Tag: Free Speech

Yesterday I was made aware of an editor of a small newspaper suing a number of readers for defamation because they accused her of "yellow journalism".  Strange turn number one was the fact I have faced the practice myself before, and because I was a public figure, figured they would get away with their efforts to defame my character. And anyhow it hardened me to criticism, complaint, etc. I never would have dreamed in the process that a "free speech" advocate such as a newspaper editor would be one to pursue such stifling procedures to silence an enemy.  Stephanie Buffman reports:

"There was later an Amended Complaint filed in April naming Darlene Thompson as a Defendant in the suit, citing comments that she made online as resulting in similar losses.

The lawsuit asks for compensatory damages in excess of $25,000.

Oh, my. Once my head stopped spinning from the First Amendment Rights vortex my brain was suddenly sucked into, I wondered: What in the world had these people said to pierce the notoriously thick and jaded hide of a newspaper editor?"

A flood of stupidity has hit the high water mark in Troy. First the people fall for a particular agenda and screw over one of the most fiscally responsible mayors they have had in recent history because of her opinions on a dangerous lifestyle.  Then the council thinks it can get away with a one year appointed replacement after the recall.  NOW, they have done the unthinkable.

"The Nov. 26 comments of Charlene Femminineo, 62, and a 26-year resident of the city, were stricken from the city's official minutes and cut from the videotape of the earlier meeting by a vote of the council, officials said"

Though not sure how much it means as a legal issue, it reeks of abusive government.  I believe the video below starts where the edit begins. (Or go to 1:20:00)

I have never seen such a thing.

If in fact she was abusive, wouldn't that stand on its face to dispute her arguments?  If she hit a nerve of some on the council, then shouldn't they still sit there and take it, or is it OK that they have lessened her ability to speak on par with any other voices in the room? Maybe the easiest path was taken in the face of an inability to answer to whatever it was she might have said? A bad precedent in any event, leading one to wonder how quickly a political scalpel can shape debate in our easily edited community discourse.

A definitive victory over out of control government.  

Mr. Verduin parked two semi-truck trailers on his 40 acre farm that violated the 20 square feet allowed for political signs.  His signs stated:  Marxism/Socialism = Poverty and Hunger and Obama's 'Mission Accomplished' :  8% Unemployment 16 Trillion Debt.  

If the signs advertised his business, the signs could have been twice as big. He was fined for violating the township ordinance after declaring his right to free speech by leaving the signs up.

Gaines Township cited Mr. Verduin in an attempt to force him into compliance.  After deliberating permanent vs temporary,  content based vs content neutral, and debating the definition of vehicular signs, Judge Steven Servaas, 63rd District Court Kent County, declared Gaines Township's sign ordinance unconstitutional "because there is a distinction between commercial and political".  The Judge added that the law has to treat commercial and political speech the same.  The Township's ordinance allows a bigger sign to sell a product than a political idea.

What is it? Yea or nay? Yes or No?  Is the average 'moderate' Muslim a danger to our constitutional Republic?  Is there an underlying desire to dismantle our bill of rights because of hurt religious feelings?  Given this:

"Protesting the film, "Innocence of Muslims," that has sparked protests in the Mideast, rally organizer Tarek Baydoun says that so-called blasphemy laws are necessary to prevent speech that hurts the "the religious feelings of Muslims."

Lets just take this a step further.

If these are NOT representing the 'moderate' Islamists in our midst, then what are they representing?

Its not as if one would feel compelled to walk away from such examples of tolerance.

The Dearborn Public Schools must make changes to comply with civil rights laws, following an enforcement action launched by a federal agency two years ago.

The U.S. Education Department said Thursday an agreement with the district and the department's Office for Civil Rights resolves the federal inquiry.

Parents with limited English proficiency in the heavily Arab-American [translation: Muhammadan] district were not given adequate access to information about their children's education in a language they could understand, according to the investigation.

Officials said the district also denied students learning English access to nonacademic programs and activities.

It's about time the district was required to change its policies, said Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News.

Rest here

DETROIT - A federal judge sided with Terry Jones Thursday and granted a temporary restraining order against the city of Dearborn.

Calling it "clearly unconstitutional," U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood blasted the city's demand that Jones and his supporters sign a hold-harmless agreement in order to obtain a permit to speak against Islam in front of Dearborn's Islamic Center of America.

Suh-weet! ...and to think that Ms. Barnhardt just celebrated a 1-year anniversary too.