End of Live Free or Die Rally end of free assembly for America?

Judi McLeod and Jean Coutu
Email Article

By Judi McLeod and Jean Coutu Saturday, May 30, 2009
Putting it in the vernacular of little people everywhere: “The worst has happened”.

The 4th Annual New Hampshire Live Free or Die Rally is quickly sinking into a quagmire of bureaucratic red tape, and with no 11th hour reprieve on the horizon, chief organizer Jean Coutu may have to cancel.
Billed as the All Free, Only TRUE First Amendment Rally in the U.S., this years Live Free or Die Rally is scheduled for August 21, 22 and 23.

“It looks like it’s finally over. Not just for us, but for the right to assemble, Coutu wrote Canada Free Press (CFP) in an email today. “Though I don’t agree with the ACLU on everything, almost every year the ACLU has gone after city hall bureaucrats to get our permits.”

The landscape has changed, dissent is being suppressed in America and now the ACLU is refusing to back the LFDR, in part because of the rally’s Appleseed Project Instructional Shoot Feature--even though it meets all state ordinances.

This is not a good sign for the scores of Tea Parties planned for July 4th.

Politically correct and compromised by stimulus money, the bureaucrats of town and city halls decide whether Tea Parties and rallies can be held in their jurisdictions.

Coutu sees it as the death of the right to assemble in President Barack Obama’s USA.

Below in his own words is a message to patriots he is hoping the Internet will take viral this weekend:

“Dear Patriots,

“Although you may not know it, this is an historic day in history. Your rights under the First Amendment to free speech, redress and assembly in the U.S. is finally dead. It has joined the many annulments to your constitutional rights in recent years like warrant-less access to your private information, the enactment of the soon and upcoming police states, socialism, and the growing list of other achievements under the--and to the delight of--the New World Order elites.

“To my knowledge, I am one of the only people in the U.S. that has been organizing true first amendment assemblies over the past 20 years. Ninety-nine percent of the population, including activists really don’t know what that is. Well, the day I saw coming and dreaded has finally arrived. It is too lengthy to explain many years of legal study what a true first amendment assembly is. In brief it means, citizens assembling in an all-free, non-commercial fashion, peaceably to redress political issues on public or private property by free will. Unknown to many, all that was required was to notify the municipality in which it was to take place. If the municipality chose to impose police detail or costs, fees, bonding, and the many things they come up with, it could be challenged in court. There have been many rulings on this issue in the U.S. Supreme Court favoring the citizen. For the average U.S. citizen exercising this right for this process is grueling, which I have done many times successfully.

“At least it WAS possible in the past. However, unless a citizen had or has the financial or legal resources to fight the municipality, they are bound to the municipality’s ordinances and their many requirements and fees often thwarting the assembly. There are no avenues available in the U.S. other than to contact the busy ACLU for the average citizen’s protection for the enforcement of their rights. Often contacting attorneys , state or U.S. representatives, rights organizations, etc. falls on deaf ears as it did with this year’s national 4th annual NH Live Free or Die Rally. Our only hope was the ACLU intervening again this year when the local authorities ordered a commercial site plan review death knell subject to many approvals, fees, permission from abutters, etc. for this non-commercial rally.

“Many eyes nationwide have been on the outcome, and we have really bad news to tell. The liberal-based ACLU refuses to intervene this year. The requirements of the local municipality are insurmountable beyond even my means or knowledge. If we chose to hold the LFOD rally anyway, the authorities will arrest participants and revoke the license of the kind individuals who donated the 300-acre private property venue. I have spent 20 years of my life, thousands of volunteer hours with thousands of blue collar-dollars to keep these rallies alive to aid in the preservation of the First Amendment--apparently in vain.

“In the end my biggest adversaries have been the sheeple whose rights I’ve been fighting for and the deaf ears my warnings fell upon. In part, the purpose of this non-partisan annual rally was to unite the often feuding national organizations to come under one tent in unity, which was finally starting to happen with more than 40 endorsing organizations. With much respect to their many efforts, the only possibility of a true peaceful revolution and change at this point will be through unity, which will involve a tolerance many do not have. Many organizations refuse to participate unless it is all about them, their agenda or their strings attached.

But the real winners here are the NWO elite. I expect this day in history and the silencing of the American people and the certain removal of yet another and the most important right they have, to pass quietly by. The elite have conditioned the masses to not even know that they were silenced or that they were stripped of any means to do anything about it.

In closing, I sincerely wish the Tea Parties and the many other rallies I see planned for this summer well, if the elite allow you to assemble.

Enjoy it while you can because you’re next to get shut down.

Rally against socialism in health care...

The group “Maine HealthCare Reform” will hold a rally this coming Saturday at the State House in Augusta to rally for a national socialized healthcare plan. These same rallies will be going on across the country at the same time. (See the poster here: http://www.midcoasthealthcarereform.org/)

We want to make sure that our side has a strong voice on this issue, so we are looking for folks to join us Saturday for a counter demonstration.

We will meet Saturday, May 30th, at 11am at 12 Church Street in Augusta for coffee and doughnuts and to make sure everyone is armed with a sign. We plan to rally at the State House at 12pm.

If you would like to participate in this important counter protest and need more information, please contact Trevor at trevorbragdon@gmail.com

Meet the Blogs...on the tea party/TCOT machinations...

I had the pleasure of sharing today's "Meet the Blogs" (free) this time about Airforce One and Tea Party "strife"/reorganisation">Meet the Blogs with Steven Green and Roger L. Simon (who hosts).