Is Free Speech Free If You Have to Tell the Government?

I saw this article come through on Twitter and almost dropped my daily dose of caffeine.

You have to read about a lawsuit to protect your rights when talking to your neighbor......

Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Americans’ Right To Most-Basic Political Speech: Talking to Their Neighbors
John Kramer

Washingtonians from both sides of the political spectrum filed a lawsuit today to stop their state from monitoring, collecting and publicly disseminating information about the political activities of private citizens who do nothing more than urge their fellow citizens to take political action.  They seek to vindicate the belief that if the First Amendment protects anything, it protects the right of all Americans to speak to one another about the issues affecting their lives without having to first register with the government.........http://www.ij.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3316&Itemid=165

HT to Conservative Gal

Remember the First Amendment? Looks Like it Could be Just a Memory

Saw this and wondered why there has been minimal buzz on the subject. You remember the first amendment with freedom of speech and freedom of religion?.....


Just say no to blasphemy laws

Perhaps in an effort to rehabilitate the United States’ image in the Muslim world, the Obama administration has joined a U.N. effort to restrict religious speech. This country should never sacrifice freedom of expression on the altar of religion.

By Jonathan Turley

Around the world, free speech is being sacrificed on the altar of religion. Whether defined as hate speech, discrimination or simple blasphemy, governments are declaring unlimited free speech as the enemy of freedom of religion. This growing movement has reached the United Nations, where religiously conservative countries received a boost in their campaign to pass an international blasphemy law. It came from the most unlikely of places: the United States.

While attracting surprisingly little attention, the Obama administration....http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/10/column-just-say-no-to-blasphemy-laws-.html

Government to Censor Pastors Reading the Bible?

Included in the proposed hate crime bill in Washington is severe censorship of pastors preaching the Gospel of our Lord and on free speech. Let your representatives know your thoughts on free speech now.

Remembering Liberty or Death, Patrick Henry Style

VWV Note: Give me liberty or give me death. A great speech which was delivered by a wonderful American patriot. I wonder what he would think about today's attacks on the values he and the other early patriots willingly fought for- sometimes with their lives.


“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”
Mar 23rd, 2009
by Shane Vander Hart

Today is the 234th anniversary of Patrick Henry giving his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech to the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. This speech is credited with having swung the balance in convincing the Virginia House of Burgesses to pass a resolution delivering Virginia troops to the Revolutionary War. I thought I’d include the text below.

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
by Patrick Henry

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery;.....http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/?p=2359

Free Speech, Well, Only if Big Brother Agrees with Your Point of View

I've been following this assault on free speech. Why is the media not up in arms over this? Why are people just ignoring this assault?

Read on..

Free Speech Assault Alert
The Durbin Doctrine’s Assault on Free Speech

Following a premeditated White House campaign to demonize Rush Limbaugh, Newsweek aided the left’s “Hush Rush” campaign with a cover story pushing for Rush to be silenced. Now, Rush can handle criticism from the White House and Newsweek just fine. But there was also a little noticed vote in the Senate late last month that could enable the left to accomplish by government regulation what they could never accomplish with actual debate......http://readytorumbleforrush.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-speech-assault-alert.html

UN Seeks to Silence Free Speech in America

I found this story about the United Nations actions deeply disturbing. Why should we as Americans not be able to speak out against any group who threatens Americans? Why should we as Americans bow down to the United Nations? Whose in charge?

Maybe the better question is "Are you ready? Have you made your peace with your Creator?"

Read the story and see if you find the hair on your arms raising up in alarm.

UN may make ban on criticizing Islam mandatory, making it a criminal offense in the U.S.

.....According to a report by CNN's Lou Dobbs posted on YouTube, the proposal that has been repeatedly brought in recent years by the Organization of Islamic Conference states is expected to resurface as early as this spring.

This time, however, the resolution wouldn't allow nations to opt out.

"The United Nations has adopted what it calls a Resolution to Combat Defamation of Religion," Dobbs said in the report. "The U.N. now wants to make that anti-blasphemy resolution binding on member nations, including, of course, our own. That would make it a crime in the United States ... to criticize religion, in particular, Islam.".....http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/025110.php

NY Supreme Court Could Decide to Protect Free Speech or Not

Another day, another story about the potential future of free speech. Keep an eye on this court's decision. Whichever way it goes could impact you.

Fashion Model's Application to Unmask Anonymous Blogger Threatens First Amendment Protections for Online Comments

/PRNewswire/ -- A pending application to the New York Supreme Court seeks to force Google to divulge the identity of an anonymous blogger because of a few comments made on the Internet on one single day. The application brings to the fore the need to ensure that First Amendment free-speech protections continue to extend to anonymous web-based commentary.

A hearing on the motion to reveal the anonymous blogger's identity is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th. The petitioner, fashion model Liskula Cohen, alleges that references to her as a "skank" and "ho" on the website "Skanks in NYC" constitutes actionable libel under New York law and on that ground seeks to unmask the anonymous blogger.

"Despite its seemingly petty underpinnings, this case carries serious implications," says Debra J. Guzov, co-founder of Guzov Ofsink, LLC, which is defending the anonymous blogger. "We strongly believe that if the plaintiff were to succeed in her efforts, it would move toward the erosion of our basic constitutional right to anonymous free speech."

Anonymity and the Internet

The Cohen proceeding could potentially have a chilling effect on anonymous commentary made all over the Internet. "Ideas are exchanged freely on the Internet in large part because participants can speak using assumed names or no name at all," says Ms. Guzov. She adds that anonymity not only encourages democratic discourse and allows dissenters from majority opinion to share their minority views, but it also provides vital protection from the fear of political, economic or even physical retribution for espousing those views.

"The Internet has become the predominant forum in modern society for the free exchange of ideas and opinions, however absurd, profane, insulting or rhetorical," says Anne W. Salisbury, a Guzov Ofsink attorney who specializes in First Amendment cases. "We do not have to condone everything people say on the Internet, but we must respect their right to say it."

Courts all over the country have already ruled that words such as "skank," "pimp," "tramp" and "douchebag" are not defamatory, especially in the context of blogs and other online commentary. "Context matters," Ms. Guzov notes. "Indeed, in this particular case, no reasonable person visiting a web site entitled 'Skanks in NYC' would expect to find assertions of verifiable facts."

Watch Out- Free Speech May be Subject to Government Regulation

As a firm believer in our country and in our Constitution, I am appalled at the state of the union today. Will free speech remain free or will it be completely taken over and regulated by those who "know best"?

Take a look at this interesting article and keep your eyes open. The battle is on.

Son of The Fairness Doctrine
Posted by Brian Darling (Profile)

Don’t be fooled by President Obama’s purported renunciation of the Fairness Doctrine last week. The far left fully intends to use a new regulatory scheme, the Son of The Fairness Doctrine, to regulate conservative talk radio. As Erick Erickson wrote last week on Red State, “Congress will restrict how many stations a company can own in a market. They’ll also require advisory boards for each station and make it easier to address consumer complaints against stations.” Although the left has backed away from the Fairness Doctrine because it is ineffective, they are gathering support for an attack on conservative talk radio......
http://www.redstate.com/brian_d/2009/02/23/son-of-the-fairness-doctrine/