Daily Archives: May 17, 2012

Bush: Freedom not just another word

Posted: May 17, 2012 at 12:24 pm

President George W. Bush had plenty to say about freedom during a rare public speech Tuesday he uttered the word about two dozen times but noticeably absent was a single mention of Afghanistan or Iraq, or of President Barack Obama.

No advance of freedom is inevitable. And any gain can be lost. But there is a reason for the momentum of liberty across the centuries: Human beings were not designed for servitude. They were created for better things. And the human soul is forever restless until it rests in freedom, Bush said at a George W. Bush Presidential Center event titled A Celebration of Human Freedom.

Speaking just a block away from the White House, Bush made no mention of the buildings current occupant, or of the two wars he launched while in office. Instead, the former president spoke in generalities, cautiously greeting the Arab Spring the broadest challenge to authoritarian rule since the collapse of Soviet communism, he said while warning of its challenges, and also promoting freedom as an American value that should be universal.

America does not get to choose if a freedom revolution should begin or end in the Middle East, or elsewhere. It only gets to choose what side it is on, the 43rd President of the United States said one of 23 times he uttered the word freedom, according to prepared remarks.

In promoting freedom, our methods must be flexible. Change comes at different paces in different places. Liberty often arrives not in leaps, but in steps. Yet flexibility does not mean ambiguity. The same principles must apply to all countries, he added.

Bush appeared relaxed, and even opened with a joke about his own freedom.

I actually found my freedom from leaving Washington, but its good on occasion to be back and see old friends, quipped Bush. The members of the Bush administration the mighty Bush administration thanks for showing up.

Bush made his remarks before an introduction, by former first lady Laura Bush, of Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi . The pro-democracy activist, recently sworn in to the Burmese parliament, appeared via Skype video-conference.

Suu Kyi said she doesnt oppose Sen. John McCains (R-Ariz.) suggestion to suspend sanctions against Burma.

Im not against the suspension of sanctions I do advocate caution though, I sometimes feel that people are too optimistic about the scene in Burma, said Suu Kyi.

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Florence Freedom prepares for opening night

Posted: at 12:24 pm

FLORENCE, Ky. - Twenty four baseball players with big league dreams are stepping out on the field for the first time Thursday night at the home of the Florence Freedom.

The Florence Freedom are preparing for opening night Thursday and many players are hoping the independent league team will help them hit it big. The players only make $600 to $1,600 a month, but many play for the exposure.

"All these guys are very fresh, very hungry to get to the affiliate level to make their major league debut," said General Manager Josh Anderson.

Anderson says at any given game, there could be a few major league scouts looking for the next big player.

He says there's more than just baseball action kicking off at the ball park Thursday.

"There's so much else going on besides the game itself. Kind of a circus breaks out in a baseball game, so to speak," said Anderson.

On Thursdays, the team is offering dollar beers, dollar hot dogs, and dollar sodas.

On Fridays, expect a free fireworks show.

And after every Saturday game this summer, a live local band will entertain you. The concert is free with regular admission to the game.

Anderson says the team also has a new program for families. On Saturdays, parents can enjoy some alone time listening to a live band while the Florence Freedom entertains your kids on the baseball field for free.

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Liberty Jet is Proud to Announce That Revolution Air is Now Part of the Liberty Family.

Posted: at 12:23 pm

ISLIP, N.Y., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Liberty Jet Management, one of the fastest growing operators in the Northeast announced today that Revolution Air, one of the premier aircraft charter brokers in the country is now part of Liberty Jet's retail division. Liberty Jet is pleased to welcome Mr. Joe Bacci and his team from Revolution Air to head up this rapidly growing private jet charter division. Christian Deputy, President of Liberty Jet commented that "having a seasoned veteran like Joe will be a welcomed addition to Liberty's continued growth that it is experiencing on all fronts." Deputy also said that, "there is a great synergistic effect between Joe, his team, and the current Liberty Jet personnel already in place." Terms of the deal would not be disclosed.

Liberty Jet's corporate offices are based at their state of the art 60,000 sq ft facility at Long Island's MacArthur Airport with sales offices in Chicago, Philadelphia and Boca Raton manage aircraft from heavy to light aircraft throughout the United States.

For more information please contact Julian Schulman, Director of Client Services at 800-879-2345 or visit our website at http://www.libertyjet.com.

Christian Deputy Liberty Jet Management, 1-800-879-2345, cdeputy@libertyjet.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

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Liberty Interactive Corporation to Present at the Barclays Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference

Posted: at 12:23 pm

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Interactive Corporation (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB) announced that Greg Maffei, President and CEO of Liberty Interactive, will be presenting at the Barclays Global Technology, Media and Telecommunication Conference on Wednesday, May 23rd at 2:45 p.m., Eastern Time at the Sheraton New York Hotel in New York City, NY. During his presentation, Mr. Maffei may make observations regarding the company's financial performance and outlook and the proposed creation of the Liberty Ventures tracking stock.

The presentation will be broadcast live via the Internet. All interested persons should visit the Liberty Interactive Corporation website at http://www.libertyinteractive.com/events to register for the webcast. An archive of the webcast will also be available on this website for 30 days.

About Liberty Interactive Corporation

Liberty Interactive (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB) owns interests in a broad range video and online commerce businesses including QVC, Provide Commerce, Backcountry.com, Celebrate Interactive, Bodybuilding.com, Evite, Expedia and TripAdvisor.

Additional Information

Nothing in this press release shall constitute a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of Liberty Interactives proposed new tracking stock or Liberty Interactives existing common stock. The offer and sale of shares of the proposed tracking stock will only be made pursuant to an effective registration statement. Liberty Interactive stockholders and other investors are urged to read the registration statement filed with the SEC, including the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus contained therein, because they contain important information about the issuance of shares of the proposed tracking stock. Copies of Liberty Interactives SEC filings are available free of charge at the SECs website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the filings together with the materials incorporated by reference therein will also be available, without charge, by directing a request to Liberty Interactive Corporation, 12300 Liberty Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112, Attention: Investor Relations, Telephone: (720) 875-5408.

Participants in a Solicitation

The directors and executive officers of Liberty Interactive and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of proposals relating to the approval of the issuance of the new tracking stock. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of Liberty Interactive and other participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be available in the proxy materials to be filed with the SEC (a preliminary filing of which has been made with the SEC).

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Liberty Dialysis Celebrates Milestone 1,000th Patient in Peritoneal Dialysis Program

Posted: at 12:23 pm

MERCER ISLAND, Wash., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Dialysis (www.libertydialysis.com), owner and operator of more than 260 dialysis clinics nationwide, is celebrating its 1,000th patient to participate in its Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) program. Liberty Dialysis is known for its strong commitment to home therapies for End Stage kidney disease patients, making this a particularly special milestone for the company. The 1,000th PD patient was trained in just two weeks, by nephrology specialists at the Liberty affiliate INS Statesville clinic to perform PD treatment independently.

What is PD? Peritoneal dialysis allows End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients to treat themselves at home, work and even while traveling. Like hemodialysis, PD is a way to remove waste products from the blood when the kidneys can no longer perform this function. During PD, a catheter attached to the patient's abdominal lining (peritoneum) delivers fluid (dialysate) to the blood vessels. This fluid flows into and out of the peritoneal space, performing the kidney's function.

PD vs. HemodialysisThe majority of patients with severe chronic kidney disease are treated with hemodialysis, which typically takes place in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of specialized staff, such as nephrology nurses and technicians. In some cases treatment can be performed at home by a patient or caregiver. While PD treatment is not an option for everyone, many patients are candidates for this type of treatment. More ESRD patients are choosing this method for its many benefits, including:

"Celebrating Liberty Dialysis' 1,000th PD patient is a particularly special milestone for us," stated Ron Sawyer, Chief Operating Officer at Liberty Dialysis. "The commitment to providing home dialysis has always been an important cornerstone of our organization. Everyone at Liberty is committed to making home dialysis an option to more patients."

About Liberty Dialysis With more than 260 dialysis clinics in operation across the U.S., Liberty Dialysis is dedicated to providing outstanding care for patients with kidney disease and a rewarding career experience for its trained caregivers. Liberty has a history of developing clinics in underserved communities in cooperation with local physicians and non-profit organizations. Liberty also forms partnerships with local nephrologists and hospitals to develop and operate these centers. For more information, visit http://www.libertydialysis.com.

Media Contact: Alia Henson 316-619-4245

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Ill. State Rep. wants citizens to sign concealed carry petition.

Posted: at 12:22 pm

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.-- State Representative Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) is asking Second Amendment supporters to sign a petition supporting the passage of House Bill 148 which would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon.

"Illinois is the only state in the union without a concealed carry law in the books," Bost said. "I am urging citizens in favor of concealed carry legislation to sign our petition urging Speaker Madigan to release conceal carry legislation out of the House Rules Committee and onto the House floor for a vote before we adjourn later this month."

Illinois is the only state in the nation that has no procedures in place for law-abiding citizens to apply for concealed carry permits. In 2008's Heller Decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized gun ownership as an individual right. In 2010, the Supreme Court overturned Chicago's long-standing handgun ban, ruling that the Second Amendment limits state and local governments to the same extent that it limits the federal government.

"There has never been a better time to get conceal carry legislation on the books in Illinois. I am hoping we can garner enough signatures to get the attention of leaders from the Chicago area to get a vote this spring," said Bost.

Representative Bost is urging Second Amendment supporters to visit his website to sign the conceal carry petition. Youcandothat by,clickinghere.

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Rowes say right to carry vote likely to pass soon

Posted: at 12:22 pm

Mike and Valinda Rowe, local Second Amendment activists, report that a vote may be imminent on HB148, the family and personal protection bill which recognizes the right to carry a firearm for personal protection.

Having just returned from a five day blitz of right to carry town hall meetings in the Chicago/Cook County area, and keeping in close communication with the bill sponsors, the Rowes expect a vote in the House of Representatives within the next two weeks.

"We don't need everyone to vote for the bill," said Valinda Rowe. "Rep. Brandon Phelps of Harrisburg, and chief sponsor of the bill, believes he is only a couple votes short of the super majority of 71 needed to pass the bill.

"We have been targeting those districts which have representatives who appear to be on the fence about this issue. It was a grueling schedule but we have good folks from Second Amendment Sisters and the ISRA joining us at the town hall meetings. We work so well together it's like they have become like family."

The Rowes said they have been hearing good things from the State Capitol in Springfield since their return. They are very optimistic at this time that the bill can pass the House and things appear to be shaping up in the Senate as well. If the bill get this through both houses in May, the right to carry lobby will be ready to go for the override of the governor's promised veto in the fall veto session.

"Nothing is a slam dunk at this point, but things are looking very good for our side right now," Valinda added.

Lawsuits challenging the state's ban on carrying a firearm for personal protection are making their way through the federal judicial system. Both the Second Amendment Foundation case on behalf of local plaintiff Peggy Fechter and IllinoisCarry.com (Moore vs. Madigan) and the NRA lawsuit on behalf of Mary Shepard from Anna (Shepard vs.` Madigan) were both dismissed in federal district court and have been appealed to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, the court which handed out a stinging ruling against the city of Chicago's ban on gun ranges in the Ezell vs. Chicago lawsuit.

The oral arguments for the Shephard and Moore case will be heard Friday, June 8, and a ruling can be expected sometime in August.

"When Valinda and I started pushing the right to carry issue several years ago, we had legislators literally laugh at us and say 'never in Illinois.' Well, they aren't laughing now," Mike Rowe said. "It has been a long hard battle and we are ready for a victory. We just hope it comes this year."

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Feel free to insult but not in India – Freedom of speech cry in UK

Posted: at 12:21 pm

A Conservative politician and a gay rights activist have combined forces to promote the cause of free speech in Britain, the campaign gathering steam at a time a cartoon led to a furore in the Indian Parliament.

The campaign, under the slogan Feel free to insult me, is against a law banning insulting language and behaviour and has brought together religious and secular groups along with human rights and minority organisations.

Right-wing Tory David Davis, a former shadow home secretary, said the law was strangling free speech and should be scrapped.

Davis, once expected to become the Conservative Party leader, said Section 5 of the 1986 Public Order Act was having a terrible, chilling effect on democracy.

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who has himself been arrested under Section 5, agreed. The open exchange of ideas including unpalatable, even offensive, ideas is a hallmark of a free and democratic society, he said.

It is commendable that David Davis and the Christian Institute are prepared to work with a gay Left-wing green atheist secularist like me, he added. Were all putting the right to free speech before our personal politics and beliefs.

In India, a seven-decade-old cartoon in a Class XI textbook showing Jawaharlal Nehru purportedly whipping B.R. Ambedkar to hurry him up with the Constitution created a furore in Parliament and forced an apology from a minister outside the House.

In Calcutta last month, a Jadavpur University professor was arrested for circulating the clip of a joke that lampooned Mamata Banerjee and a central minister. The Bengal chief minister recently said the email lampooning her amounted to character assassination and couldnt be termed a cartoon.

Tatchell said the Section 5 ban on insults was a menace to liberty. It has been abused to variously arrest or threaten with arrest people protesting non-violently against abortion and for gay equality and animal welfare. Other victims include Christian street preachers, critics of scientology and even students making jokes.

Under the legislation, the use of insulting words or behaviour is outlawed, but opponents say there is too little clarity on what that includes, leading to spurious arrests. One teenage boy was arrested for holding a Scientology is a dangerous cult placard and a student was held for telling a police officer his horse was gay, they said.

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Public Order Act: Free speech 'strangled by law that bans insults'

Posted: at 12:21 pm

Campaigners say Public Order Act is unclear and has resulted in string of controversial arrests Groups join forces to have insulting words or behaviour phrase removed from legislation Former shadow home secretary David Davis: 'Nobody likes to be insulted, but nor does anyone have a right not to be insulted'

By James Chapman

PUBLISHED: 17:37 EST, 15 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:00 EST, 16 May 2012

Reform: Campaign groups have urged Home Secretary Theresa May to modify the controversial Public Order Act

Theresa May is being urged to reform a controversial law which bans insulting words or behaviour amid mounting evidence that it is strangling free speech.

Campaigners say the Public Order Act is being abused by over-zealous police and prosecutors to arrest Christian street preachers, critics of Scientology, gay rights campaigners and even students making jokes.

Currently, Section 5 of the 1986 Act outlaws insulting words or behaviour, but what constitutes insulting is unclear and has resulted in a string of controversial arrests.

Human rights campaigners, MPs, faith groups and secular organisations have joined forces to have the insulting words or behaviour phrase removed from the legislation, arguing that it restricts freedom of speech and penalises campaigners, protesters and even preachers.

Former shadow home secretary David Davis, a leading campaigner for civil liberties, said reform was vital to protecting freedom of expression in Britain today.

There is a growing list of examples where the law against using insulting language has led to heavy-handed action by police and prosecutors. It is not only distressing for the individuals concerned, it constitutes a threat to Britains tradition of free speech, he said.

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