
Bill	Gannon	William.Gannon@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3077
Rebecca	Whitley	Becky.Whitley@leg.state.nh.us	(603) 271-3092

| Women’s Defense League

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Where the United Nations (sort of) Admits … It Is a Disaster

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 13:00 +0000

The thought-police wordsmiths over at the United Nations have been busy working on the correct vocabulary when commenting on a wide range of things, including events for which Human beings were ill-prepared.

Remember the Early Obama-era overseas contingency operation and man-caused disaster? The UN has taken the latter to heart.

A natural hazard, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or flood, only becomes a disaster when it impacts a community that is not adequately protected, and whose population is vulnerable as a result of poverty, exclusion or socially-disadvantage.

There are also disasters that result from natural hazards, like wildfires or desertification, that have a devastating effect on natural resources, laying waste to ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Some of these originate from man-made hazards, like chemical spills or nuclear leaks. This destruction can have serious effects on the communities that co-exist and rely on these resources, causing economic and cultural losses, and ruining lives and livelihoods.

Still, those aren’t natural disasters.

First, isn’t the use of the word man sexist and bigoted? If you’re thinking the language that should read person-caused .. wait! Person has “son” in it and, as such, is also sexist and bigoted. We can’t call it a human-caused hazard ‘cuz “man.” They/Them?

You see the problem.

Here’s another one.

What about They/Them caused disasters around rare-earth metal mines in Asia and Africa? Countries like China are poisoning the land and water, as well as generations of the indigenous population, to feed the West’s suicidal obsession with solar panels and lithium battery packs, of which there are not enough “natural” resources to make viable for any energy transition except a world with less or no energy.

Surprise! They have words to describe that like ‘Green Energy, ‘Net-Zero,’ Progress, Evolution, but none of them properly describe or portray the environmental destruction created and advocated by the United Nations’ environmental and energy agenda.

The United Nations has led a decades-long policy path that has diverted trillions globally away from people in need for pointless CO2 reduction strategies that have led to China’s massive growth in land, air, and water pollution. Total contamination in response to UN directives and priorities is a Disaster.

Perhaps, instead of insisting we all rethink how we view damage and loss of life from any event, we reimagine a world without the disaster that is the UN, the WHO, the IMF, the WEF, and the World Bank. All of them have done enough damage to the world and its people to have earned a declaration as a global terrorist organization.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Camp Constitution Announces Its 16th Annual Family Camp (w/Guest Speaker Tucker Carlson)

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 11:00 +0000

Camp Constitution will hold its 15th Annual Family Camp at the Singing Hills Christian Camp https://www.singinghills.net/ Plainfield, NH. from Sunday July 14 to Friday, July 19, 2024

Returning instructors include Pastor David Whitney of the Institute on the Constitution; Professor Willie Soon, world-renowned astrophysicist and climate realist; Catherine White of The Constitution Decoded; Alex Newman, author and host of the Sentinel Report, and Rev. Steve Craft, Camp Constitution’s chaplain.

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to steve@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication – Publication is not an endorsement.

Guest instructors include Tucker Carlson and Julie Wilkinson, who played the abortion nurse in the movie “Unplanned: The Abby Johnson Story.” In addition to the classes, the camp will offer marksmanship courses, martial arts, hiking, basketball, volleyball, wiffleball, optional field trip,s and swimming, chess, gaga, and corn hole tournaments. Campers and staff end the day with an evening campfire.

Camp Constitution’s annual camp is a family camp open to entire families, unaccompanied minors, and adults. The cost for the week which includes lodging, meals and class handouts is $300 for those 13 and over. $200. For campers 12 and under, and three and under with parents are free. The camp offers an “Early Bird” discount of $50, per person by registering by May 1. A link to the camp registration: http://campconstitution.net/camp-registration/

Contact: Hal Shurtleff
(857) 498-1309
campconstitution1@gmail.com

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Is This How We Treat Our Heroes?

Free Keene - Sat, 2024-01-06 04:06 +0000

Jeremy Kauffman, Founder Of The Decentralized Blockchain-Based Free Speech Platform LBRY

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking since my arrival at Fort Devens to serve my 18 months of government-mandated vacation, and one of my favorite things to remember is that final week of Porcfest, where I spent time with my liberty family a mere two days before starting my prison sentence. I have, of course, been aware of certain issues that developed after that year’s final Porcfest day–notably, after the Soapbox Idol event. After all, I was there as a judge, and I saw it all first-hand, with better-than-front-row seats, and I really only have one question:

Is this how we treat heroes of the liberty movement?

To call Jeremy Kauffman divisive is as much of an understatement as calling me controversial, but on one point there can be no division or dispute. Jeremy built LBRY, a real-life tool that is immune to government censorship as no other platform has ever been, and from that spawned Odysee, a web-based front-end to the protocol that brought much of this unrestricted content to the masses. What Ross Ulbricht did to make drug use safter, Jeremy did to help protect information from overbearing states (and what state isn’t overbearing?). If this was his only contribution to bettering the world for liberty, I would argue that it is more than enough, but he has not been content to merely hand over a widely used censorship-resistant video and file sharing protocol and platform, has he?

Jeremy has further run for office (unsuccessfully, but that’s really of little practical importance), helped others to do the same, promoted the Free State Project, served on FSP, Inc.’s, board, and, most importantly, stood against the SEC and all their might, when Kraken, Binance, and other much more powerful people and companies with significantly more resources and dozens of their own attorneys failed to. I must confess that I’ve never been investigated by the SEC (to my knowledge), but every libertarian worth their weight in Goldbacks knows by now how vicious, vitriolic, and vile the SEC and its chair, Gary Gensler, are. And while I don’t know what it feels like to battle the SEC, I spent nearly 15 months waiting on a promised superseding indictment that would (and did) bring more charges against me, and through that period I repeatedly turned down plea offers. I then spent an additional six months or so awaiting trial (before having my motion to dismiss denied, whereupon a plea deal seemed to me the most sensible route to take), and through all of this there was always an upcoming hearing, a next conference, threats of escalation, promises of destruction (made by the government and its agents), and unrelenting tension. After this was an additional six months awaiting sentencing, and an omnipresent Sword of Damocles whose devastation could not be divined in advance.

It is impossible to convey what this does to the soul.

I can’t image that his battle with the SEC was any less horrific than my battle with the U.S. attorneys, and especially after the superseding indictment I became so strained that I was never far from a breaking point. I snapped at countless people who did not deserve it, and, while I was always quick to recognize my failing and apologize, one cannot un-snap at people. And let’s be honest–the man Jeremy snapped at during Soapbox Idol absolutely deserved it. I had a number of (admittedly, less harsh than Jeremy’s) responses myself, and was ready to eviscerate the man over his bigoted, anti-trans nonsense, but Jeremy was quicker to the draw.

Is Jeremy Kaufman an alcoholic? I don’t know, and I don’t care. Many of the people who have alleged this have struggled with their own substance abuse disorders–what was that thing that Christ said about throwing stones? Even if it is true (and, again, I do not know or care), it would mean only that his battle with the SEC–the one that cost him countless dollars, immeasurable years of his life, as well as the company that he’d built over the course of many years–left him a “bitter and angry alcoholic.” Is this really how we treat our heroes? With all the love, compassion, and gratitude of the United States Government for its soldiers? “Thank you for your service, sorry about the PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and loss–lulz, and the substance abuse disorder. Our bad, but get lost. But TYFYS. Now kindly go drink yourself to death quietly somewhere so that you don’t tarnish our brand that’s more interested in restricting nudists who have never bothered anyone than in helping one of our heroes.”

I want to believe that we, as a community and a society, are better than that, but evidence seems to suggest otherwise. how many of our community have written Ian Freeman? How many have written Ross Ulbricht within the last 12 months? I ask because I can count on one hand the number of New Hampshire libertarians who have written me, and I wish I could believe the explanation that I am simply disliked; alas, though, I know in my heart the truth: out of sight, out of mind.. How quickly we forget Jeremy’s numerous and invaluable contributions to the world–and to our own community!

Is a history of service an everlasting excuse to be a jerk? Certainly not. But if we value someone and care about them, when they go astray we should react with kindness and with compassion, not scorn and condemnation. And besides, maybe a jovial “good times were hand by all!” rant competition at a liberty festival, where shrooms can be purchased within sight of the competition, isn’t the best venue to trot out one’s dead son like a macabre marionette, to dance around and shield the speaker from criticism, especially after misgendering him on a stage where it is known that a trans judge is eager to respond.

But perhaps it’s best that I didn’t get the chance to speak, because in that moment I wouldn’t likely have shown that dude the same love, compassion, and understanding that I’m now asking the liberty community to manifest toward Jeremy Kauff

man. We’re no longer in that moment, though, and have the benefit of nearly six months to reflect on events while letting emotions cool, and I would ask the liberty community to do exactly that: to show love, compassion, and understanding toward someone who fought indescribable battles with the U.S. Government.

Categories: Articles, Front Page, New Hampshire

Night Cap: Chuck Schumer Explained The Democrat Game Plan Today

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 03:00 +0000

With a sick smirk on his face, Chuck Schumer addressed the press today and spilled the Democrat plan for the Border. He mocked the 60 Representatives whom Speaker of the House Mike Johnson led to the Southern Border to get a firsthand account of the situation.

Schumer snickered as he said it was nice to visit the Border, but if they really wanted to make a difference, they would be in D.C. working with Democrats on legislation to solve the border crisis. That statement sounds great and is encouraging until you realize he is not discussing our Border. What Chuck wants to get done is a comprehensive bill to address the Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan Borders and to allocate billions of dollars in aid for Israel and Ukraine. Chuck has no interest in our Southern Border. No wonder he was smirking and snickering. He was looking into the eyes of Americans and lying to them. It was shameful for anyone but deplorable for the Senate Leader.

Karine Jeanne-Pierre rambled today in the White House Briefing that Republicans are solely to blame for the crisis at our Southern Border. If Republicans would pass the Immigration Reform written by Democrats, DHS would have the resources to solve the problem. Again, it sounds good until you dig in and realize what solving the Border means to Democrats.

The solution means lots of money. Not money to build a wall or put troops on the Border to keep people out. No, it means money for an infrastructure that will allow more people to cross the Border and be processed more quickly. It means more judges on the Border to cut down on the 7-year wait to have an asylum claim heard. If Democrats had their way, the judges would approve asylum, grant them citizenship, register them to vote, and have them sign a preselected Democrat mail-in ballot for 2024.

The sleight of hand aside, there is no compromise on the Border situation. Republicans want the Border closed and secure. The Democrats want it open and a fast track to citizenship for illegals. Those two beliefs are on opposite sides of the mountain. Joe Biden can say he needs more money to secure the Border. Lie. KJP blames the Border Crisis on the Republican House because they are blocking all of Biden’s efforts. Nice try…..Lie. Schumer says the Republicans must return to D.C. to negotiate a bill to solve the Crisis. Smokescreen……Lie. Mayorkas keeps saying the Border is secure. Stupidity…….Lie.

The House passed H.R. 2 last year, and Chuck Schumer will not bring it to the floor for debate. Who is obstructing? KJP says the Republicans do not want comprehensive Immigration Reform. KJP, have you read H.R. 2? I didn’t think so.

The Democrats are concerned about the Border, just not ours. They want American dollars to be sent to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan to secure their Borders, but they want our Border open 24/7. The Border is a colossal scam perpetrated by the Democrat Party and the help of the mainstream media to con the American people. It is working, but the walls are crashing in on this play. With 4 million illegals a year, America cannot withstand the assault. Like the Pandemic, the illegal flow has spread to every state, and Americans have had enough. This legacy, along with Bidenomics, will topple Biden and prevent him from a second term.

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Led by the NH Hazlitt Coalition House Passes Defend the Guard Bill – HB229

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 02:00 +0000

Concord, NH —In an effort led by American Action Fund and New Hampshire Hazlitt Coalition members Tom Mannion, John Potucek, Matthew Santonastaso, and Michael Granger, the New Hampshire State House of Representatives has passed Defend the Guard legislation on the 2nd day of the 2024 Legislative Session.

“Defend the Guard legislation simply requires an ofﬁcial declaration of war by US Congress for the activation of the New Hampshire National Guard, and thanks to efforts made by many in the NH House, this America First legislation now moves to the New Hampshire State Senate. This is a great ﬁrst step, but we have more work to do.” -Ted Patterson, VP of the Grassroots Department at American Action Fund, a project of Young Americans for Liberty.

Please Submit Group communications or Press Releases to steve@granitegrok.com.
Submission is not a guarantee of publication – Publication is not an endorsement.

US Congress has not ofﬁcially declared war on any nation since World War II, but since then, our nation has continuously been at war. Our servicemen and servicewomen have fought and died in unconstitutional conﬂicts conducted overseas for decades. Thousands of lives have been lost and trillions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted. Granite Staters and our representatives now have an opportunity to safeguard our valued servicemembers from unconstitutional conﬂict.

“With all the turmoil happening overseas it’s more important than ever that the citizens contact their State Senators urging them to pass HB 229,” said American Action Fund Northeast Manager, Matt Soss, “The people need to let the entirety of the New Hampshire Senate know that Granite Staters support our troops!”

American Action Fund
Matthew Soss
matthew.soss@americanactionfund.org
(512) 637-5217
americanactionfund.org

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Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Licensing Cartels and the Constitutional Right to Use “Math” in Public

Granite Grok - Sat, 2024-01-06 01:00 +0000

New Hampshire’s licensing cartels are a thing of legend for folks who’ve been around long enough to read about them, but most folks won’t realize it until a lack of a license interferes with their day-to-day. Things have improved, are improving, but the cartels who control occupations are “out there, Jimmy.”

That’s a reference to The Last Boy Scout and satan Claus. The malevolent evil that lurks in the everyday, waiting to pounce. Licensing boards are like that. Cartels. Occupational fiefdoms define who can legally do what sort of work, with rules that don’t always make much sense. Back in 2019, in a post titled, “In NH You Need a License to Shampoo Her Hair but Not to Perform Her Abortion,” I opened with,

Governments are stupid. How else do you explain this? To get licensed as an EMT in the state of New Hampshire, you must complete 150 Hours of ‘Education.’ To be a Hairdresser the requirement is 1500 hours.

And closed with,

If you want to professionally shampoo a woman’s hair before her abortion (not cut, color, or style, just shampoo), you need a license from the state ($25.00) and roughly 150 hours of training. To perform an abortion in New Hampshire, you need tools and a willing patient.

Something’s not right about that.

There have been some changes. Abortionists can shampoo and cut hair and then perform the abortion without a license to do either. In the last session, the legislature passed a law allowing the state to accept licenses from out-of-state—you no longer need to relicense here. But the Cartels are still out there, Jimmy, and they can be vicious.

The case erupted when the [North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors] discovered [Wayne Nutt] was using his decades of experience as a working engineer to offer opinions about the designs of public works. State officials claimed he could be found guilty of a misdemeanor unless he obtained his own engineer’s license from the state.

“State licensing boards nationwide increasingly act as if they are boards of censors, deciding who may or may not speak about the topics they regulate,” charged IJ attorney Joe Gay. “Today’s ruling is a powerful reminder that in this country, we rely on people to decide who they want to listen to. We don’t rely on government boards to decide who gets to speak.”

Wayne had some thoughts about the “municipal plumbing” in an area where several houses were flooded. He used his wealth of knowledge and experience, and some math, to explain what he thought was the problem, and the cartel tried to claim he was “engineering” without a license.

The judge’s ruling concluded that the state board was in violation of the First Amendment with the speech restrictions it demanded. …

“At its core, this case concerns the extent to which a law-abiding citizen may use his technical expertise to offer a dissenting perspective against the government,” the judge said. “Stating that dissent required the speaker to use his expertise in several ways. He had to do some math. He had to apply recognized methodologies. He even had to write a report memorializing his work. Some of that work may plausibly be considered conduct. But it ends up providing him the basis to speak his mind.”

The unelected Board threatened him and demanded he not “publicly offer opinions about engineering without a license.” Had this gone the other way, we expect it would have been appealed, but free speech is in a precarious position and under attack from many quarters. The uniparty machine may be run by the Dems, but it is a bipartisan beast, as is that thing which stands against it. But the latter does not have a police force or standing army or FBI, CIA, or DHS. We cannot send IRS or EPA officers to eat out their substance.

Speaking your mind has become like checking the “company” in a room before telling a dirty joke where you don’t know what “dirty” even means. The cabal has made everything so toxic people self-censor, many without even realizing it or how that rewires your brain toward silence and compliance.

Our congrats to Mr. Nutt and the Institute for Justice for the win. You’ve done the people of North Carolina a kindness, not that this will stop petty bureaucrats, but at least you’ve got recent precedent you shouldn’t need to defend yourselves.

Next up, was his using math in public racist?

Do ‘Grok Commenters Have More Fun? – Join the conversation and find out. You could win free stuff!

The post Licensing Cartels and the Constitutional Right to Use “Math” in Public appeared first on Granite Grok.

Categories: Blogs, New Hampshire

Claudine Gay was the Pimple, not the Cancer

Granite Grok - Fri, 2024-01-05 23:00 +0000

The Boston Globe, Michele Wu (Boston’s mayor), Ibram X Kendi, and others cite racism in the forced resignation of Claudine Gay. This is a patent lie. Claudine Gay was put in her position by the Harvard Corporation headed by Penny Pritzker, who was an early financial supporter of Obama for his presidential campaign back in 2008.

That campaign was successful in harnessing the attention of 17-25 year olds using social media which became a weapon to use to keep them engaged using certain narratives. The University of New Hampshire received millions of dollars to help shape those narratives and to make them seem realistic. It was chosen as the location to introduce the “Dear Colleague” letter signed by Russlynn Ali of the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

Emails obtained by KC Johnson show very clearly that Russlynn Ali’s goal was to “change America forever” and to get rid of due process – a civil right. Those emails discuss Notre Dame, Stanford, and Yale Universities – all private campuses. Russlynn Ali left DoE OCR in 2012 to work with Laurene Powell Jobs at XQ Institute which touts “DEI” and “Reimagining Education.”

Administrations were convinced they had to hire Title IX coordinators who’d been accredited by Brett Sokolow’s ATIXA, which he registered on April 1, 2011 – just days before the April 4 launch. The University of New Hampshire Prevention Innovation Research Center became a strategic partner with the White House, targeting private campuses for its purpose—St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, in particular. The NHCADSV was involved as its partner, and so were Congresswoman Ann Kuster and Senator Jeanne Shaheen. They could raise millions under federal grants if they promoted this narrative, which, in turn, they could use to help the 2016 elections.

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The White House hired interns from Harvard, Tufts, the University of Maryland, and elsewhere for “Civic Engagement.” These worked with narratives, social media, and # engagement, getting awards for social entrepreneurship. The White House worked with Political PR companies as well. (SKDK, Precision Strategies, Blue Crab Strategies, and Hill Impact in particular). This was always about recruiting young people on campus for political agendas to get federal money from the Government and to extort private educational institutions.

First, it was the Campus Survivor Movement with a full recruitment scheme going on with SurvJustice, It’s On Us, End Rape on Campus, Know Your IX, PAVE, and NHCADSV. Then BLM, MeToo, and Times Up were added. And lastly, DEI. Not one of these holds up to scrutiny. Behind every single one is a profiteering racket. They are businesses that figured out that they could get grants, hire PR, hire ambassadors, train recruits, and use them to increase their businesses and grow them further, all without paying any taxes because they were “non-profits.”

To add fuel to the fire, they worked with journalists and turned them into influencers for the AP, the Boston Globe, the NYT, the Washington Post, New England Newspapers, and Conde Nast publications that would reach the demographic they wanted: the 17-25-year-olds and their parents. They used political donors to fund propaganda documentaries and then gave themselves awards and rewards for their work. They partnered the recruited ambassadors for the cause du jour with major retailers: Target, L’Oreal, Uber, etc.

Who paid for all of this? The public. The taxpayers paid for the federal grants which went to campuses with “non-profit” enterprises. The families coughing up tuition fees that have escalated to accommodate hoards of badly trained, inexperienced administrators. The political donors whose money would find its way into political PR funds being used for the propaganda.

Who benefitted? Not the public. Not the students. It has been, from inception, a money-making extortion racket designed to rob the public purse and private schools, their donors, and their educators.

DEI is a business. It’s a WEF business, in fact – that means it’s a business that benefits the “stakeholders” of large corporations and large law firms. Don’t take it from me. Take it from the WEF site itself.

The Campus Survivor Movement was a business as well. It was also a WEF-tied business – Klaus Schwab’s daughter, Nicole Schwab, started the Gender Equality Project in 2009. She was a Harvard alum. Female students were useful for this cause.

The “rape” narrative would get them engaged. UN Women was fully behind it, out to get the “Harry Potter” generation. They hired SKDK and Emma Watson for the job. #HeForShe was launched in 2014.

So was BLM. SKDK launched the #OscarsSoWhite campaign in 2016.

They were ready to bounce off the success of #ItsOnUs in 2014, which was used for “The Hunting Ground” propaganda documentary, a 2016 Academy Award winner with Lady Gaga singing the theme song on the stage. This was all backed by the White House.

The newspapers and magazines that have promoted this nonsense are mostly if not all, partners of the WEF as well.

So was FTX — exposed to be a complete sham and tied to MIT and Stanford Law School via Sam Bankman-Fried — an MIT graduate — and his parents, Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman. They were all star-struck with celebrities and fancied a life in offshore Bahamas using other people’s money, which could be funneled into election campaigns via straw donors. Michael Kives of the Obamas’ agency, CAA, and a close friend of the Clintons, was there to facilitate. His wife described his wedding in Palm Springs as a “Michael Kives production” — branding, product placement tie-ins to celebrities and politicians were the name of the game. His wife, Lydia, had attended Stanford Law and spent her summers interning for Obama’s WH legal counsel.

Next time you see someone like Gloria Allred, Sam Bankman-Fried, or Elizabeth Theranos promoted on the front of Forbes or Time Magazine, give some thought to the PR companies behind that promotion and who they are working for.

Penny Pritzker was the Commerce Secretary under Obama. She went to Qatar in 2014. Qatar is a large donor to Harvard. Qatar hired winners of the Pritzker Prize to design museums.

Claudine Gay joined the board of trustees for Phillips Exeter Academy in 2017. She graduated from the prep school in 1988 and went to Princeton before going on to Stanford and then Harvard.

How did she get into Princeton if her work included so much plagiarism? Kendra Stearns O’Donnell was the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy in 1988 when Claudine Gay graduated. Ironically, she, too, was a graduate of Princeton.

After Gay graduated, Kendra Stearns O’Donnell received significant attention (rightly or wrongly) for her handling of a sex scandal involving a teacher and child pornography.

“Exeter officials tried to quell the scandal at the 990-student school, where tuition is $17,050 and dozens of graduates each year go on to Harvard and Yale. Principal Kendra Stearns O’Donnell fired Bateman, ordered him out of his apartment and sent a letter about the case to 25,000 faculty, students, parents and alumni. Stephanie Casale, assistant director of communications, defended firing Bateman before his October trial: “The question … was not whether he was guilty or innocent. It was: could he continue to be an appropriate role model.”

History repeats itself at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Governor Maggie Hassan (now Senator) is married to Tom Hassan, who was principal of Phillips Exeter Academy when it covered up sexual abuse – keeping two sets of records. There was a media blackout as Hassan was running her campaign to become Senator in 2016. Only last year did a math teacher get prosecuted. He was found guilty of sexual abuse during the final years of Tom Hassan’s tenure.

Tom Hassan is also a graduate of Harvard (and Brown). His pay increased after he allowed a teacher to “retire” in 2012. The teacher, Rich Schubert, admitted to sexual abuse of a student and went to work on Maggie’s Senatorial campaign.

There’s always a quid pro quo. And there’s always a secret club with these “elite” schools.

Boston Globe, NYT, and co appear none too happy that the “elite” club where Democrats can go to raise money for political campaigns from wealthy donors has been exposed as the empire with no clothes.

The post Claudine Gay was the Pimple, not the Cancer appeared first on Granite Grok.

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