The Morning Roar: NH Candidates Embrace Bitcoin, NYPD Chokehold Death Ruled a Homicide, and Man Who Shot Chokehold Video Arrested
Your Tuesday Morning Roar! New Hampshire Politicians Accepting & Embracing Bitcoin Campaign DonationsNext Generation payment system PayStand is reporting that roughly one dozen political candidates in New Hampshire have adopted its platform, which accepts Bitcoin as well as traditional currency, as their online payment solution for all campaign donations. Not that it's big news that politicians running for office are looking to get money into their accounts in any way possible, but considering the echo effect that Bitcoin donations could have in continuing the currency's acceptability, this is a fairly impressive coup. From Liberty Crier & the PayStand press release:
“It’s important for government leaders to listen to their constituency,” states Andrew Hemingway, a New Hampshire Republican gubernatorial candidate. “New Hampshire is known as the Live Free or Die State and we have always been very strong in our independent ideals. The state has spoken — they want the opportunity to use innovative and convenient payment alternatives. I am happy to accept Bitcoin as political donations and want to make it as simple a process as possible for my supporters to do that. Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is the wave of the future and I want to do everything I can to allow people to use it — including for political donations of all sorts.”“I chose to accept Bitcoin donations, not so much for the campaign per se, but to help give the new currency a sense of mainstream acceptability and applicability. As a strong believer in free markets, my confidence in the power of markets and competition extends not only to automobiles, housing, clothes, energy, haircuts, news sources and vegetables, but also to currencies. - NH Rep Mark Warden
I've voiced my concerns previously about the government going out of its way to crush Bitcoin and other competing currencies, however if the ruling political class has acquiesced (in order to expand their donation base, of course) these currencies have a chance to become a permanent fixture in our economy.New York Police Department Chokehold Death is Ruled a HomicideGood news for all of us who believe police do not operate outside of the rule of law and should be held accountable for their use of excessive force. The police officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold under false pretenses could be in very hot water, as the man's death was ruled to be a homicide by the Medical Examiner's office. From the NY Post:
Eric Garner, 43, died of a “compression of neck (chokehold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police,” the office said in announcing the autopsy results.
This doesn't mean that officer Daniel Pantaleo will face charges for his (banned) use of the chokehold and murder of Eric Garner, however. The DA's office still must decide if it wants to pursue a case and convene a grand jury. And as we have seen in the past, the state often goes out of its way to protect its soldiers.I could see this being taken to trial, if only because of the amount of media coverage it has already garnered, plus the racial tension and potential for mass protests in NYC should Pantaleo not be charged. Now...on the other side of this story...Man Who Shot Cell Footage of Chokehold Death Arrested The man who took the now famous cell footage of Eric Garner's murder at the hands of the NYPD has been arrested on gun charges. Via the AP:
Police said 22-year-old Ramsey Orta was arrested Saturday night on Staten Island, a few blocks from where officers confronted his friend Eric Garner on July 17.Orta, whose recording of an officer restraining Garner with a chokehold fueled outcry against the police, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.Police said Orta had a previous weapon conviction that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.He is due in court this month on robbery charges stemming from a May arrest and an assault charge from an arrest three days before Garner's death, according to court records.
Now, the man is due in court and already has several criminal counts against him. He was in possession of a firearm illegally (I won't get into the finer points of convicts 2nd Amendment rights here), which police claim they clearly saw on his person. On the surface this could simply be the rightful arrest of a known criminal. One does ponder the timing though, and whether the NYPD specifically targeted Orta because of the firestorm that resulted from his video posting. Follow anyone around long enough and most likely you can catch some infringement of the law. Is this the state's revenge? Something to think about.Read The Morning Roar every weekday Monday-Friday!The Lions of Liberty are on Twitter, Facebook & Google+Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!
