Earlier this month, an employee of a Florida Golden Corral named Brandon Huber posted a video in which he contends that his restaurant was improperly storing food. (The restaurant owner, Eric Holm, has disputed many of the contentions against his establishment, and derided Huber’s motivation as a mercenary one.) Huber’s video (one of several he…
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech, Local Government, New Media, Press
Local News
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a paywall up at Janesville’s GazetteXtra.com, with some content available for free, but much more local news now behind a paywall. I’ve no idea whether their effort will be a success, and the best one can say is that it will be tough going. Everyone at the paper surely sees that. In the end,…
Freedom of Speech, Tyranny
‘A Long Ride Toward a New China’
by JOHN ADAMS •
Looking for inspiration? Chinese blogger Zhang Shihe, writing under the pseudonym ‘Tiger Temple,’ defies an oppressive state to report on the hardships and corruption of rural life in China. It’s an understatement to say that he goes to extraordinary lengths – quite literally – to tell others’ stories and reveal injustices done to them. There…
Freedom of Speech, New Media
Is Blogging a Hobby?
by JOHN ADAMS •
Crime, Freedom of Speech, Law, Liberty
The Beatles on Revolution and the Constitutional Order
by JOHN ADAMS •
Not every election ends as one hopes. That’s true for major-party members, and at least as much for members of third parties. There are millions of people disappointed that Pres. Obama was re-elected, as there were many who were disappointed that Pres. Bush was re-elected. Neither outcome is what many Americans wanted, although in both…
Freedom of Speech, Press
Have you ever thought about becoming a publisher?
by JOHN ADAMS •
City, Freedom of Speech, Local Government
Common Council Session of 12.18.12: Citizen Comments
by JOHN ADAMS •
Here’s the second of my posts on Tuesday’s session. Move to Amend. James Hartwick, a resident and leader of the Starin Park Neighborhood Association, introduced a petition (in support of the Move to Amend campaign) for our 4.2.2013 ballot calling to amend the U.S. Constitution, under this question: Shall the City of Whitewater adopt the…
Crime, Freedom of Speech, Politics
Simple Standards of Political Discourse
by JOHN ADAMS •
One may express a few principles of political discourse succinctly: 1. Don’t destroy property. 2. Don’t use force against political opponents, either immediately or while destroying property. Over the last two years, countless Wisconsinites have voted, assembled, and protested with scarcely any property damage or violence. In this way, we have been a good example…
Freedom of Speech, New Media, Press
Sign of the (New Media) Times: From the Daily Planet to Blogging
by JOHN ADAMS •
Looks like Clark Kent’s had enough of working at the dead-tree Daily Planet. Metropolis is about to get a new blogger: In the new issue of DC Comics’ Superman series, out tomorrow [that is, 10.23.12], Clark will stand up in front of staff in a “Jerry Maguire-type moment” which will see him resign from the…
City, Freedom of Speech
The Best Authority is a Good Argument
by JOHN ADAMS •
In a competitive marketplace of ideas – of left, right, center – each idea questioned and considered – the best authority is a well-reasoned position. Simple appeals to personal authority – of the kind that have been the foundation of Whitewater’s politics over the last generation – just aren’t good enough anymore. Who you know…
Agriculture, Animals, Freedom of Speech, Laws/Regulations
How Ag Gag Laws Suppress Free Speech
by JOHN ADAMS •
Utah and Iowa, among other states, have passed ‘ag gag’ laws to prevent the recording of videos that reveal animal abuse at slaughterhouses. These private recordings are a consequence of regulatory failure, just as laws to prevent them are proof of political hypocrisy. If states regulated properly the videos wouldn’t be necessary; likewise, proper regulation…
Freedom of Speech, Law, Local Government, New Media
First Amendment and Social Media in Federal Lawsuit Against City of Honolulu, Local Police
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a case in Hawaii, in federal court, that may limit a city’s restrictions on municipal webpages and social media. If municipal agencies establish Facebook or other social media pages, can they censor critical comments from among all other comments? That’s the question before the court in Hawaii, about the comments policy of the Honolulu…