There are lot of people who are very sure that protests in Madison are proof of a disordered society. They’re quick to wail and cry that the sky is falling, and that these protests are the end of Polite and Civilized Society as Understood by Polite and Civilized People. They sky’s not falling; society’s doing…
Freedom of Speech
City, Freedom of Speech, Police, Walworth County
Anti-Union Buffoonery in Whitewater, Wisconsin
by JOHN ADAMS •
I saw an odd ‘news item’ today, about a protest in Whitewater, that supposedly involved monitoring by the police. It was said to be a ‘heavy’ police presence, by the account that I saw. If the account’s true, then that presence is both foolish and wrong. If the account’s false, and there wasn’t really a…
Freedom of Speech, Libertarians, Liberty
Wendy Kaminer: Free Speech, Free Markets, and Barriers to Civil Liberties Coalitions
by JOHN ADAMS •
Freedom of Speech, Liberty
Institute for Justice Fights to Unleash Free Speech
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s not too much to ask that American business people — like all other citizens — should be allowed the rights of a free people. Unfortunately, not every local official understands or respects those rights. Consider the illegitimate and unconstitutional restrictions that Arlington, Virginia wants to place on Kim Houghton’s liberty. The Institute for Justice…
Freedom of Speech, Liberty, Music
Canada Bans Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing” for Being Too Offensive
by JOHN ADAMS •
I’m sure the song is offensive to many — but that’s no reason to ban it. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has ruled that Dire Straits’ 1980s hit Money for Nothing is too offensive for Canadian radio. The ruling, released Wednesday, was in response to a complaint against St. John’s radio station CHOZ-FM. The listener…
Freedom of Speech
Volokh: The First Amendment and Speech That Allegedly Threatens Public Officials
by JOHN ADAMS •
It’s well past time for a primer on the boundaries of free speech and public officials. Fortunately, Eugene Volokh of UCLA has that very post on his website. See, The First Amendment and Speech That Allegedly Threatens Public Officials. Prof. Volokh lists seven key points for understanding First Amendment law involving allegedly threatening speech toward…
Freedom of Speech, Laws/Regulations
Update: U.S. Supreme Court Considers Whether to Hear Institute for Justice’s Challenge to Arizona’s “Clean Elections”
by JOHN ADAMS •
Great news — The U.S. Supreme Court had decided to hear a challenge to Arizona’s supposedly “clean,” but actually speech-inhibiting, elections law. See, Supreme Court to Review Arizona Campaign Finance Law. Here’s a FW post from November on the challenge — Think that “clean” elections laws keep elections, well, fair and clean? You might be…
Freedom of Speech
Shafer — In Defense of Inflamed Rhetoric
by JOHN ADAMS •
Indeed — Only the tiniest handful of people—most of whom are already behind bars, in psychiatric institutions, or on psycho-meds—can be driven to kill by political whispers or shouts. Asking us to forever hold our tongues lest we awake their deeper demons infantilizes and neuters us and makes politicians no safer. See, The awesome stupidity of…
Freedom of Speech
“Yes, Virginia – You can say ‘Merry Christmas’ “
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s a fine, speech-defending column at the Chicago Tribune from Jamie Katz on saying “Merry Christmas.” Here’s part of it: ….It’s all right to say Merry Christmas. In fact, it’s lovely. I happen to be Jewish. And I’ve lived most of my life in New York City, where, on the whole, contrary to rumor, people…
Freedom of Speech
‘Cheerleader’ Joe McCarthy
by JOHN ADAMS •
Sen. Joe McCarthy, a great embarrassment to Wisconsin, was known as ‘Tailgunner’ Joe. To my knowledge, no one called that witch-hunter ‘Cheerleader’ Joe McCarthy. And yet, the space between a supposedly positive ‘cheerleader’ and a witch-hunter in search of disloyalty isn’t a great distance. It was Rousseau, I think, who once remarked that many of…
Freedom of Speech, Laws/Regulations, Politics
U.S. Supreme Court Considers Whether to Hear IJ’s Challenge to Arizona’s “Clean Elections” Scheme
by JOHN ADAMS •
Think that ‘clean’ elections laws keep elections, well, fair and clean? You might be surprised. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering an Institute for Justice challenge to the fairness of Arizona’s supposedly clean election laws. Here’s a video from the IJ entitled, “The Dirty Game of AZ’s “Clean Elections.” Below the video, I have placed…
Freedom of Speech, Politics
Reason.tv: Political Attack Ads, Circa 1800
by JOHN ADAMS •
Freedom of Speech, Law, Laws/Regulations, Politics
CNN Money: The Absurdity of Campaign Finance Reform
by JOHN ADAMS •
Nina Easton writes about so-called reform that’s both anti-speech, and deeply hypocritical: One narrative of election year 2010 was shaped long before any votes were tabulated. President Barack Obama penned the first chapter with his January condemnation of a Supreme Court ruling that lifted government prohibitions on spending by corporations in elections. The 5-to-4 decision…
Cartoons & Comics, Freedom of Speech
Just Admit it, Newspapers: You’re Scared of Muslims – Reason Magazine
by JOHN ADAMS •
That’s about the size of it — As Radley Balko noted in yesterday’s Morning Links, the Washington Post and other newspapers pulled Wiley Millers syndicated “Non Sequitur” cartoon from their comics pages two Sundays back, because Miller pulled a familiar-to-Reason-readers “Where’s Waldo?” gag with the Prophet Muhammad…. On the other hand, maybe comparisons or references…