Daily Archives: September 17, 2012

Freedom of expression cannot be constrained when it comes to books and encouraged when it comes to violence, says Mitali Saran.

The drama about cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, tossed in the clink by the Maharashtra [ Images ] police on charges of sedition, has been jostling for space with the drama about a Libyan mob attacking the United States consulate in Benghazi to protest a film whose best feature is tastelessness, made by some shadowy guy whom nobody seems to know and everyone seems to dislike.

In one case the question is, on what planet is satire seditious, and in the other case the question is, how can anyone take such a lousy film seriously? Watch the excerpt on YouTube -- you will be enraged at the insult to the art of film-making.

Both the UPA and the NDA have distanced themselves from the Trivedi kerfuffle, but then Mr Trivedi is a no-contest case. No political party has yet done anything to address the processes that allow people to harass each other with frivolous lawsuits that make life a living hell. At the moment you can actually force someone to emigrate (RIP, M F Husain [ Images ]), by filing specious cases citing hurt sentiments, which the courts inexplicably continue to entertain, as if they don't have enough genuine cases backed up for miles.

Insecure governments thrive on events like these that highlight the nasty real-life consequences of free speech, from incarceration to murder. They cite the limits of free speech when it's an inconvenience, viz cartoons that mock venality and corruption, but love to push those limits themselves, for example to mobilise vote banks when Salman Rushdie [ Images ] is due to hit town during election time.

It then becomes easy to draw a straight line from freedom of expression to law and order problems, without stopping to ask why random charges of sedition by a private individual against another are even applicable, or why politicians feel free to organise and whip up blind religious fervour where there wasn't really any, or why there isn't better law and order to back up our constitutional rights.

And at the end of that line is, always, the glorification of the wrong sort of no-offence. We're told to practise "No offence meant", but are forgetting how to say "None taken". When cartoons are banned from school textbooks, we are being encouraged to become increasingly emotionally illiterate and childlike, unable to detect nuance, and free to throw tantrums and break things when we're upset. We're forgetting how to read text and pictures in a sophisticated manner, forgetting about irony and satire, and becoming dull-witted literalists who read a cartoon depicting the betrayal and corruption of national symbols as anti-patriotic. As the world grows infinitely more complex, we're becoming ever more simple-minded.

In a democracy that stands by free speech, the best response to a bad book is a better book. So you have to wonder about the aims of a state that hasn't, for two thirds of a century, made education not just literacy the cornerstone of their policy. A population that cannot read or write a better book, but is always up for a good riot, is a population at the mercy of a political class that delights in yanking its chain.

The core debate that we have not properly had is: do we think that freedom of speech is a principle worth defending, with blood if need be? If so, the lines must be drawn, as the Supreme Court says, by "reasonable, strong-minded, firm and courageous men, and not those of weak and vacillating minds, nor of those who scent danger in every hostile point of view". That means, draw the lines in defence of risking offence, not in defence of being offended. The courts need to tell us more often, to get over it. We need steely law enforcement to make sure we do get over it. And we need to have non-violent tools with which to express our offendedness. Freedom of expression cannot be constrained when it comes to books and encouraged when it comes to violence.

A cartoon by The Onion is currently doing the rounds on Facebook. Below the drawing of a set of familiar deities pleasuring each other, the "news" caption says that the image "reportedly went online at 6.45 pm EDT, after which not a single bomb threat was made against the organisation responsible, nor did the person who created the cartoon go home fearing for his life in any way. Though some members of the Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist faiths were reportedly offended by the image, sources confirmed that upon seeing it, they simply shook their heads, rolled their eyes, and continued on with their day".

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Is freedom of speech a principle worth defending?

September 17, 2012 - Frontier League (FL) Florence Freedom Marion, IL-The Southern Illinois Miners won their first ever Frontier League Championship on a bases loaded walk in the twelfth inning to defeat the Florence Freedom Sunday night 4-3. The Miners won the best of five series three games to one.

The Miners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. Javier Herrera scored on a throwing error by second baseman Pierre Lepage and Chad Maddox hit a two run homerun.

The Freedom got on the board in the seventh. Jim Jacquot led off the inning with a walk. Stephen Cardullo then singled into centerfield. Alvaro Rameriz misplayed the ball which allowed both runners to score.

The Freedom then tied the game in the eighth. With the bases loaded Jacquot reached on a fielder's choice scoring Kyle Bluestein to tie the game at 3-3.

The game went into extra innings with neither offense scoring until the twelfth. Jorge Marban(1-1)took the loss as he walked the leadoff batter Maddox. Carlos Mendez then advanced him to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Sean Coughlin then drew a walk. After Cannon Lester struck out swinging, Will Block was intentially walked to load the bases by Brent Choban. With the bases loaded and two outs, Choban faced Jake Kaase. With the count 3-2, Choban walked Kaase to force home Maddox to give the Miners the game winning run.

Andy Clark started the game for the Freedom and went five innings allowing five hits on two earned runs and earned a no decision. Brandon Mathes then pitched six strong innings allowing three hits and striking out eight in his appearance out of the bullpen keeping the Freedom in the game.

Peter Fatse and Stephen Cardullo each had three hits to lead the Freedom in their final game of the season.

The 2012 team ended up winning 57 games which was the most in franchise history since the team moved to Florence in 2003. They also became the first team in franchise history to play in the postseason and in the Frontier League championship series.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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Freedom Run Ends with Ball Four in Extras

STEUBENVILLE - A group of parishioners from the Holy Family Catholic Church have organized a yard freedom cross campaign they hope will spread across the city and country.

Don Jordan said the idea for freedom crosses was prompted by the Freedom From Religion Foundation threat to sue the city over an unofficial logo that includes a cross and the silhouette of the Christ the King chapel on the Franciscan University of Steubenville campus.

"We had a number of concerns regarding the foundation that threatened to sue the city. We felt it was an attack on our religious freedom. Our bishops have urged Catholics to pray, fast and take action in response to the attack on our religious freedom. This is our way of taking action," explained Jordan.

FREEDOM Robert Lantz of Steubenville outlined the word freedom on a freedom cross that volunteers are constructing out of 2-by-4-inch boards. Several parishioners from Holy Family Catholic Church have created 200 freedom crosses to protest a legal challenge to Steubenvilles unofficial logo that includes a cross and silhouette of the Franciscan University of Steubenville Christ the King chapel. The Freedom Crosses also are on sale at Nelsons Fine Art and Gifts store on Lincoln Avenue. - Dave Gossett

"The Holy Family Evangelization program and our other parish ministries banded together to develop the 'freedom cross' for Holy Family parishioners to place in their yards as a witness to our faith and our right to religious freedom," stated Jordan.

"The idea came from the photos from the Sept. 11 attack on the Twin Towers. I will always remember the photo of the damaged girders that had been twisted into a cross. The New York firefighters hung an American flag on the girders. That photo will always remain with me and it inspired our freedom cross design," said John Miller, a volunteer.

The idea caught fire among several parishioners who have helped create the wooden crosses with the word, "freedom" stenciled across the front and a small American flag placed at the top of the cross.

"We are cutting, assembling and painting approximately 200 crosses for our Holy Family parishioners. And we talked to Mark Nelson of the Nelson Fine Art and Gifts business and he has agreed to create a very similar design for sale to the general public," said Jordan.

"We started our first production run Friday, and the freedom crosses are available at our store on Lincoln Avenue for $10 each or on our freedomtothemax.com website. This is about promoting freedom of religion in our country. We have already had requests from several area citizens who want to express their support for our religious freedom," said Nelson.

Jordan said several officials from Franciscan University of Steubenville spoke to parishioners after a recent Sunday Mass.

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Freedom cross campaign growing in Steubenville