Daily Archives: August 29, 2012

'Academic Freedom' By Fr. Roy Cimagala (Cebu) Wednesday, August 29, 2012 02:17:33 PM

ITS a hot, controversial issue, this thing about academic freedom. And its understandable because what is involved is something very intimate to a person working in an academic community.

Ideas, theories, views, opinions are so personal that anything that would tend to obstruct them can be very painful. Everything has to be done to avoid such predicament, therefore.

And so, I somehow understand why this academic freedom can be defined in its extreme form, as Wikipedia would have it, as:

The belief that the freedom of inquiry by students and faculty members is essential to the mission of the academy, and that scholars should have freedom to teach or communicate ideas or facts (including those that are inconvenient to external political groups or to authorities) without being targeted for repression, job loss, or imprisonment.

Some parties involved in this issue have even gone to the extent of describing academic freedom, again taking from Wikipedia, as having the following properties: a) Academics, both inside and outside the classroom, have unrestricted liberty to question and test received wisdom and to put forward controversial and unpopular opinions, whether or not these are deemed offensive, and, b) Academic institutions have no right to curb the exercise of this freedom by members of their staff, or to use it as grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.

Still, while I and any decent man would respect such freedom, I also could not help to point out that such take on academic freedom is one-sided and is oblivious and quite nave of other factors and conditions that need to be taken into consideration also.

This extreme form of academic freedom has to contend also with the rights of the other parties involved. And more basic to the issue would be that some structure be made in the academic community where a healthy exchange of views could be done, and clear guidelines have to be made.

The dynamics of this exchange of ideas should be closely monitored and managed, otherwise there would be chaos and confusion. And rules of the game should be clearly spelled out for this.

Thing is we cannot deny the fact that academic communities have their basic constitution that, no matter how imperfect it is, should be respected and upheld, unless legitimately revised.

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'Academic Freedom' By Fr. Roy Cimagala (Cebu) Wednesday, August 29, 2012 02:17:33 PM

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/29/2012 9:25:13 AM The Republican Party adopted its platform at the convention Tuesday, and it included a commitment to Internet freedom, kudos for mobile broadband, and a big knock on the current Democratic-led FCC.

In the section entitled "Protecting Internet Freedom," the platform notes that Internet's independence is its power: "We will remove regulatory barriers that protect outdated technologies and business plans from innovation and competition, while preventing legacy regulation from interfering with new and disruptive technologies such as mobile delivery of voice video data as they become crucial components of the Internet ecosystem."

The platform also commits to a multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance, one of the few things Republicans and Democrats are in full agreement on.

The Republican party says it is committed to ensuring that "personal data receives full constitutional protection from government overreach and that individuals retain the right to control the use of their data by third parties," it adds that "the only way to safeguard or improve these systems is through the private sector." The Republicans' focus on the private sector became one of the sticking points in cybersecurity legislation that failed to pass despite both parties acknowledging that there was a need for better cybersecurity protections.

But while the Republicans say they are for Internet freedom, it does not mean they have changed their opposition to the FCC's open Internet rules. The Republicans say telecom regulation is stuck in the last century -- make that two centuries ago.

"Today's technology and telecommunications industries are overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, established in 1934 and given the jurisdiction over telecommunications formerly assigned to the Interstate Commerce Commission, which had been created in 1887 to regulate the railroads," according to the platform in a section entitled: "A Vision for the Twenty-First Century: Technology, Telecommunications and the Internet."

That vision does not include the FCC as currently constituted. "An industry that invested $66 billion in 2011 alone needs, and deserves, a more modern relationship with the federal government for the benefit of consumers here and worldwide," they say. "The current Administration has been frozen in the past. It has conducted no auction of spectrum [and] has offered no incentives for investment."

And while the FCC recently said that broadband has not been deployed in a timely and reasonable fashion, the Republicans lay the blame at the feet of the FCC. "[The commission] inherited from the previous Republican Administration 95% coverage of the nation with broadband. It will leave office with no progress toward the goal of universal coverage -- after spending $7.2 billion more [a reference to the Obama Administration's broadband stimulus package].

"We call for an inventory of federal agency spectrum to determine the surplus that could be auctioned for the taxpayers' benefit... we will replace the administration's Luddite approach to technological progress with a regulatory partnership that will keep this country the world leader in technology and telecommunications."

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Republican Platform Includes Internet Freedom Plank

28 August 2012 Last updated at 17:28 ET

A Lisburn council motion to grant the Orange Order the freedom of the city has cleared its first hurdle.

The council agreed on Tuesday to pass the DUP proposal to the committee stage, despite opposition from Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party.

It will go through equality screening, for assessment on whether it has the potential to impact differently and unfairly on various groups.

The motion was proposed by Paul Givan, a DUP councillor and assembly member.

Mr Givan said it had "nothing to do with getting the right to march in Lisburn".

"This is all about recognising an organisation which has over 600 halls in Northern Ireland, used extensively by the community," he said.

"In Lisburn in particular, the community get excellent value out of the Orange Order - they are part of our society and we want to recognise them."

Sinn Fein councillor Arthur Carson said the Orange Order had "a lot of reforming to do" before his party would back such a proposal.

"The anti-Catholic stance in terms of membership, the refusal to engage with residents groups over parades, expelling members who attend Catholic services - these are all big issues that the Orange Order need to take into consideration," he said.

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Orange city freedom clears hurdle

As she kicked off the U.S. leg of her "MDNA Tour" in Philadelphia, Madonna said she was happy to party in the USA after touring Europe for three months.

The pop icon told the crowd Tuesday night they should "never forget how lucky you are to live where you live and to have the freedom that you have." She made the comments after talking about the arrest of three members of the punk-rock female band Pussy Riot. The women were sentenced to two years in prison after performing a "punk prayer" at Moscow's Christ the Savior cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to deliver Russia from its leader, Vladimir Putin.

"In my travels around the world the one thing I truly witnessed is we in America have freedom of speech, freedom of expression," the singer said.

Madonna, who toured most of Europe from June to August, has called for the Pussy Riot members to be freed. Paul McCartney and Peter Gabriel also have spoken in the women's favor.

"I don't think that it's a coincidence that I'm in the city where the Declaration of Independence was signed," Madonna said at the Wells Fargo Center to nearly 20,000 fans. "We are in the land of democracy."

Russian activists recently sued Madonna for millions of dollars, claiming they were offended by her support for gay rights during her show in St. Petersburg. A law passed in February makes it illegal to promote homosexuality to minors, and the author of that law has pointed to the presence of children as young as 12 at Madonna's concert on Aug. 9. (Minors also attended Madonna's U.S. show.)

When speaking about Pussy Riot, Madonna said that about 80 gay men were jailed in St. Petersburg because of their sexual orientation. She told the crowd that the arrests were unfair, and they booed in her support.

Then the 53-year-old told the U.S. audience: "Don't get fat and lazy and take that freedom for granted."

Madonna kicked off her concert late on Tuesday, apologizing to the crowd, who began to boo before she hit the stage around 10:30 p.m. EST.

"We had many changes to make from Europe to America, and I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it," she said.

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Madonna Tells Fans Appreciate Freedom

By JARRETT GUTHRIE | Special correspondent Published: August 29, 2012 Updated: August 29, 2012 - 12:00 AM

Freedom High football player Isaac Tanner talked about the first time he stepped up as a leader. It was halftime in a basketball game, trailing by double-digits and Tanner felt compelled to step up and take control. He scored 15 second-half points and helped his team earn the win.

That was when he was eight years old. Tanner has readily stepped up to the challenge again and again and the now 17-year-old will be called upon again as the captain and starting middle linebacker for the Patriots.

No problem for the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Tanner.

"I've been a captain since my sophomore year and I've never thought you have to be a senior to be a leader," Tanner said. "It's all about the type of presence you bring and what type of leadership you have and I've gladly accepted that role."

However, the task for Tanner and first-year Patriots coach Todd Donohoe is far more than just stepping in and filling a role it's about building a tradition at a school that has yet to find one. Donohoe enters as the seventh head coach in 11 seasons and the third coach Tanner and his fellow seniors have known.

"The Culture at Freedom hasn't been built yet," Tanner said. "We are trying to establish that whole school unity of being behind the team, the whole community to behind us. With so many coaches we just haven't had any of that going for the team."

For Donohoe, the former head coach at Strawberry Crest and an assistant at Armwood, Tanner is the kind of player who makes trying to build a tradition at a school a little bit easier.

"He's a leader in and out," Donohoe said. "He's a program player who never misses a practice, is always on time and doing the right thing on top of being big as a house and one of the top linebackers in the area."

Tanner, who has offers from Elon, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Ohio and Western Kentucky, will anchor what should be the Patriots strength this season with a solid defense.

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Freedom's Tanner embraces role