Dear Sirs,

I'm a NH native who looks forward to reading your paper every month. After some encouragement from friends, I've decided to write this letter.

I am currently serving a three year term at Valley State Prison in Chowchilla, CA for possession of 1.2 grams of a controlled substance. This is my first (and only) conviction. Thought your readers might be interested in hearing about the conditions in a maximum security women's facility.

Dear Editor,

George Vreeland Hill is not wrong, in his recent Letter, to say that it's possible to change - even improve! - government by participating in the electoral process. I have no doubt that if Ron Paul were to become President, for example, there would be a dramatic improvement to our lives.

I stopped participating in 1998 when I saw that it had let go of its primary principle, but I'm a veteran of 18 years of such political efforts as Mr Hill encourages (in the Libertarian Party) and he might agree with me that it's very hard and unrewarding work. That Party has gained zero net ground in its 37 years of life, and we have just witnessed Paul, an outstanding candidate, being deliberately frozen out by his own Party; he will not even be allowed to speak to its National Convention. Those are measures of how vicious and well-equipped are the interests opposing the slightest move towards liberty.

New Hampshire is the beautiful state that I grew up in. I was raised in Alton, NH where my family lived and their families live today. At 17, I quit high school to become a U.S. Marine. Because of a Traumatic Brain Injury even today I have no memory of my life or family back then. I woke up in a military hospital, (then) because of administrative error. I did the next 31 months overseas during the Vietnam Conflict. I received three more (at separate times) combat-related, permanently disabling injuries. I came back to the U.S. with no memory of ever living or being here before. I lived through two Vietnam offensives and eight truck convoys as American Advisor deep into the “bush”. I killed other human beings before I remember kissing my first “round eyed” girl. I had to learn how to live in a civilized society, as a civilian with no memory or support. I am a 100% disabled Veteran living in a world (United States) where I do not belong.

There are a lot of people out there, with many of them being readers and supporters of this newspaper, who do not think that you can change government(s). A number of these people would rather live their free lifestyle in spite of the government. I think that is fine, but I feel that you can change government, and thus, your life.

It is clear that government is structured in a way that benefits itself more than it benefits you. It is also clear that a great many laws of this country support a government that is slowly but surely taking away the freedoms of its people. Eminent domain is one such law. Censorship and spying are also government rights given to itself by law. I could write a book about how the laws of this country affect your freedom and your right to live how you choose. It is a shame that we have gone from a country that was by the people and for the people, to a country that intimidates the people.

In regard to the availability of public assistance, whether people receive a “hand-up” or a “hand-out” is not the issue. The issue here is that the fair housing system in New Hampshire is definitely a thumbs-down. As of July 2008, I will have waited on the Section 8 housing list for three years.

Manchester Housing Authority Apartment Building

I am a single parent with one child. I make $10 an hour and work 43 hours a week. The reality is that a “cheap” two-bedroom apartment in Manchester goes for $800 per month, not including utilities. Moving into one of these “cheap” places without any help would be to cut my own throat. One may find rent in a surrounding town to be slightly less expensive, although as of late commuting is not an option.

The June edition of this paper contained an informative article titled “Prison Nation.” However the serious issue of overcrowding was not mentioned, even though it is prevalent throughout the system.

At Essex County Correctional Facility in Massachusetts, upwards of 80 inmates spend each night sleeping on the floor of the gymnasium inside plastic “canoes” because no cells are available. To make matters worse, everyone there must share a single sink and toilet.

New inmates to the facility are not issued all the items listed in the “Inmate Handbook” because of the chronic shortages. For example, instead of being issued two uniforms, each prisoner is given only one. This makes it essentially impossible to get your uniform washed.

Sunday evening I saw a note on Drudge Report, that Mr.Bush, has at long last decided that he wants Osama bin Laden captured. Kind of late, to make that level of "executive decision", after invading both Iraq & Afghanistan, with ulterior motives, decided even before the so-called 9/11 attack.

Now that the US ( primarily), has destroyed an infrastructure, we helped put in place when both Saddam Hussein & Osama bin Laden were our friends, and spent lives and wealth, to restore parts of the infrastructure of both nations, with no end in
sight, to either military attack or "nation building", is it not time to re-examine our premise, of "pre-emptive" "war', and take on some nation that can fight back, effectively?

And put Mr.Bush in the front line, to take the brunt of the fighting, even though the "war" is not of his deciding or origination?

For Liberty,

Howard L. Wilson
Andover, NH

Appreciate your publication, and the work you are doing.

I am not sure if you are aware of a bill that has passed the house, and may have passed the Senate by now.

One of the things that makes this so dangerous, is that at first glance it seems harmless, especially to those who care about animals - like me! I've never seen this issue addressed in your publication or on your website, but it is a serious infringement of some very basic
rights of citizens under the Constitution. Animals, like children, provide those who would control us with a handy excuse to obliterate those rights.

It is good to remember that 'one person's paradise is another's purgatory'; extended to animals, there are many deep differences of opinion between professionals (vets, breeders, 'animal behaviorists' - formerly known as trainers, etc.) on what an 'ideal' situation is for
any given animal.

Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls Rd Lee NH 03824 659-6217

A person that I have known for a couple years and talk to several times a week over morning coffee, asked for help. I will call him Paul. I would say Paul is my age in his fifties but I don’t know. A hard worker and friend to everyone even the reluctant. Paul came from a large family, growing up in Berlin NH. His mother died a few years ago but other than the house there was not much. Paul is just the average Joe trying to survive with little money but a heart of gold. Paul works full time to pay for his apartment in Dover NH where he lives alone. Active in his church where he spends a lot of his time volunteering, cleaning up and repairing things. Paul is the type of person that makes the United States a great place to live because he gives without wanting for himself.

Superior Court Judge Patricia Coffey has resigned under pressure from Governor John Lynch. I find that amazing since a panel of her piers, The Judicial Conduct Committee, only recommended a three (3) month suspension and the NH Supreme Court imposed a three (3) year suspension.

Since Judge Coffee participated in fraud by helping her disbarred husband by hiding personal assets, why wasn’t she disbarred and fired? She and her husband cost NH taxpayers thousands of dollars when she helped hide $10,000 from stock sales and hid $76,000 from the sale of an office condo. This money was supposed to be used to reimburse the NH court system for investigative costs.

Oh well! I suppose the suspension is better that disbarment and allows her to collect a pension and still earn a living as a lawyer.

General John Stark did not mean that trusted government officials should live on the state when he said; “Live Free or Die”.

Dick

Richard H. (Dick) Olson
7 School Street #D