Fighting for the Freedom of Expression in New England
Freedom of expression may be guaranteed by the Constitution. But it’s an idea we have to fight for every day.
The great civil libertarian Nat Hentoff once said that our sex drive pales in comparison with our urge to censor. It’s an urge that is played out in places high and low, encompassing both the serious and the absurd. Military veterans protesting the war are arrested in Boston and charged with disturbing the peace. An anti-abortion activist in Maine borrows sex-education books from public libraries and refuses to return them. A legislative leader in Rhode Island– the head of John McCain’s presidential campaign in that state– compares anonymous critics to `terrorists,’ and helps kill a proposal aimed at guaranteeing their First Amendment rights...
And let us not forget Robert Watson:
Robert Watson is both the minority leader of the Rhode Island House, and the chief chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign in Rhode Island. He is also, according to this week’s Boston Phoenix (see post below), one of those deserving by the alt weekly of one of their annual award winners for muzzling free speech in New England...read on
And here I was, believing that New England was a bastion of free thought and speech, and a liberal stronghold...I must not have been paying very close attention.
We'll be decades cleaning up the mess left by the Bush Administration.
The stink alone will take years.
liberalNmoderation @ 1:
Remember New England started out as a slightly larger version of Geneva under John Calvin. Puritan New England was not the happiest place to live. That sort of mindset takes a long time to eliminate. The early New Englanders were hard people. Their modern descendants haven't lost much of it.
Fighting for the Freedom of Expression in New England
I think the FCC passed a rule against that.
Shadowgm Hussein @ 2:
Too damn right! I'd say more, but I'm in New England, and I can hear the breathing coming over my shoulder right now!
General_Rennenkampf @ 3:
The early New Englanders were hard people. Their modern descendants haven't lost much of it.
That's because Catholics priests got more than they did.
The Bush Administration and policies will be felt for years to come. Shawdowgm is right, I don't think the stink will ever come off. Just watching Bush ride out the rest of his term is sickening. I dream about impeachment, but then again I voted for Kerry. I can't believe how stupid the people who voted for him really are! Thanks jerks!!
I know we are supposed to despise Mr Watson, but the law he passed makes the author of political ads give their names. This would help our fight against SwiftBoating. Why is that a bad thing?
Freedom of Speech is a great right, but so is knowing your accuser.
General_Rennenkampf @ 3:
Oi Vey!
Racism and hatred run rampant in Boston. Even worse lately because a lot of immigrants from ultra-conservative cultures have moved in and brought their hate with them. If we criticize their hatred, we criticize their culture.
John -
Your lack of respect for your readers is showing.
You wrote "And let us not forget Robert Watson" when the previous sentence was about Robert Watson.
Yeah, so I did some things - repeatedly - during the 70s that may have reduced my short-term memory, but it isn't that bad.
Two-party plutocracy
So I guess Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay should have been thrown in jail.
New England, especially Salem, MA used to burn "witches" for their speach and behavior. I'm from Maine and Southern Maine is liberal but upstate is conservative like it was in the old days.
I guess nowadays they just taze witches though.
Fran Taylor @ 13:
I guess I was thinking that since repubs tend to swift boat more often than Dems do that making the writer of an ad, a 527 ad, would protect the politician from foolish attacks, like not being white/black enough, not being a patriot/rebel/maverick. I thought it would be poetic that McC got busted for violating a law that his person wrote!
Gosh darn it to heckaroonie!!!
McCain has a lot of fascists in his camp. The head of his campaign in Iowa was also part of a scam group called "Iowans For Tax Relief" (It should be called "Iowans For Tax Relief For the Rich only") and excluded Ron Paul from candidate forums, even though they let people with far fewer supporters attend.
"Freedom of expression may be guaranteed by the Constitution. But it’s an idea we have to fight for every day"
As is Freedom to keep and bear arms
That library should just file a claim with that person's credit company, and eventually, after a year or two, I bet they could legally freeze that "activists" bank accounts.
It is still against the law to borrow stuff and not pay it back, right?
ysbaddaden @ 16:
HEY! Such language!
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