Monthly Archives: January 2021

The decision of the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraineon the appointment of another unscheduled inspection of the NewsOne TV channel is a fact of direct pressure on freedom of thought in our country.

Taking up the role of a censor, the National Council not only attacks the TV channel but also iconic public figures. Vyacheslav Pikhovshek - Honored Journalist of Ukraine, media expert, and an analyst - was invited to the NewsOne TV channel studio as a guest of the project. On the program, he expressed his subjective opinion as an invited expert, and not as a journalist or channel's TV host.

Moreover, expert opinion is the personal position of a public person, which he has the right to freely express on air, without "calling" anybody to do anything. This is also justified by the concept of the "Epicenter of Ukrainian Politics" project, in which each invited guest defends his position.

Based on the above-mentioned, we regard the decision of the National Council on an unscheduled check of the channel as a fact of persecution of a public person for having his own opinion, which is different from the one that the regulator considers correct. And also as another attempt to censor the broadcast and put pressure on an independent TV channel on far-fetched grounds.

Original article is on NEWSONE website.

Here is the original post:

Statement of NewsOne TV channel on National Council's interference into freedom of thought - 112 International

Absolutely. Thats a very good comparison. Recently, my colleagues and I have been facilitating dialogue between Palestinians and Papuans. The hypocrisy of the Indonesian government is immense they support the Palestinian right to self-determination and have even set up an embassy in Ramallah. But at the same time, they rigorously maintain a colonial occupation in West Papua.

In addition to the combination of small pockets of armed resistance in the countryside and a powerful civilian uprising in the cities and towns, there are two other dynamics. The first is that many independence leaders are based outside the country, where they are much freer to speak their mind and to move around. They formed a coalition in Vanuatu in December 2014.

I was there for that meeting. It established the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, an umbrella group that has brought together three large coalitions, all with roots inside the country. The current chair of that organization is Benny Wenda, who is based in Oxford, England.

As well as that, theres the Free Papua MovementWest Papua National Liberation Army (OPMTPNPB). Both groups insist that West Papua is a sovereign nation, and both want their country back. They want independence.

The other dynamic is really interesting, I think. Nothing this significant occurred during the East Timor liberation struggle. Theres a newly formed group of Indonesian solidarity activists who go by the acronym FRIWest Papua, which means the Indonesian Peoples Front for West Papua (Front Rakyat Indonesia untuk West Papua).

They have bases in more than a dozen cities and provinces across Indonesia. They are all Indonesians, and are mostly university students, but theyve also got links with civil society organizations and mass-based organizations from around Indonesia. They include Muslims and Christians, so it is multiethnic, multireligious, and they support the right of West Papuans to self-determination. There was no similar Indonesia-wide organization supporting East Timorese independence during their struggle under the Suharto dictatorship.

The FRIWest Papua activists show great courage. They have faced tear gas and water cannons. They have been beaten up by the Indonesian police or thrown in jail. Their members have been expelled from universities for organizing protests on campus, and they work very closely with West Papuans living in Indonesia, like the Alliance of Papuan University Students (Aliansi Mahasiswa Papua).

So the struggle is being waged over three domains: inside the occupied territory of West Papua, inside the territory of the occupier, and outside the country, led by Papuans in exile, and backed by a growing network of solidarity groups.

See the article here:

Indonesia's Repression Hasn't Broken the West Papuan Freedom Struggle - Jacobin magazine

Meanwhile, the other tech giants moved to kill Parler, a right-leaning Twitter competitor to which Trump supporters had been flocking. Google and Apple removed Parler from their app stores. Then Amazon administered the coup de grce: It revoked Parlers contract with Amazon Web Services. Deprived of access to the cloud-hosting service, Parler was forced offline. The joint assault was devastating, Parler CEO John Matze said. They made an attempt to not only kill the app, but to actually destroy the entire company.

The tech behemoths claim they acted to prevent Trump, Parler, and their loyalists from inciting violence. They point to recent posts that contained death threats or gave advice for smuggling guns into Washington for the Stop the Steal rally that led to the rioting at the Capitol. Yet social media have long been notorious for all kinds of hateful, slanderous, violent, or criminal rhetoric from every fringe of the political spectrum. Big Tech never before engaged in such a sweeping crackdown.

But even if the tech behemoths can be accused of a glaring double standard, or of buckling to political pressure from Congress or the media, that doesnt change the fact that they are private companies. They are not public agencies, regulated utilities, or places of public accommodation. As long as no fraud or force is used, as long as no one is cheated and no contract breached, they should have the widest conceivable latitude in choosing whom to do business with. Who is entitled to a Twitter account? Thats for Twitter to decide. What apps can be listed on Google Play? Thats up to Google. Which companies or platforms should be kept online by Amazons cloud servers? Thats a determination for Amazon.

I am not making a point about Big Tech. I am making an argument about business and freedom of association. I am defending the right of any private company Twitter and Amazon, yes, but also Home Depot and Office Max to deny their services to any other company or organization for any lawful reason. If Starbucks chooses not to sell coffee to the Republican National Committee or if Dell is unwilling to supply laptops to Planned Parenthood, no outside force should have the legal authority to make them do otherwise. Of course, those are far-fetched examples: Most vendors will always be eager to sell to any buyer willing to pay. But it is important to defend, in theory, the right of businesses to withhold their products when they wish to do so. Because that right doesnt always remain theoretical.

An elaborate skein of civil rights laws prohibits companies from discriminating on the basis of race, sex, ancestry, and religion. But antidiscrimination rules dont require merchants or service providers to do business with, say, neo-Nazis or Communists. An advertising company is under no obligation to take on a rabidly pro-Trump client or a rabidly anti-Trump client. Neither, for that matter, is a catering company or a sign-painting company.

Again: Under normal circumstances, most companies seek to grow their customer base, not restrict it. Markets tend to punish businesses that discriminate for non-economic reasons. But the principle is vital. Private companies, so long as they dont engage in illegal discrimination, get to make their own decisions and must live with the consequences.

Is Big Techs purge of Trump and Parler hypocritical? Certainly. Does it reflect a desire to curry favor with the Democrats poised to control the executive branch and both houses of Congress? Undoubtedly. Do conservatives who accuse Twitter, Amazon, and the others of anti-conservative animus have a valid point? Absolutely.

But the bottom line remains: The tech companies are private.

And whom they do business with is up to them.

Jeff Jacoby can be reached at jeff.jacoby@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeff_jacoby. To subscribe to Arguable, his weekly newsletter, visit bitly.com/Arguable.

Originally posted here:

Freedom of association and the Big Tech purge - The Boston Globe

After every election, there are large numbers of people disappointed with the candidate that won. This is the inherent nature of our democracy. This last presidential election was unique due to claims of massive voter fraud. More than 50 cases went to various courts yet no massive voter fraud was found. These false claims eventually resulted in an act of terror and loss of lives as a mob stormed our Capitol in an unprecedented attack.

Surprisingly, many in that mob claimed to support our Constitution. A mob storming the Capitol to pressure Congress to put in the candidate of their choice against the will of the voters is a clear betrayal of our Constitution. Just the day before, passengers on a flight from Utah to Washington D.C. berated Utah Senator Mitt Romney by chanting traitor due to his statement a few days earlier about the Electoral College ballots and his support of our Democratic Republic. Clearly, there is a lack of understanding about what our Constitutional election process is, and how our form of democracy works.

Each of the freedoms we enjoy comes with a corresponding duty. A principal duty is to have a basic understanding of our Constitution and work to uphold it. Utah Senator Mike Lee pointed out in his short speech Wednesday evening, that what the mob wanted Congress to do was unconstitutional and beyond the powers given members of Congress.

Freedom of the press is critical. Journalists are our eyes and ears for what is happening around the country. We have the duty to seek truth when choosing our news sources. This is a more complicated process than many realize. While some people intentionally give misinformation when they do not like the facts, most do not intentionally mislead. But all people have their bias in how they interpret what has happened. We need to be aware of the bias, right- or left-leaning, in all news sources. All of us should access a variety of news sources with varying biases to have a more balanced view. We need to recognize the difference between factual news stories and news opinion pieces.

Sen. Romney said, The best way we (political leaders) can show respect for the voters who are upset is by telling them the truth. That is the burden, and the duty, of leadership.

Sadly, not all leaders speak the truth. Belief and what we wish was true can never be more important than the facts. Several key elements of a dictatorship are propaganda, suppression or lack of a free press and misinformation. One of the fastest ways to destroy democracy is for people to believe false information based on political ambition.

A key element of our democracy is the separation of powers between the different branches and levels of government. Only part of the power is given to the federal government. The rest is divided between state and local governments. This is called Federalism. Rep. John Curtis recently issued a statement explaining that Federalism is a core principle of our country and an important piece of that is respecting each states election procedures and outcomes. The Constitution grants Congress the specific authority to count the electoral votes, not debate the merits of each states election laws or the validity of the electors they choose.

In his defining Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln dedicated that battlefield to the living that we might take increased devotion to give new birth to freedom and assure that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth.

I am grateful to my members of Congress for preserving freedom at a crucial moment.

Debra Oaks Coe is a local Realtor, works as a volunteer on suicide prevention, and is the Anti-Discrimination, Co-Lead for Mormon Women for Ethical Government.

Read the original here:

Guest opinion: Freedom and democracy come with corresponding duties - Daily Herald

Clarification: Hillary Clinton in 2016 conceded the presidential election to Donald Trump on Election Night, Nov. 8, 2016. It was Green Party candidate Jill Stein who requested a recount in several states who later dropped the bid. Some House Democrats also objected to the results during the official Electoral College vote tally in January 2017. Then-Vice President Joe Biden did not entertain any of the objections.

It is the policy of West Hawaii Today to correct promptly any misleading or incorrect information when it is brought to the attention of the newspaper.

About 20 supporters of President Donald Trump took to the streets again Saturday following Wednesdays events at the U.S. Capitol, displaying flags and waving to passing motorists at the corner of Queen Kaahumanu Highway and Palani Road in Kailua-Kona.

Were here to support freedom, said Alohi G., one of the demonstrators at the weekly event, said about the groups message to the community. We know from information that has come out about Joe Biden, that he is compromised by the Chinese government. Were here to fight for our president. To fight for an election that was stolen.

Alohi G. pointed to graphs from when polls closed election night that showed a 100% spike to make up the 700,000 votes in Pennsylvania.

Were just here fighting for our freedom. Were here fighting for my kids freedom for when they grow up so they dont have to grow up in a socialist communist country because I dont think that benefits anybody, he said.

Though inauguration of the president-elect is set for Jan. 20, Alohi G. said Trump hasnt conceded yet, just that there was going to be a transition of power. The group denounced the violence that occurred Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol, but said they will not believe Biden is president until they witness the inauguration.

I think there is still a chance, he said. I have faith in God and I believe good triumphs over evil.

Although he said he has no idea what will come after Jan. 20, with Biden in the White House, he expects vaccine passports, lockdowns, more mask mandates and communist tactics.

You can see them already. Theres going to be more communist/socialist tactics, more free money, more businesses closing down, he said.

Another supporter pointed out that after Trumps 2017 inauguration, Hillary Clinton supporters hashtag was resist and Clinton challenged the Electoral College votes and wanted recounts.

We werent against that, he said. We are down for a fair audit of all fair votes.

He said this time around, Trumps supporters are the bad guys and that is unfair.

If were not out here showing people that support Trump that theyre not alone, hes not going to get a fair shake, he said.

Its unfair four years of these investigations never bore any fruit, said Alohi G. All we want now is a fair audit and a forensic audit, which could be done in a matter of days, but now all of a sudden we are being called anti-democracy. We are not anti-democracy, we just want a fair shake. We dont want to give Biden four years of witch hunt investigations, we just want freedom of speech and transparency and freedom in general.

The group, which has been demonstrating for weeks in support of the outgoing president, has seen a mixed reaction from the public. Some honk in support, others shout obscenities or give them the finger.

We also had some guy come here and drop pig guts and a pig head here in front of some elderly women and children, Alohi G. recalled about an incident a few weeks ago.

One demonstrator said he believes in America, we dont need to agree on everything and we dont always need to get along but we need to respect each others right to have a position.

Right now, we feel as Trumpers were not given a fair shake, he said. We love everybody. We did a toys for tots drive because no one else was doing it. We brought to the Salvation Army who was so thankful. We brought them over $5,000 worth of toys for the kids.

The group also mentioned that after the rally they were headed to Old Kona Airport Park to do a beach clean up.

We love our community. We love our country. Its all about love, said Alohi G. Theres a lot of hatred that comes off the street sometimes, and thats your right. This is still America. You take it with a grain of salt and you move along. Youre not going to get to everybody but you are going to give some people hope and thats good enough for me.

See the rest here:

'We're here to support freedom': Local Trump supporters remain faithful - West Hawaii Today

'); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).append(""+val.title+""); // if (window.location.hostname == "www.kmov.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.kctv5.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.azfamily.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.kptv.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.fox5vegas.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.wfsb.com") { if (val.poly != "" && val.polyimg != "") { $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).append('"+val.ihtml+""); $("#expandable-weather-block .weather-index-alerts").show(); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body h2").css({"font-family":"'Fira Sans', sans-serif", "font-weight":"500", "padding-bottom":"10px"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body p").css({"font-size":"14px", "line-height":"24px"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body span.wxalertnum").css({"float":"left", "width":"40px", "height":"40px", "color":"#ffffff", "line-height":"40px", "background-color":"#888888", "border-radius":"40px", "text-align":"center", "margin-right":"12px"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body b").css("font-size", "18px"); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body li").css({"font-size":"14px", "line-height":"18px", "margin-bottom":"10px"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body ul").css({"margin-bottom":"24px"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body pre").css({"margin-bottom":"24px"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body img").css({"width":"100%", "margin-bottom":"20px", "borderWidth":"1px", "border-style":"solid", "border-color":"#aaaaaa"}); $("#expandable-weather-block .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).css({"borderWidth":"0", "border-bottom-width":"1px", "border-style":"dashed", "border-color":"#aaaaaa", "padding-bottom":"10px", "margin-bottom":"40px"}); }); } function parseAlertJSON(json) { console.log(json); alertCount = 0; if (Object.keys(json.alerts).length > 0) { $("#mrd-wx-alerts .modal-body ").empty(); } $.each(json.alerts, function(key, val) { alertCount++; $("#mrd-wx-alerts .alert_count").text(alertCount); $("#mrd-wx-alerts .modal-body ").append(''); $("#mrd-wx-alerts .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).append(""+val.title+""); // if (window.location.hostname == "www.kmov.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.kctv5.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.azfamily.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.kptv.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.fox5vegas.com" || window.location.hostname == "www.wfsb.com") { if (val.poly != "" && val.polyimg != "") { $("#mrd-wx-alerts .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).append(''); } else if (val.fips != "" && val.fipsimg != "") { // $("#mrd-wx-alerts .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).append(''); } // } //val.instr = val.instr.replace(/[W_]+/g," "); $("#mrd-wx-alerts .modal-body #mrd-alert"+ alertCount).append(val.dhtml+"

Instruction

See the rest here:

Freedom of Speech: Breaking down the First Amendment online after the Capitol riots - WSMV Nashville

The Week

President Trump is planning to exit the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, a few hours before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in a short distance away, CNN reports. "Eager for a final taste of the pomp of being president, Trump has asked for a major send-off," and "as one of their final acts, Trump's team is working to organize a crowd to see him off on the morning of Biden's inauguration, when he plans to depart Washington while still president" for a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, where his term will officially end at noon.There are 20,000 National Guard troops currently deployed or en route to Washington, D.C., ahead of Biden's inauguration, because the last crowd Trump drew to the White House morphed into an insurrectionist mob that stormed the Capitol.Plans are still being ironed out, CNN says, but "Trump told people he did not like the idea of departing Washington for a final time as an ex-president, flying aboard an airplane no longer known as Air Force One. He also did not particularly like the thought of requesting the use of the plane from Biden." The Bidens will wake up on Inauguration Day at nearby Blair House, CNN reports, adding that "its use was offered to them by the State Department rather than the Trumps, who refuse to make contact with the incoming president and first lady.""Trump has expressed interest to some in a military-style sendoff and a crowd of supporters," CNN says, but it's unclear "whether that occurs at the White House, Joint Base Andrews, or his final destination, Palm Beach International Airport."Outgoing U.S. presidents almost always attend the swearing-in of their successors, Defense One notes, and "in recent decades, the outgoing president and first lady walk down the back steps of the Capitol to an awaiting helicopter, which then makes the short five-minute flight over to Joint Base Andrews in nearby Maryland. Upon arriving at Andrews, the former president and first lady are usually greeted by a military honor guard, former staffers, friends, and other well wishers." Two senior Pentagon officials confirmed to Defense One on Thursday that, in a break with recent tradition, no military farewell is being planned for Trump.More stories from theweek.com Trump's vaccine delay is getting suspicious Do Democrats realize the danger they are in? 5 scathing cartoons about Trump's second impeachment

More:

Franklin Graham on the importance of National Religious Freedom Day - Yahoo News

An audit of Australias dysfunctional freedom of information system has called for an independent investigation into the way the prime minister and ministers treat requests for government documents.

The Australian Conservation Foundation audited FOI outcomes for environment-related information over five years, and found the system is increasingly opaque, slow and costly.

The audits preliminary findings, previously reported by the Guardian, show that refusal rates had more than doubled from 12 to 25%, while the proportion of requests that were more than a month overdue stood at 60%.

Costs for environment-related FOIs was double the average, and lengthy review processes were being used as a key tool for denying access to information.

The full ACF report, released on Friday, described the system as dysfunctional and called for targeted investigations by the information commissioner of the negative trends in the outcome of requests for environmental information.

The watchdogs investigation should, at the very least, examine the actions of ministers and the prime ministers office, the ACF said. The information commissioner has such powers, the report noted, yet had only used them twice between 2018 and 2020.

Information critical to environmental protection and action on climate change is often released too late to be of any use, and often heavily redacted or withheld entirely, the report finds. This makes it increasingly difficult to hold governments to account for acting in the interest of people and the planet.

The ACF called for the proper resourcing of government FOI teams and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, including the reappointment of a dedicated commissioner for FOI.

It said the current arrangement where one commissioner is fulfilling duties previously undertaken by three was arguably unconstitutional.

The report called for broader reforms to improve the FOI system, including the government being more upfront about how and where it searched for documents.

In July last year, Guardian Australia sought access to documents that discussed changing the boundary of the Ramsar-listed Moreton Bay wetland where Walker Corporation has proposed building up to 3,600 apartments for its Toondah Harbour development.

The department blocked the application in its original form because preliminary searches had identified 4,704 documents, making the scope too large to process.

After negotiations, revised search terms retrieved about 100 documents, of which just two were ultimately deemed within the scope of the application.

Those documents were released almost in full in December. The Guardian has now submitted a fresh FOI application.

The report recommended the information commissioner develop guidance for government on how information in non-official systems, email accounts and devices should be recorded.

This is particularly important amid increasing use of WhatsApp and other mobile devices by ministers to conduct the business of state, the report said.

The ACF also called for a parliamentary inquiry into transparency laws in Australia, examining the changing nature of information, WhatsApp and phone use, the suitability of compliance options, and FOI training.

As part of its research, the ACF analysed the use of exemptions to withhold FOI documents in part or in full, finding that their use had roughly doubled from 306 in 201516 to 593 last financial year.

While this trend is partially explained by a greater volume of requests, the ACF has warned that their disproportionate use should raise red flags.

Cabinet secrecy is one exemption that is being used at a far higher rate to deny FOI material.

The use of the cabinet deliberations exemption has more than quadrupled in five years, from five cases in 201516 to 26 last financial year.

The use of the personal privacy exemption has also increased from 66 cases in 201516 to 164 last financial year.

The report also warned of the aggressive use of exemptions to withhold entire documents, instead of simply using smaller redactions to hide small portions of information.

Guardian Australia has a number of matters currently before the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner contesting the use of exemptions including cabinet secrecy and personal privacy in environmental FOI decisions. One of the cases awaiting a decision was submitted to the OAIC for review more than a year ago.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment said it routinely reports on its performance on FOI to the public and said it treats applications in accordance with processes and timeframes under the Freedom of Information Act and other regulations and guidance.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment was formed on 1 February 2020 following machinery of government changes, a spokesman said. All requests received by the department have been processed within statutory timeframes.

See the original post:

Australia's freedom of information regime labelled 'dysfunctional' in scathing audit - The Guardian

NewsOpinionColumnistsScotland rejoices in what our government tells us is the most open and transparent freedom of information regime in the UK.

Thursday, 14th January 2021, 12:30 pm

So it is a little bit disappointing, after hearing such glad tidings only in November, to discover that any responses to freedom of information requests to the Scottish government have not been forthcoming within the statutory deadline of 20 days.

But, 346 times in 10-and-a-half months? Thats about one a day (if the freedom of information regime was failing to issue timely responses to requests on weekends as well as weekdays which, of course, it is not).

However, surely, we hear you cry, the Covid crisis provides a reasonable explanation. Well, yes, but then why was the deadline missed on more than 600 occasions in 2016 and 454 times in 2017? We only hope that the Covid-affected figure of 346 is actually a sign of improvement.

Tony Blair infamously regrets bringing in the Freedom of Information Act and others in positions of power may well share the sentiment, given a requirement to tell the public what is actually going on can sometimes be, lets say, inconvenient.

The Act was an improvement to the state of our democracy and should therefore be resolutely defended by the public against any efforts, overt or covert, to undermine it.

Otherwise our freedom of information regime may start to look more like a Monty Python sketch, a scene from Yes, Minister, or perhaps even something out of George Orwells 1984: War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Read the original:

Freedom of Information is a democratic advance that must be protected Scotsman comment - The Scotsman

Cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton reported Monday, confirming a Washington Post story, that President Donald Trump planned to give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, the sharp-tongued, fast-talking former wrestler from southwest Ohio who is one of Trumps most loyal political allies.

The question is, should he? And further, given Wednesdays events, will he?

By throwing into doubt Trumps continuation in office until his term ends Jan. 20, Wednesdays storming of the U.S. Capitol has also cast a shadow over Trumps sudden spurt of Medal of Freedom awards to political allies and admired golfers -- and raised questions about whether hell be in office long enough to carry out the promised award to Jordan.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is bestowed at the discretion of the president to recognize an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. It has long been considered the nations highest civilian honor, but its also gone to friends, admired icons and political allies of the president.

In his final days in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama famously surprised Vice President Joe Biden, now the president-elect, with the award.

There seems little chance that Trump will do the same for Vice President Mike Pence, who defied Trump Wednesday in refusing to subvert the outcome while presiding over the Joint Session of Congress called to confirm the Electoral College vote.

Trump has been handing out Medals of Freedom rather liberally in his final days. On Thursday, just a day after a mob of Trump supporters invaded the Capitol, the president bestowed the award to three professional golfers, Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player and, posthumously, to the late Babe Didrikson Zaharias.

On Monday, he gave the award to U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, a California Republican who, like Jordan, has assiduously assailed any suggestion that Trump engaged in wrongdoing, or, as the citation put it: helped thwart a plot to take down a sitting United States president and pursued the Russia Hoax at great personal risk. Jordan is said to be on Trumps list for similar reasons.

The award is totally up to the president, but should Jordan get it?

Our Editorial Board Roundtable weighs in.

Ted Diadiun, columnist:

I like and respect Jim Jordan. Ohio is lucky to have him on our side. Hes a stand-up guy and a patriot who says what he thinks and lives by his word. Any award anyone sees fit to bestow on him is deserved, and is fine by me.

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

The medal, once awarded to peerless statesmen and artists, now sometimes goes to marquee athletes and pop-culture personalities. That said, the elegant medal and its blue ribbon will look good on Jordan, a trim 56, who still has the air of the champion college wrestler he once was.

Eric Foster, columnist:

The short answer is no. There is literally nothing Jim Jordan has done worthy of a Presidential Medal of Freedom. All he has done is continually defend and/or justify Trumps actions at every turn since 2016. You dont get the highest civilian honor for playing politics.

Victor Ruiz, editorial board member:

Jim Jordan is an accomplice to the worst president in the history of our country, and to the violent insurrection that occurred this past week. He has done a disservice to our country and his name should not be mentioned with the likes of Thurgood Marshall, Cesar Chavez, and Maya Angelou.

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

I can hardly think of anyone less deserving of the Medal of Freedom than Jim Jordan, one of the seditious lawmakers who blocked a peaceful transition of power. But then again, outgoing President Trump tarnished its prestigious legacy by bestowing the award upon its very antithesis, right-wing blowhard Rush Limbaugh.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

Wednesdays storming of the Capitol, unforgivably incited by President Trump, was reprehensible and indefensible. Jim Jordans Presidential Medal of Freedom is a separate issue and well-deserved. He defended the office of the president against unmerited campaigns to subvert and unseat a duly elected president.

Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director:

Im no fan of Jim Jordan, who used his oratorical skills to subvert the truth and serve a dangerously ego-driven man who fell into delusion and denial when he couldnt win a second term, unleashing violence aimed at the heart of our democracy. Jordan would be wise to decline the award from such a president.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial board roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.

Excerpt from:

Should Jim Jordan get the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Editorial Board Roundtable - cleveland.com