Daily Archives: February 13, 2012

Freedom School honors MLK

Posted: February 13, 2012 at 11:35 pm

The Pullman community came together Saturday morning to discuss concerns of diversity for the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom School program.

Upon entering the Talmadge Anderson Heritage House (TAHH), guests were greeted and directed to a breakfast table and encouraged to settle into the neighboring room filled with brightly colored art, all donated to this African-American culture and heritage house.

The Freedom School event was re-scheduled after poor weather prevented it from happening in January. 

Barbara Ward, assistant professor of literacy at WSU, said people of all ages attended the three hour program to learn as a community how far the U.S. has come on the journey for social justice. However, she said there is still a lot of work to be done.

Laura Appel, culture and heritage houses coordinator for the diversity education program, agreed with Ward that the journey for social justice is still long.

“There is still discrimination in the world,” she said. “These types of events ... give us ways to work through it so that it’s not causing the same problems as it’s caused us in the past.” 

The Freedom School program, which originally started in 1964 in Mississippi, was used to help teach African-Americans how to pass voting tests that made it nearly impossible for African-Americans to vote. 

Today, the Freedom School is a six-week program across the nation for children of every background. This year the event was resurrected because parents whose older children attended Freedom School in the past wanted their youngsters to learn about King and the civil rights movement, said Felicia Gaskins, vice president of the Office of Equity and Diversity.

The day was split into two groups of adults and children of all ages. While the adults stayed in the TAHH to watch “Mighty Times: The Children’s March” the children scurried to the Native American Cultural House to learn songs and key ideas about King’s ideas on freedom, equality and opportunity.

The cultural houses are fairly new to WSU. What used to be faculty houses are now resources for anyone looking for a unique book to read or a building available for event reservation. The buildings are open to the public and the anyone interested is encouraged to use them, Gaskins said.

A discussion followed the documentary. Members of the audience, many of which were Pullman residents, brought up points such as making sure elementary school children have role models to look up to. The children also performed the songs they learned, as well as a short skit imitating Rosa Parks’ protest on the bus.

Gaskins said events like these are important because racism and prejudice are not dead. She said it is important to understand U.S. history in order to build a positive future.

Appel said after a three-year break from Freedom School, the WSU diversity education program decided to bring it back because of issues plaguing the world in the recent past.

Ward said she was thrilled with Saturday’s turnout.

“I was just so excited to see so many people ... from different parts of the state and also the wonderful age levels,” she said. “I felt like I found a home (in this group).”

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Workers fined for freedom camping

Posted: at 11:35 pm

JARED NICOLL

The number of freedom campers sleeping out illegally in Marlborough peaked over the last month due to wayward vineyard workers and Kiwi holidaymakers, says Marlborough District Council.

Tourists and vineyard workers are drawn to Marlborough over summer, resulting in a rise in the number of people sleeping in vehicles in public places, such as Pollard Park and Oliver Park near central Blenheim, which are not designated camping sites.

The closest designated sites are Collins Memorial Reserve, Koromiko, and Blairich Reserve, Awatere.

Council reserves and amenities officer Robert Hutchinson said the number of campers breaking the rules in the area in January was on par with the same month a year earlier, when 155 people were found freedom camping in Marlborough.

"We see a lot of vineyard workers, but we've been seeing a few Kiwis trying to get a cheap trip too."

Council staff issued the region's first freedom camping infringement notice under the 2011 Freedom Camping Act, a fine of $200, to two French vineyard workers after they were caught camping three times in an undesignated area in mid-January.

"The thing with freedom campers is most of them are just driving through so it shouldn't be a problem.

"We understand the network [between campers] is pretty strong, where they can hide and get away with it. We find the ones that aren't part of the network."

Council reserves ranger Murray Morgan said a bigger effort was being made to educate people about freedom camping rules.

"Around the Blenheim area it's mainly seasonal vineyard workers who camp for one or two nights then move to another spot and there's been a few that have popped up in four or five places.

"It's not as big a problem as it used to be. Most of them are good as gold once you explain things to them."

Council staff handed out pamphlets to campers with information on where they could stay, and contacted contracting businesses who specialised in providing workers to vineyards to encourage them to tell their staff the rules, he said.

Vincon Limited director Ram Kumara said the company organised accommodation for its workers.

"We're an RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) and the Department of Labour checks we are meeting the requirements, like ensuring they have a place to stay," Mr Kumara said.

The Recognised Seasonal Employer Work Policy allows for the temporary entry of overseas horticultural and viticulture workers.

Ace Viticulture owner Ashish Sawant said he offered advice to his workers on where to stay and most of them stayed in backpackers or motorhomes.

For information on camping visit the website

- The Marlborough Express

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Freedom-South Riding wins Virginia AAA Northwest Region gymastics title

Posted: at 11:35 pm

In its first regional championship meet as a Virginia High School League AAA team, Freedom-South Riding rode a first-place all-around performance from sophomore Arianna Robinson to victory Saturday in the Northwest Region gymnastics championships at Stafford.

Robinson, who joined the Eagles this season after competing solely for her club team as a freshman, placed fourth or better in all four events and earned the top spot on the vault and the uneven bars. She finished fourth on the floor exercise and second on the balance beam despite a fall during her routine.

“It felt about the same as any other competition, because I’ve competed so often that I know what to expect of myself,” Robinson said. “It feels really good, because this is my first year of doing high school gymnastics.”

First-year Freedom-South Riding Coach Laura Wrighte, who lobbied Robinson to get her to join the team, said she was impressed — but not surprised — with Robinson’s all-around total of 38.175. Wrighte noted how consistently Robinson has performed all season.

“It’s very common. That’s why we’re so happy to have her as part of the team,” Wrighte said. “Competing for a high school, it’s such a team-oriented thing and actually, we kind of tend to count on her. Which is great, because she’s so consistent.”

Stafford’s Ashley Hinton (37.4) was runner-up to Robinson in the all-around. Colonial Forge’s Ashley Elston and North Stafford’s Anika Woodard finished in a tie for third at 37.225.

As a team, Freedom-South Riding (144.225) beat out second-place Stafford (143.8). Battlefield, the two-time defending region champs, finished third with 142.775.

Beyond Robinson’s strong performance, Wrighte said she was looking forward to bringing the Eagles as a team to their first state championship meet. She said the depth that has served Freedom-South Riding’s for much of the season will again be critical in next week’s championship meet at Salem High in Virginia Beach.

“Our team in general all season has been very strong,” she said. “We have a lot of depth. Every meet, we had a tough time deciding who was going to compete, which is obviously a great problem to have. I’ve never had that as a coach.”

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American Liberty Petroleum Corp. Adds New Oil Discovery Lease & Exercises Option to Receive Assignment of 3 Oil & Gas …

Posted: at 11:35 pm

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

American Liberty Petroleum Corp. (OTCBB: OREO) (herein after "American Liberty" and/or "the Company") is pleased to announce the expansion of its project portfolio through the addition of the 3,840-acre Cortez lease. As well, on June 27, 2011, the Company exercised its option agreement from May 11, 2010, thereby receiving assignment of the following 3 Nevada-based Oil and Gas leases: Gabbs Valley lease (75% Working Interest; 63.375% NRI), Cortez lease (60% WI; 48% NRI), Kibby Flat lease (75% Working Interest; 63.375% NRI).

The Cortez lease was originally included in the option agreement through the agreement's 3rd Amendment on February 11, 2011. The lease consists of 3,840.560 acres in sections 1, 12, 13, 24, 25, and 36 of Township 12 North and Range 34 East (Mt. Diablo Base and Meridian). The BLM issued the Cortez lease on August 24, 1995. It was subsequently committed to the Cobble Cuesta Unit on March 1, 2005. Drilling of the Empire No. 1-12 Cobble Cuesta well extended the lease through November 28, 2010. Its status became "Held By Production" (HBP) on November 3, 2010 due to the discovery of oil in the Empire No. 2-12 Paradise well (recovered 87 feet of oil with pressure data indicating a low permeability oil reservoir)[1].

The Cortez lease is located in close proximity to the Company's Gabbs Valley lease, which will provide an operational advantage as American Liberty moves its exploration program forward for the leases. Exploratory wells have resulted in hydrocarbon shows on both leases and, as mentioned, recovered oil on the Cortez lease. Both leases are located on the 26,000-acre Cobble Cuesta structure in the northwest part of Gabbs Valley in Nye County, Nevada. A report by Alfred H. Pekarek, Ph.D., Geologist, from January 2008 estimated the Cobble Cuesta structure represents reserves of 4+ billion barrels of oil based on reservoir and production data from producing Nevada oil fields[2].

"We're excited to demonstrate our intention of exploring and developing Nevada's potential energy resources," commented Alvaro Vollmers, American Liberty's President. "We can now proceed with rapidly advancing the initial oil discovery work already performed on the Cortez lease."

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Learn more about the Gabbs Valley, Cortez and Kibby Flat leases at the American Liberty Petroleum website, where you can also find more information about the Company as well as the latest news releases: http://www.americanlibertypetro.com.

ABOUT AMERICAN LIBERTY PETROLEUM CORP.

Based in Bakersfield, California, American Liberty is a publicly traded company (OTCBB: OREO) focused on reducing America’s need for imported oil through discovering major, new onshore US energy resources and by tapping overlooked or undervalued onshore domestic resources through exploration and development technologies not previously available. Recent significant discoveries, such as Occidental Petroleum's estimated 1+ billion barrels of oil and natural gas equivalents in California*, underscore the potential for developing new oil and gas production solutions in western America. Next door in the under-explored state of Nevada, American Liberty's 2,557-acre Gabbs Valley Prospect is located on the 26,000-acre Cobble Cuesta structure, which is estimated to represent oil reserves of 4+ billion barrels**. The Company's 7,270-acre Kibby Flat Prospect in the Monte Cristo basin, meanwhile, represents estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) of as high as 669 million barrels of oil according to a 2008 report***.

* Occidental Petroleum's Path to Easy Oil. Forbes Magazine, March 29, 2010
** Reserve Estimates for the Cobble Cuesta Structure, Alfred H. Pekarek, Ph.D., Geologist, January, 2008
*** Kibby Flat Prospect report, Jerry Walker, Consulting Geologist, Sept. 2008

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

American Liberty Petroleum Corp.
Alvaro Vollmers, President

4900 California Ave
Tower B-210
Bakersfield, CA
93309

Certain statements in this press release are considered to be forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. American Liberty Petroleum Corp. bases these forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections about future events, which are based on information currently available. The forward-looking statements in this press release may also include statements relating to American Liberty Petroleum Corp.'s anticipated business prospects, new developments, financial performance, strategies and similar matters. American Liberty Petroleum Corp. disclaims any obligation to update any of its forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

SOURCES:

1 Synopsis of Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Testing on Cortez Lease. Jerry Walker, Consulting Geologist, July 18, 2011
2 Reserve Estimates for the Cobble Cuesta Structure, Alfred H. Pekarek, Ph.D., Geologist, January, 2008

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The politics of gunplay

Posted: at 11:33 pm

Second Amendment advocates hope to build on recent Iowa successes by ensuring rights

DES MOINES — Matt Windschitl turned a half-swivel in his chair and stuck his right hand out, palm up, stopping National Rifle Association lobbyist Chris Rager from walking out the door.

Windschitl, 28, a member of the House Republican leadership team from Missouri Valley, had just watched his “stand your ground” bill sail through a legislative committee.

“This,” Windschitl said as Rager shook his hand, “is just the start.”

The bill would allow Iowans to respond with deadly force if they feel threatened and would protect them from liability in some cases.

This session Windschitl also has proposed legislation that makes it a crime for local governments to ban firearms from public buildings, lifts the firearm prohibition on the State Fairgrounds and adds wording to the Iowa Constitution that makes it harder to place restrictions on firearm ownership, transportation and use.

Republicans hold a 60-40 majority in the House, but in the Senate, Democrats rule 26-24.

Key senators say that the firearms legislation being pushed now in the House won’t ever make it to a vote in committee in the Senate.

“Our position is we are not doing any of those bills. We don’t think they’re good policy,” said Sen. Robert Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“Senate Democrats have a consistent, unrelenting focus on jobs, the economy, education and training, and that’s where we’re focused on, and we’re not going to get into a gun-rights sideshow.”

But legislation can be moved to the floor without going through the committee if a majority of senators votes to do so. That’s where Windschitl sees an opening.

Gun issues play reasonably well across party lines in Iowa. Take, for example, the “shall issue” bill that took discretion away from county sheriffs in issuing gun permits in 2010.

The House voted 81-16 and the Senate 44-4 in favor, and they both had Democratic majorities at the time.

Plus, it’s an election year. And because of census redistricting every legislator will have at least some new constituents to which they may want to show their pro-Second Amendment bona fides.

 

“We’ve had some conversations with some pro-Second Amendment Democrats,” Windschitl said. “The Judiciary Committee is one committee.”

The legislation that’s caught a lot of attention this session is the pre-emption bill that says the state has the sole authority to regulate firearms, so ordinances by cities, counties and school districts are illegal.

Critics say pre-emption is an overreach by the state. They say public safety and weapons bans are a local control issue, but proponents say a local ordinance doesn’t trump the Constitution.

“I agree with people’s rights to bear arms with certain restrictions to maintain the safety of our public,” said Iowa City Mayor Pro Tempore Susan Mims, who was in Des Moines last week for a presentation on the economic impact of the state’s largest cities.

Waterloo passed a ban on weapons in city buildings after concealed carry passed, Mayor Buck Clark said. He said there haven’t been any problems with weapons being brought places where they are banned, but, he noted, most people can’t get into the Capitol with a firearm.

Craig Robinson, editor of the influential Iowa Republican website, said moving this wide-reaching legislation in an election year is a shrewd political move.

“The gun lobby in Iowa is very strong,” he said. “There are a lot of Democrats, especially those in rural areas, who want to be seen as pro-gun.”

 

Chris Larimer, an associate professor of political science at the University of Northern Iowa, said the gun lobby might not be all it’s cracked up to be in the state.

“If you think about states with powerful gun lobbies, they tend to be those in which the electorate has a strong or has had a strong anti-government bent,” he wrote in an email.

“The political culture of Iowa, at least recently, has never really been anti-government.”

Windschitl, meanwhile, said he’ll continue to push greater access to firearms for law-abiding Iowans against people who are willing to accept less.

“People don’t understand why our founding fathers recognized that the Second Amendment is a fundamental right.

“There are people who are out there that believe the Second Amendment was written to protect our hunting rights or to have a militia,” he said.

“I believe our Second Amendment right was written to protect us from a tyrannical government, to give us the opportunity to protect ourselves and our homes.”

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The politics of gunplay

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Rapid response: I (HEART) … school rules vs. free speech

Posted: at 11:33 pm

Question: The American Civil Liberties Union is backing a lawsuit filed against Twin Lakes School Corp., which asked a Roosevelt Middle School eighth-grader to remove a breast cancer awareness bracelet -- which read "I (Heart) Boobies" -- or turn it inside out. The suit contends that wearing the bracelet was a matter of free speech and should have been allowed. What's your take?

• As correctly stated in Tinker v. Des Moines, First Amendment speech rights apply to youths as well as adults and don't end at the schoolhouse door. Twin Lakes' decision to threaten expulsion for doing something so harmless boggles the mind and embarrasses the corporation.

Frank Arnold

Lafayette

• Hasn't this all been covered before? Under free speech, students are allowed to wear arguably offensive T-shirts as long as the district retained the right to make sure the shirts don't cause a disruption of the school process. The same will apply to the breast cancer awareness bracelets.

Edward Priest

Battle Ground

• Breasts. Now there's something controversial. Next it'll be elbows. Or fingers. Middle fingers, even.

Jason Dufair

West Lafayette

• Either support the rules/dress codes established by your schools, be a part of changing the rules (without lawsuits) or home-school your children. I'm a breast cancer survivor and dislike that slogan because I find the wording demeaning -- even though the intention is good. There are better ways to fight cancer and exercise free speech.

Jane Anderson

West Lafayette

• Where do you draw the line? How far will attention-getters take you? Do you think he was wearing that bracelet for what it said or for what it stood for?

Mark Acles

Lafayette

• What part of "no" do these kids/parents not understand? Rules are rules. That's why no guns, knives, etc., are allowed in school. Cancer has nothing to do with "I (Heart) Boobies." Imagine a doctor telling a woman "Gee, Mrs. Jones, sorry, you have boobie cancer!"

Cliff Davenport

Rossville

• Would it have been "free speech" if the same boy went down the hall at school just saying the words. Can we call the word "bomb" at the airport free speech? I would not allow my child to wear the bracelet to school. The words are not appropriate in school.

(Page 2 of 5)

Shelby Branstetter

Lafayette

• The school is fighting a battle it did not need to take on. All it did was make a cause celebre of the student, which was exactly what he was striving for. Common sense is such a lacking commodity. I assume this school has no other "issues" that need attention versus this earth-shattering situation.

Bud Wang

Lafayette

• If this is a legitimate charity for breast cancer research, it is protected free speech. Bad taste and no class still is protected speech.

Furman A. Powell

Lafayette

• Catholic charities are being forced by the federal government to go against their theological convictions and provide support for birth control. In the meantime, the ACLU courageously stands against local school board authority to regulate classroom conduct and champions a teenager's right to tacky fashion accessories. Is that Nero's fiddle I hear?

Eric Schlene

West Lafayette

• Three things I would bet a significant amount of money on: 1. Whoever told the student he didn't want it in his school has never lost a mother, or wife, to breast cancer. 2. Administrators are not paying for the ensuing litigation. 3. It probably wasn't a girl wearing the bracelet, which brings up a whole other issue.

Jim Derringer

Lafayette

• To provide an environment conducive to learning, we ask our schools to define and enforce codes of conduct, dress and speech. When gray areas arise in the interpretation of these codes, I think we should generally back the school administrators and save our concerns for an annual review of the codes.

Jim Cook

Delphi

• If the kid is running around hollering, "Look! It says boobies!," then maybe you do something. Otherwise, take it easy, everybody. In 1970, I was sent home from school for the heinous crime of not having a belt on, while teachers were measuring guys' sideburns and girls' skirts. Seems silly now.

Rick Mummey

Lafayette

• I think public schools have the responsibility to maintain some standards of decency, norms and non-disruption of education when it comes to clothing and language allowed in school. But "boobies?" Do they actually listen to students in the hallways?

(Page 3 of 5)

Noemi Ybarra

Lafayette

• There is freedom of speech, and then there is good judgment. We substitute words to convey what we wished we could say all the time on TV. A school is where we send our children to teach them civility and how to apply good judgment. Apparently the ACLU doesn't get it.

E. Lloyd Wells

Lafayette

• I've always believed that free speech demands good taste supporting any point. By anyone's standards, this cannot be considered in good taste. I support breast cancer awareness. Loved ones dear to my heart have suffered from breast cancer, but "boobies" lowers the taste standard. They're breasts, not boobies.

Tom Haynie

Buffalo

• I'd like to know why they made those bracelets with those words on them in the first place.

Kevin Spires

Lafayette

• If we didn't have government-run schools, this wouldn't be a problem. Civil liberties would not be implicated because this would be a private dispute over the terms of the contract between the school and the student.

Rob Keeney

Flora

• I think breast cancer is a serious and sensitive matter to those who have had it. The bracelet borders on being inappropriate for a student, or an adult for that matter. There are many ways to show your support for breast cancer awareness without making fun of it.

Dennis Donoho

Sedalia

• I agree with the school's actions. It's time to use some common sense here. If it's disruptive or profane, it shouldn't be allowed in school. It is, however, time for frivolous lawsuits to reap some consequences for those who pursue them.

Christopher D. Fullerton

Reynolds

• Today we seem to be able to make a mountain out of the smallest molehill. We all need to lighten up on the small stuff and focus on solving our really big problems -- ones that put our whole country at risk of collapse.

Carl V. Covely Jr.

Sheffield Township

•
Most schools have rules against wearing clothing that depicts alcohol, tobacco and gang symbols. If we allow students to break this rule this time, then we might as well allow them to wear whatever they want. There are other ways to show support for breast cancer awareness than this bracelet.

(Page 4 of 5)

Terry Smith

Shadeland

• In this case, as the message on the bracelet is deliberately suggestive (albeit for a good cause), it is appropriate for the school to disallow it. Allowing it would open a floodgate of slogans that are nominally for good causes but suggestive. This is middle school after all.

Randy Myer

Lafayette

• I believe the school has the right set and enforce rules. Would it be all right for a student to yell out, "I love boobies," in school? Is that free speech, and should it be allowed? I don't think so. There are much more important issues to tackle than this.

Jon Sexson

Lafayette

• The ACLU really needs to be banned from the United States of America. But, if the ACLU were in any other country on the planet, it would have been dissolved 50 years ago as political enemies against national security. Isn't this a great country?

Tom Anderson

Lafayette

• Clearly, not everything that is "speech" is protected by the First Amendment, which reads, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech." Twin Lakes School Corp. is not Congress. I hope it re-reads the Constitution, then sends the ACLU packing. What an excellent teaching opportunity.

Jon Held

Lafayette

• Neither the teachers, nor the students, really have free speech in school. If this weren't a popular charity, would we be having this discussion? A no boobies policy is every bit as appropriate as banning "God hates fags" shirts. School is not the place to make political or religious statements.

Scott Schnarr

Rossville

• It is a matter of free speech, but the courts have time and again given schools leeway to blunt this kind of thing. From dress codes on T-shirts to censoring student newspapers, the courts almost always side with the school. If I ran the school, I would allow it, but then the only words the offend me are the ones written to censor others.

Mike Dudgeon

Lafayette

• If the boy can't wear it because of his gender, then girls can't wear it because of sexual preference. Sounds fair to me.

(Page 5 of 5)

Ray Faber

Crawfordsville

• I know the money is going for breast cancer research, but my grandson, who is a freshman in high school, wears one and all his friends wear one, and they like it because it says, "I love boobies." To him, it doesn't have anything to do with awareness of breast cancer. I wish he would not wear it because I don't think he and others are wearing it to raise awareness of breast cancer. Breast cancer is not a joke.

Jean Wichterman

Lafayette

• The school has a right to limit distractions to the learning environment. An eighth-grade boy wearing anything with "boobies" is a distraction. Life is very hard on people who fight every injustice to this degree. Sadly, his parents are missing an opportunity to teach him this valuable lesson. Mom and dad are the problem here, not their son.

Tim Delworth

West Lafayette

• This is just another classic example of the ACLU backing anything titillating (pun completely intended). It is a statement promoting "breast awareness" as much as "breast cancer awareness," as a letter-writer penned last week. The double entendre is completely intended and if the bracelet is causing a distraction, then it should be removed. If incessant giggling has not resulted from its presence, then leave it alone -- they are giving more attention in a negative way and the fight against breast cancer does not need that, either.

Carol Sikler

Lafayette

• We are in the North Montgomery County School Corp. My nephew had the same response. I think it's absolutely ridiculous. I think that more important issues should be addressed in today's school systems. 1. The dress attire for the young ladies is atrocious. Mini skirts that you can almost see their underwear. Tops cut so low to see cleavage. Not to mention the young men who wear pants to their knees. It's disgusting and vulgar. So what if a student wears a bracelet that states, "I (Heart) Boobies?" Maybe his/her grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, cousin, or close friend is a survivor! You don't know that. Or simply he/she likes boobies and wants to let everyone know that. At least he/she is not going around touching women's breasts! Really! Geesh!

Julie Thompson

New Richmond

• Fighting the battle for purity of language is a lost cause. It would behoove schools to communicate in the students' language if they wish to impart information. Judging by the state government's evisceration of our educational system, I have no doubt they'll come up with a verbal version of the chastity belt.

Ed Posey

West Lafayette

• Even a blind squirrel (the ACLU) finds an acorn once in a while.

Jason Roehl

Lafayette

• Where are the parents of this child? The ACLU has gotten out of hand. This type of thing is wasting court time and taxpayer money. I am glad the school administrators have some backbone. Too bad they have to parent this child as to appropriate behavior in school.

Dan Sommers

West Lafayette

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Europe's 'Right To Be Forgotten' Threatens Online Free Speech

Posted: at 11:33 pm

An anonymous reader writes "Jeffrey Rosen, Legal Affairs Editor for The New Republic, explains why the E.U.'s proposed data protection regulation known as the right to be forgotten is actually 'the biggest threat to free speech on the Internet in the coming decade.' In the Stanford Law Review Online (there's a shorter version in TNR), he writes: 'The right to be forgotten could make Facebook and Google, for example, liable for up to two percent of their global income if they fail to remove photos that people post about themselves and later regret, even if the photos have been widely distributed already. Unless the right is defined more precisely when it is promulgated over the next year or so, it could precipitate a dramatic clash between European and American conceptions of the proper balance between privacy and free speech, leading to a far less open Internet.' According to Rosen, the 'right' goes farther than previously thought, treating 'takedown requests for truthful information posted by others identically to takedown requests for photos I've posted myself that have then been copied by others: both are included in the definition of personal data as "any information relating" to me, regardless of its source.' Examples of previous attempts this might bolster include 'efforts by two Germans convicted of murdering a famous actor to remove their criminal history from the actor's Wikipedia page' and an 'Argentine pop star [who] had posed for racy pictures when she was young, but recently sued Google and Yahoo to take them down.'"

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Federal court rules for Ohio festival free speech

Posted: at 11:33 pm

CINCINNATI (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of two Christians who say their free speech rights were violated at a southwest Ohio corn festival.

A 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals three-judge panel ruled unanimously Monday that a policy against solicitation at the annual Sweet Corn Festival was too broad, and unconstitutional. The panel reversed a federal judge's ruling.

The case stemmed from the summer 2009 festival in the Dayton suburb of Fairborn, Ohio. Plaintiffs Tracy Bays and Kerrigan Skelly planned to convey their religious beliefs among festival-goers, and Bays began walking through the park with a sandwich board sign with Christian messages. After encountering opposition from a festival worker and officials, they left.

They sued in 2010. The Christian legal aid group Alliance Defense Fund argued their appeal.

 

©2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Free speech fear as soccer magazine's KKK spoof banned: Thousands confiscated over Suarez race row

Posted: at 11:33 pm

By Jaya Narain

Last updated at 1:55 AM on 13th February 2012

Police chiefs were accused of criminalising free speech yesterday with their confiscation of a satirical football fanzine.

Thousands of copies of Red Issue were seized before Saturday's heated clash between Manchester United and Liverpool.

The fanzine had tried to make fun of Liverpool and their striker Luis Suarez for his use of racist language toward United captain Patrice Evra.

Satire: The cover of Red Issue, as sold outside Old Trafford football ground, prior to Saturday's match between Manchester United and Liverpool

Along with a spoof cut-out of a Ku Klux Klan hood were the words 'Suarez is innocent' and 'LFC' – for Liverpool Football Club.

Officers deemed this 'potentially offensive' and threatened to arrest anyone selling the fanzine. Thousands of copies were seized.

Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts, who was in charge of policing the fixture, said: 'We cannot be in a situation where hundreds or thousands of people were displaying offensive images.

 

'Shortly before kick-off we were made aware that a Manchester United supporters' fanzine being sold outside Old Trafford featured a potentially offensive image.

'Officers are now seizing the fanzines and in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service we will take appropriate action against anyone either found selling this particular fanzine or provocatively displaying the image in public.'

Officers said they feared the images might stir up violence at a match between two intense rivals.

Final whistle: Evra celebrates the win as Suarez walks off

Crackdown: Police seized thousands of copies of Red Issue before Saturday's heated clash

But a spokesman for campaign group Liberty said: 'It's one thing for the police to take action in fear of a riot being provoked at a tense football match.

'But threatening seizure and prosecution of the fanzine after the event is really a step too far. When lampooning racism becomes a criminal matter you realise just how dangerously broad our speech offences have become.'

Fans said police had overstepped their policing duties prior to the match.

'It is a total disgrace that police felt they could take such draconian measures,' said Eddie Reid, 51, from Salford.

'When has freedom of speech, something which is ingrained in civilised societies, been decided by one policeman overseeing a football match?

Controversy: Evra grabs Suarez's arm after his attempt to shake the striker's hand was refused

'I would suggest the chief superintendent is instructed in the limits to his policing powers.'

Josh Lennon, 48, of Cheshire, said: 'It is time the police were policed because they consistently overstep the mark when it comes to our civil liberties.

'Quite clearly this fanzine was satirical and, while it had the potential to cause trouble, police officers cannot go around threatening people with arrest for owning a copy. It is ridiculous.'

Boiling point: Referee Phil Dowd leads Suarez away after the final whistle, shortly before tempers flared between players in the tunnel

Relations between Liverpool and Manchester United – the two most successful English clubs – have become strained over recent months.

The Football Association banned Suarez in December for eight games and fined him ?40,000 for his remarks to Evra in a game in October.

Tempers frayed again when the Liverpool player refused to shake Evra's hand before the match on Saturday, which United won 2-1.

Evra had to be restrained by teammates on the pitch and there were reports that players from both teams clashed in the tunnel at half time.

Suarez yesterday issued an apology for failing to shake Evra's hand and admitted letting down his club.

David Cameron stepped into the row by saying he would stage a Downing Street summit on football racism.

He and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will hold a 'round table discussion' with the sport's authorities and players' representatives.

The event, scheduled for later this month, comes amid growing fears that high-profile incidents are harming the image of the game in England.

Mr Hunt said the furore showed 'you can never be complacent' and he condemned the Suarez-Evra spat as 'incredibly depressing'.

Of the Suarez non-handshake, he said: 'It was very unsporting behaviour and I am sure the FA will look in to see if any rules were broken.

'This is the kind of thing that can so easily escalate, which is why the Prime Minister has decided that he's going to take a real interest and have this meeting in Downing Street.'

 

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Free speech fear as soccer magazine's KKK spoof banned: Thousands confiscated over Suarez race row

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