Redstate

Posted at 10:45am on Jun. 13, 2008 The New York Times on the First Amendment

A Case From Canada Presents Some Sticky Wickets

By blackhedd

If you haven’t read anything by Canadian journalist and author Mark Steyn, your life is the poorer for it. He’s marvelously witty and fun to read. He’s also one of the loudest proponents of the view that Western cultures, particularly in Europe, are allowing themselves to be slowly extinguished through a refusal to confront Islamization.

Steyn is a disciplined and careful reporter. Everything he writes is backed up by research and reasoned argument. He doesn’t commit libel.

But that’s not good enough in Canada anymore. Two years ago, he published an article in Maclean’s which recapitulated themes from his book America Alone. But it’s against the law in British Columbia to say things that Muslims don’t want to hear, regardless of how objectively truthful, well-supported and reasonable they are.

So Steyn is now personally facing criminal jeopardy.

But of course, this is of no interest to America’s arbiters of taste in the mainstream press. However, they’re extremely interested in another aspect of the story.

Keep reading…

Posted in Culture | First Amendment | free speech | Macleans | Mark Steyn — Comments (9)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 2:41pm on Feb. 15, 2008 Don't like Campaign Finance "Reform?" - Gotta Read This

"No Constitutionally Adequate Justification"

By Brad Smith

Yesterday a group called SpeechNow.org, represented by attorneys from the Center for Competitive Politics and the Institute for Justice, sued the Federal Election Commission in what one prominent campaign finance lawyer calls, "one of the more important and consequential [suits against campaign finance laws] in a long time," and which one supporter of broad campaign speech restrictions admitted is, "pretty brilliant."

There is much more to this suit than I have time to delve into here, but the basic claim is simple - if George Soros and other wealthy millionaires can Constitutionally spend whatever they want on politics, than under the Constitution groups of citizens banding together should also be able to spend whatever they want.

This page has a cornucopia of links to the pleadings in the case, a case "backgrounder," and tons of media links. If you care about free speech in America, check it out.

Note that I am one of the counsel for SpeechNow.org and am Chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics.

Posted in FEC | FEC | First Amendment | mccain-feingold — Comments (7)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:44am on Oct. 27, 2007 Flag folding ceremonies banned in national cemeteries

By Neil Stevens

The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that volnteers at every national cemetery nationwide are banned from performing a traditional flag-folding ceremony in which a meaning is given to each fold of the flag.

Despite the fact that no honor is given at any funeral without the permission of the family beforehand, it has apparently been decided because this one ceremony has express recognition of Judaism and Christianity in parts, it must not be allowed ever.

And thus the First Amendment is that much closer to being rewritten to ensure "freedom from religion."

Posted at 3:37pm on Jul. 20, 2007 "Fairness" at the Expense of Freedom?

Democratic push for return to Fairness Doctrine is a serious threat to free speech

By Sen. James Inhofe

After reading Rob Bluey’s post “Senate Democrats Endorse Censorship” this morning on Redstate, I thought I would stop by and comment on the “Fairness Doctrine” debate. Thank you Rob and RedState for allowing me to join you today.

Imagine opening your newspaper and turning to the recently redesigned political section, with half the page dedicated to opinions our government deems important. Or imagine tuning into your favorite radio and television stations with programming carefully balanced between what you expected and government-sponsored opinions. Though it might sound more like a page straight out of George Orwell’s 1984, it is the remarkable reality of debate over a so-called “Fairness Doctrine.” And disturbingly, there are a growing number of Democrats in Congress who believe the federal government must regulate and control American media. In fact, just last night Senate Democrats killed an amendment I co-sponsored that would have put an end to the Fairness Doctrine once and for all.

Read on . . .

Posted in Congress | Fairness Doctrine | First Amendment | Policy — Comments (10)/ Email this page » / Read More »