http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/firstamendment/ en-us Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:59:28 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2284259/posts First Amendment Farewell Tour by: Brittany Fortier, July 02, 2009 Americans are in for some “change” they won’t believe in as the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats prepare to reinstall the Fairness Doctrine, argues one author. If they are successful, the First Amendment as we know it in America will no longer exist. Brad O’Leary, the publisher of the O’Leary Report and author of Shut Up, America! The End of Free Speech spoke about this contentious issue at the Heritage Foundation on June 24, 2009. O’Leary argued that American newspapers are “totally and completely biased” in their coverage of President... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2284259/posts#comment Thu, 2 Jul 2009 17:59:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283410/posts Activist alleges abuse of power TBI questions man for posting ‘Battle of Athens’ message on Internet By SKYLER SWISHER/ sswisher@c-dh.net FLY — A Maury County political activist says the secretary of state used the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as a tool to intimidate him because of his efforts to advocate election reform. But a spokesman for Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett says the secretary was only concerned about what he deemed to be a possible threat of violence. The dispute started when Bernie Ellis, a resident of the Fly community, referenced a civil uprising called the Battle of Athens,... The Daily Herald (Columbia, TN) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2283410/posts#comment Wed, 1 Jul 2009 17:45:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2281599/posts Following the frighteningly dangerous thinking of Judge Richard Posner – proposing rewriting copyright law to outlaw linking to and summarizing (aka talking about) news stories – now we have two more lemming lawyers following him off the cliff in a column written by the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Connie Schultz. First note well that Schultz is married to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown as she calls on her newspapers and employer (my former employer, Advance Publications) and fellow columnists to influence Congress to remake copyright. She should be registered as a lobbyist. No joke. Schultz says that David Marburger, an alleged First... buzzmachine via instapundit http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2281599/posts#comment Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:52:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2276265/posts E-mails sent by a “conservative” student to a “liberal” professor, calling him a traitor and threatening to “puke” all over him are not protected political speech, the Nebraska Court of Appeals said in a decision last week. Darren J. Drahota was found guilty of disturbing the peace and fined $250 for e-mails he sent to Bill Avery, then a University of Nebraska-Lincoln political science professor and now a state senator from Lincoln . The Nebraska Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, saying libelous and insulting or “fighting words” are not protected by the Constitution. The court described the content of... Journalstar.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2276265/posts#comment Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:02:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274627/posts In China, Christians have a choice: Join a government-approved church—which is constantly monitored by the authorities—or join an underground church.Thank heavens things like that don’t happen in the West, you may be thinking. Think again. In Britain, the government has begun sticking its nose in church business, telling churches what to do.According to the Daily Telegraph, starting next year, the British government is going to begin forcing churches and other religious institutions to hire open, practicing homosexuals. It will happen under the provisions of the so-called Equity Bill, which forbids discrimination against homosexuals or transsexuals. The law would “cover... BreakPoint http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274627/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:59:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274379/posts A Documentary Critical of the California Coastal Commission Under Attack June 17, 2009 - A filmmaker who is producing Sins of Commission, a movie critical of the California Coastal Commission’s infringement on private property rights, was served a subpoena by the commission to acquire raw footage of the film before its final release! Claiming that this intimidation is an attack on his 1st Amendment Rights, the filmmaker is going public. This legal tactic comes as no surprise to property owners who have dealt with a commission who has denied them the ability to make even the most modest improvements to... California Alliance to Protect California Property Rights http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2274379/posts#comment Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:06:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272323/posts The MPAA apparently said that the “enemies of copyright have really done a good job at creating the false premise that the interest of copyright holders and the interest of society as a whole are antagonistic” during the World Copyright Summit. The worry is that their pro-copyright advocacy perspective is fading away in the public conscious. In an interesting report from IP-Watch where there were a few choice words levelled against those that disagreed with the view-points of the copyright industry. Apparently, Fritz Attaway suggested that it's false to assume that the rights of the industry and the interest of... ZeroPaid http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272323/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:51:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271243/posts ...today police are saying that one blogger, Harold “Hal” Turner, crossed the line when he suggested some Connecticut government officials should “obey the Constitution or die. ”Turner, a New Jersey native, was apparently angry about proposed legislation that would have given lay members of Roman Catholic churches in Connecticut more control over their parish’s finances, the Associated Press is reporting. The blogger and radio show host turned himself in to the Connecticut police this afternoon on a charge of inciting violence. The Christian Science Monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2271243/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:13:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2265592/posts New Hampshire's legislature has approved gay marriage in that state. I don't agree with gay marriage, but they did it the right way. I believe it is a states rights issue and that it should not be decided by mullahs in black robes.The governor, God bless him, insisted that churches should not be coerced into doing anything against their beliefs. While I applaud his intentions, here's what I have a problem with: Lynch, a Democrat, called it "a day to celebrate in New Hampshire." The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2010, clarifies that religious institutions and their employees are... Nietzsche is Dead http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2265592/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 16:30:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265287/posts San Diego County officials agreed Wednesday to rescind a cease-and-desist order issued to a pastor holding a small Bible study in his home. In a letter to the pastor, the county’s chief administrative officer apologized for the incident involving a code enforcement officer who issued the order after reportedly asking the pastor’s wife inappropriately probing questions about the study. The letter informed Pastor David Jones and his legal counsel Dean Broyles, president of the Western Center for Law & Policy, an Alliance Defense Fund allied organization, that the order was wrongfully issued and that the county would conduct a thorough... calcatholic.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2265287/posts#comment Fri, 5 Jun 2009 07:23:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2261300/posts www.catholicnewsagency.com State ethics office investigates Connecticut diocese as lobbying group Diocese of Bridgeport sues for First Amendment violation Bishop William Lori Bridgeport, Conn., May 29, 2009 / 05:16 pm (CNA).- In response to its efforts to fight a bill that would have redefined the financial and pastoral structure of the Catholic Church in Connecticut, the Diocese of Bridgeport is now being investigated by the Office of State Ethics (OSE) for acting as a lobbying group without registering as one. Today, the diocese filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the investigation. According to the Diocese of Bridgeport, a letter... CantholicNewsAgency http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2261300/posts#comment Sat, 30 May 2009 18:21:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2260499/posts It was my old friend and mentor, Luigi Barzini, who asseverated, "Americans talk too much." The year was 1978, and I cannot recall the controversy that had aroused him. Luigi's point was that...he thought our jabbering was again obscuring careful thought. He was a great friend of America...He thought we often argued garrulously about things that were not worth the argument. A case is about to be tried in the Supreme Court that fits Luigi's diagnosis. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit in 2001 demanding that a 7-foot cross erected in the California desert in 1934 commemorating sacrifices... Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2260499/posts#comment Fri, 29 May 2009 13:59:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2260076/posts A San Diego pastor says county officials have told him he needs a permit to host a weekly Bible study in his home. Pastor David Jones and his wife, Mary, were hosting the weekly study near their church, when they say they were visited by a county code enforcement officer. According to Dean Broyles, an attorney for the Joneses, the county official asked the pastor if they hosted a regular weekly meeting in their home, and if they prayed and said "Amen" and "Praise the Lord" at those meetings. After replying in the affirmative to those inquiries, a subsequent citation... OneNewsNow http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2260076/posts#comment Thu, 28 May 2009 20:30:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2257429/posts To All Shelby County, TN Freepers, please refer to the following URL (http://agendapub.shelbycountytn.gov/sirepub/view.aspx?cabinet=PUBLISHED_MEETINGS&fileid=55753. This document represents and amendment to Chapter 12 of the Shelby County Code of Ordinances. This amendment contains in part what is listed below. This is scheduled to be voted on this Wednesday, 5/27 by the Shelby County Commission. This is another attempt to justify and promote immoral sexual behavior. Ultimately, this amendment will allow homosexuals, bisexuals, transsexuals, transvestites, etc.. to enter our schools as teachers with no means to stop it. Please call your Shelby County commissioner immediately and tell them to vote NO on this... Shelby County, TN Commission http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2257429/posts#comment Sun, 24 May 2009 19:18:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2254807/posts Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.I am sick and tired, to say the least, of the First Amendment being read by politicians, courts and citizens as a right to NOT hear or read free speech. So laughably misread, the First Amendment is frequently being used for the polar oppposite of its original intent. In Frisco, Texas, some parents are indulging in... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2254807/posts#comment Wed, 20 May 2009 17:24:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2252041/posts A socialist-oriented “media reform” group with intimate ties to the Obama Administration and George Soros is calling for new federal programs and the spending of tens of billions of dollars to keep journalists employed at liberal media outlets or at new “public media.” The group, which calls itself Free Press, is urging “an alternative media infrastructure, one that is insulated from the commercial pressures that brought us to our current crisis.” However, speakers at this week's Free Press "summit" had nothing to say about the well-documented liberal bias that has contributed to the decline in readers and viewers for traditional... World Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2252041/posts#comment Sat, 16 May 2009 02:52:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247886/posts A proposed new law would punish those who bullied, harassed or intimidated others online with jail, a fine, or both. The “Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act”, proposed by Republican senator Linda Sanchez, is designed to deter the kind of behavior which led to the death of Megan Meyers, after a cyber-bullying campaign from the mother of one of her schoolmates. The text of the bill defines in very broad terms the kind of action that could be considered unlawful, as well as the penalties Sanchez and the supporters of the bill would like to see imposed. The text of the... Geek.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247886/posts#comment Sun, 10 May 2009 05:02:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2244491/posts Michael Savage is banned from the UK. That is not important, the reason why is compelling ... "I think it's important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it's a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won't be welcome in this country," Ms Smith told GMTV. "Coming to this country is a privilege. If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you from this country and, what's more, now... The Drudge Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2244491/posts#comment Tue, 5 May 2009 14:31:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2243888/posts That's what a House of Representatives bill, proposed by Rep. Linda T. Sanchez and 14 others, would do. Here's the relevant text: 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, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.... ["Communication"] means the electronic transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user's choosing, without change in the form or content of the information... The Volokh Conspiracy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2243888/posts#comment Mon, 4 May 2009 16:57:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2242486/posts A Mission Viejo high school history teacher violated the First Amendment by disparaging Christians during a classroom lecture, a federal judge ruled today. James Corbett, a 20-year teacher at Capistrano Valley High School, was found guilty of referring to Creationism as “religious, superstitious nonsense” during a 2007 classroom lecture, denigrating his former Advanced Placement European history student, Chad Farnan. The Orange County Register http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2242486/posts#comment Sat, 2 May 2009 01:30:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241557/posts Obama's war on free speech Exclusive: Joseph Farah predicts actions that would tighten state control on media Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are intent on nationalizing media in the U.S. much the same way they nationalized the U.S. auto industry and the nation's banking and financial institutions. This isn't the so-called "Fairness Doctrine." It's much worse. Here's what you can expect in the coming weeks and months: a new appointment to the position of chairman of the Federal Communications Commission who will implement a plan to create "community advisory boards" of community activists to monitor the content of talk-radio programs,... World Net Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2241557/posts#comment Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:26:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2239514/posts Ladies and Gentlemen, I am often asked whether I have any answers to all the problems that I mention or what those answers might be. Well, let me tell you, I certainly have a lot of answers. Here are a few things that I believe we should do in the West, to stop the Islamization. First, I have already said it, we have to stop the idea of "Cultural Relativism." Get rid of the misconception that all cultures are equal. They are not. Our culture based on Christianity, on Judeaism and Humanism is far better than the Islamic culture. So... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2239514/posts#comment Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:59:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234476/posts aced with a rash of litigation over their ratings of mortgage-backed securities, credit-rating firms are hoping to rely on a longtime legal ace-in-the-hole: the Constitution. But that protection is being questioned amid allegations that the firms had conflicts that encouraged them to give unduly rosy opinions about the creditworthiness of securities backed by subprime mortgages. Moody's Corp., McGraw-Hill Cos.' Standard & Poor's and Fimalac SA's Fitch Ratings were hit with litigation over their ratings after homeowner defaults triggered investor losses in the securities. SNIP Yet to succeed in court, investors may need to navigate a thorny constitutional issue: Are the... WSJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2234476/posts#comment Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:05:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2233674/posts The U.S. House Judiciary Committee will vote on a controversial legislation next week that seeks to add homosexual and transgender people to the list of classes federally protected from hate crimes. H.R. 1913, named the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act of 2009, is expected to be passed by the committee next week and come to the House floor for a vote in the spring, announced Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the original co-sponsor of the bill and an openly gay member of Congress, on his website. The Christian Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2233674/posts#comment Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:31:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2230701/posts John Zeigler: John went to USC to witness and ask questions about Katie Couric getting the Walter Cronkite journalism award for her interview of Sarah Palin. He intended to also give away copies of his film but was literally prevented from doing so. He did not go there hoping for or expecting any sort of confrontation, especially with law enforcement. He was simply shocked and horrified by what happened there, as should every freedom loving American. He did absolutely nothing wrong and was handcuffed, detained and literally abused by law enforcement at the event. The video speaks for itself, John... Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2230701/posts#comment Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:30:58 GMT