According to the Department of Defense, “protests.” A written exam administered by the Pentagon labels “protests” as a form of “low-level terrorism” — enraging civil liberties advocates and activist groups who say it shows blatant disregard of the First Amendment.The written exam, given as part of Department of Defense employees’ routine training, includes a [...]
According to the White House blog by Norm Elsen (Special Counsel to the President on (get this) Ethics and Government Reform), government will now be restricting oral communications on anyone attempting to influence the stimulus process: “First, we will expand the restriction on oral communications to cover all persons, not just federally registered lobbyists. For the [...]
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Eugene Volokh has the story of Missouri Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who is apparently now pushing to revive the old, seemingly settled debate on flag dessicration. (Just as a quick primer for you non-law geeks: restrictions on flag-burning (other than, of course, those that would protect safety, etc.) were officially invalidated in the 1989 case [...]
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Not according to Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA), and 14 other representatives, who have proposed the following bill: (ht: Volokh, by way of Reason) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, [...]
In her last column before becoming a functionary in the Obama Administration, erstwhile LA Times columnist Rosa Brooks says: Years of foolish policies have left us with a choice: We can bail out journalism, using tax dollars and granting licenses in ways that encourage robust and independent reporting and commentary, or we can watch, wringing [...]
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Jonathan Turely at the Washington Post has a fascinating- and terrifying- article on freedom of speech in countries that should be our allies for the cause: Among the new blasphemers is legendary French actress Brigitte Bardot, who was convicted last June of “inciting religious hatred” for a letter she wrote in 2006 to then-Interior Minister [...]
So says New York City Councilman Charles Barron, speaking of the audacity of two local restaurants that have, quite ridiculously, decided to rename themselves Obama Fried Chicken (in Brooklyn) and Obama Fried Chicken and Pizza (in Harlem). Now, fortunatly, the councilman is only stating that he will organize demonstrations- perhaps not the best use of [...]
Hot Air has the story of the Cybersecurity Act of 2009, S.773, sponsored by Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Olympia Snowe (R(ino)-ME). This bill would allow the executive branch of the government to shut down internet traffic in “the interest of national security.” “National security” as defined by . . . the government. Feeling [...]
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SCOTUS has agreed to hear a case involving whether a movie that had been intended to oppose Hillary Clinton’s presidential aspirations (remember those?) can be regulated as a campaign ad. Now, the whole thing seems pretty moot now, I mean, can you even remember the Democratic primaries at this point? And the Supremes have every [...]
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