Monthly Archives: February 2022

Over the past two years our neighbors to the north have been held captive by government mandates limiting their freedoms and ability to make a living. The Canadian government has asserted that vaccination is an essential component in moving past the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective Jan. 15, 2022, all travelers entering Canada, including truck drivers, must use ArriveCAN to provide mandatory travel information, including proof of vaccination. The U.S. has also followed suit with a similar mandate for truckers coming from Canada and Mexico.

This was proverbially the straw that broke the camels back and a group of truckers who lost their jobs decided to drive to the nations capital Ottawa, Ontario, to voice their dissension. The movement has grown exponentially with thousands of semis and private vehicles joining in convoys from across the nation converging on Ottawa on Jan 29.

The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa who are holding unacceptable views that they are expressing do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other, who know that following the science and stepping up to protect each other is the best way to continue to ensure our freedoms, our rights, our values, as a country, Prime Minster Trudeau said Wednesday, Jan. 26.

Prime Minster Trudeau also said that Canadians who have stepped up to do the right thing, by getting vaccinated are the ones protecting the freedoms and the rights of Canadians to get back to the things we love to do.

RECORD BREAKING

These statements have angered many Canadians as they have come out in support of their freedoms regardless of their vaccination status and ethnic background in large numbers. American truckers have also joined. The Canadian citizens have rallied to the cause and at every overpass and side road they gathered waving flags, holding signs and giving out supplies to the drivers.

Brian Hunstad of Saskatchewan said that on Monday, Jan. 24, when the convoy came through it was insane. Probably a thousand people by the overpass, cars and lights as far as the eye could see. One of my friends joined the convoy for 60 miles and in Canada we have gravel side roads every two miles and he said on every road there were people waving them on. Hunstad himself drove to Regina the capital Saskatchewan on the Jan. 29 to protest at the Provincial Legislature buildings. It was pretty cool, it was different, weve been to a few protests but this was different. No anger, everyone was happy and ready to be done with all these mandates and lock downs. Just regular people with their families ready for this to be done, very joyful.

Hunstad said that there were over 500 trucks registered for the Regina convoy and the numbers overwhelmed the police so they limited the number allowed in the city. Many of the trucks parked in fields and it was so big there was no official count. Canadians arent like Americans, we dont wear our flag on our sleeve but its different now, I saw vehicles driving around with flags. Saskatchewan has announced that the mandates will be coming down soon but that has nothing to do with our deal, it is just that someone has got to be first.

Since Jan. 23, 2022, the groups Go-Fund-Me page has raised over $10 million (Canadian) to cover the cost of the journey and to take care of the truckers who have now settled into Ottawa for the long haul and are making sure their presence is made know by the blast of their horns. The Freedom Convoy organized by Tamara Lich, Benjamin Dichter and Chris Barber held a press conference on Jan. 30 and outlined their goals and plans. They plan to peacefully remain in Ottawa until the government restores the freedom of all Canadians by lifting all COVID mandates and allowing the country to return to normal. They said they have enough funds to remain in the capital for years if necessary. The Prime Minster has declined to meet with the truckers and is currently quarantining after a positive COVID test.

The organizers have joined forces with locals and are supplying the needs of the truckers, showers, hot meals and food. While some of the trucks are lining the streets of Ottawa, many are parked in fields around the city. The group is committed to remaining peaceful, are guarding monuments, shoveling snow, playing hocking, picking up garbage and feeding the homeless.

TRUDEAUS UNPOPULARITY

While many Canadians support the convoy there are some who feel that demanding all mandates be lifted and blocking streets is the wrong way to go about effecting change. Especially as many in the convoy along with flags are sporting F**k Trudeau signs.

Prime Minster Trudeau is far from popular in much of Canada and in the last election he only received 21 percent of the vote but Canada doesnt have term limits for their leaders. The convoy leaders believe that they are representing the other 80 percent that dont have a voice and have lost jobs and businesses due to the lock downs. In some of the provinces those without a vaccine passport are restricted from shopping, going to gyms, attending sporting events and Quebec was even going to implement a tax on the unvaccinated but that plan is now going to be abandoned.

While thousands gathered in province capitals and in Ottawa, many from both sides of the border gathered at several major crossing. Large numbers gathered at the Sweet Grass, Mont./Coutts, Alberta, crossing. Jake Zacharias was there with his drone filming on Jan. 29. We saw people, all kinds, vaccinated, unvaccinated uniting, coming together for the first time in two years. We saw hope, we saw people who are done with all the mandates, we saw the Canada we used to have. Freedom to choose. Freedom of speech. There were well over a 1,000 vehicles I would say on the 29th but its tough to say though.

The truckers, farmers and citizens have remained at this crossing ever since and have slowed traffic to a crawl, with estimates of over a seven hour wait listed on the border website. Yet the emergency lane is clear for emergency vehicles. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been negotiating with the group with little success and they have threatened the peaceful protesters with arrest. But their efforts to hire tow trucks have met with refusal by local companies to tow the protesters. Residents have been delivering food, fuel and supplies by side roads as the police have barricaded the main highway near Milk River, Alberta, and refusing to allow traffic through. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, farmers in tractors broke through the barricade by taking the ditch and going around it, leading a number of tractors, semis and smaller vehicles to join the border group.

I havent been there since Saturday. But what I hear is that the RCMP have blocked all roads going to the border. They are not letting anyone in. The truckers are still holding the line. As far as I know any truckers that wanted to leave were able to leave. And now the RCMP is turning around all traffic at the blockade. Not allowing them to go to the border or to the convoy blockade, Zacharias said in a recent update.

The Freedom Convoy has sparked interest and support world-wide. Across Europe, Central America, Australia and the U.S. truckers are organizing their own convoys for freedom. According to the press conference, the convoy has started a cultural movement for cultural unity in Canada that has blossomed into a global cultural movement, pushing back against the political class who have failed us and are pushing us into serfdom.

See more here:

Freedom Convoy 2022 | TheFencePost.com - The Fence Post

Good afternoon Greenpointers,

If youve got cabin fever, or if youre just looking to get out of the house, try one of these fun (and entirely indoors) activities who knew Williamsburg had paintball? We got the scoop on a new independent play opening on February 13, and if youre feeling particularly magnanimous, lend a helping hand with a volunteer opportunity from North Brooklyn Angels.

Theres never a shortage of restaurant news in North Brooklyn, and this week was no exception. Keep an eye out for Lingo, a soon-to-open Japanese restaurant and the first Brooklyn location of popular local chain Jacks Wife Freda. A new fast-casual spot, SoBol, is opening soon in Williamsburg as well. Win Son Bakery launched a limited run of ice cream for the Lunar New Year.

In news specific to Greenpoint, we profiled Chef Clark Riley of the newly opened Stowaway, a Southern cafe and bistro thatll surely satisfy any biscuit craving you might have.

In design updates, we have a cool apartment tour to check out, as well as a profile on the chic new 42 Hotel.

We spoke again to Trevor of Freedom Market, whos taking the initiative on the road. Mikeys Hook Up is celebrating 20 years in business with a documentary series on YouTube.

In more unfortunate news, the Black Lives Matter flag at PS 110 was stolen and replaced by an All Lives Matter flag. Weather conditions likely contributed to stray voltage that tragically led to a dog and its owner being electrocuted.

Were you at the Equinox gym in Williamsburg this weekend? Someone might be looking for you!

In and around Greenpoint

Gothamist reported that the deadline on a natural gas permit for Greenpoint Energy Center had been extended, yet again.

Paulie Gees and Xian Famous Foods collaborated on a new pizza!

Newtown Creek Alliance released a new video highlighting the neighborhoods Green Roofs.

The newly opened Greenpoint Pilates Studio has an Open House this Saturday.

Representative Carolyn Maloneys office will be distributing free COVID-19 tests and masks at the Greenpoint YMCA on February 7, 8 9 AM.

Sign up to volunteer for North Brooklyn Angels Angel Baby Project here.

The rest is here:

Greenpoint This Week: Freedom Market, North Brooklyn Angels, and More. - greenpointers.com

Editors note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Today, Feb. 4 will go down in history for Woodland Middle School, which is just 20 miles north of Vancouver.

Did you hear it? No that rumbling in Woodland (gateway to Mt. St. Helens) at 8:30 this morning; was not the mountain; these were eruptions of cheer and celebration from over 100 mask-less middle school students exercising their freedom to BREATHE freely. They came to school this morning without their MASK and gathered in unity. Just watching these students looking around and smiling in conversation with one another was watching Christmas morning happening all over again! The gift of FREEDOM could not have been more precious than on the faces of these children. Children need to BE FREE, which means to LIVE FREE. Masks do not work. They limit oxygen, not viruses.

Hats off to Woodland Middle School Principal James Johnston who stood with his mask-less students, behind a plastic face shield so we could see his smile as he spoke. The face shield had a batman scarf attached at the bottom of the shield which gave me an impression that he was warm and open and truly cares for his students. They could see his face, read his lips even though there was a shield. This was important to him. I commend him. Its NOT his fault this is happening in his school. These are his students. He receives his students well, nonverbal communication synched well with his words and he spoke to a few select parents. These parents respect him. He is not the enemy.

Principal Johnston gave options for what is to happen next for his students by speaking out options to all his mask-less students. He took the time to closely engage each student as they were addressing concerns and he did so in a way that did not appear to discriminate in my humble opinion. He seems like a great man doing his duty to protect his students RIGHTS. Options to put the mask back on and go to class. Or go to the library and open their chrome books. Other options about having to fill out a form, possibly calling the parent to come get them, which he would help the students with individually. Parents that were present only had positive responses to his direction regarding their children.

One parent mentioned, sending her child to the library was segregating him from his classmates and this should not happen. We can agree, but we also realize this is the first step in the right direction.

Yesterday, high school students made an important impact to STOP this MASK MANDATE. Now ALL schools in Clark and Cowlitz county and across this entire state can and more and more students will be equipped with the FREEDOM to replicate this FREEDOM STAND.

On a side note, I cannot help but smile to see this effort come from our students, and God, yes God. The timing of this was not a coincidence. On Feb. 1 our Clark County Council members voted AGAINST our mini-initiative Petition to STOP MEDICAL DISCRIMINATION. They tried to silence 11,505 Registered Voters who came out to sign our legitimate historical petition. All we needed was 8,311 votes but we had over 3K more signatures. Only one brave council member listened to us. Only one. Thank you Eileen Quiring OBrien. Thank you for your dedication to support FREEDOM. We will never forget you.

Then as God would have it, the very next day, Washougal High School stood up and made national news. (Fox News, Jesse Watters). Today, Woodland Middle School stood up.

Harlyn Thompson, BSN, RNBattle Ground

Originally posted here:

Letter: This Freedom Train is rolling through your town - clarkcountytoday.com

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About the author: Thomas Peterffy is founder and chairman of Interactive Brokers and is chairman of theCouncil of Trustees of Common Sense Society, an international educational foundation active inthe United States and Europe.

I was born in the fall of 1944 in the bomb shelter of a Budapest hospital. The Russian army was pushing the Germans back towards Berlin. Hitler decided to make a last stand in Budapest. It failed, but we ended up with hundreds of bombed out buildings. I grew up in what remained of one of those bombed out buildings with my mother and grandmother.

Nobody thought that the Russian army would stay there for the next 46 years, but they did. They were defending socialism and installed a Communist government.

Shortly after my grandmother passed away when I was 7, my mother told me that when I woke up the next day I would be alone. Not to worry, she said. She would be home by the time I would have to leave for school. I insisted that she take me along wherever she was going. I was too scared to be alone.

We had to get up at 4:30 in the dark and freezing winter morning to walk to the nearby baker. By the time we got there, quite a few people were already standing in line and many more were still coming. We joined them in the breadline. While we stood there, shivering in the freezing cold, I asked my mother why we had to wait there, two hours before the baker opened? She explained that the baker did not have enough bread for everyone and that people towards the end of the line would usually have to leave empty-handed.

Despite the cold, standing in the breadline for the first time was interesting. Everybody got a four-and-a-half pound loaf, still hot from the oven. I clutched it to my chest all the way home to keep warm.

After the third time, I told my mother that she should go by herself. I was more scared of the cold than I was of the ghosts in the dark apartment.

For my 10th birthday, my mother gave me an alarm clock and told me that I was now old enough to stand in the breadline. When she couldnt get any on her way home from work, I would have to go and spend my early morning hours in the breadline.

In 1956 when I was 12, the so-called Hungarian Revolution forced the Soviet soldiers to withdraw to their barracks. It seemed as if the people had prevailed. But after a few days of freedom, Mao told Khrushchev that if he let Hungary go, all the socialist countries would fall like dominoes. More Soviet tanks and troops came in and they propped up the government.

But the Communist Party bosses came to understand that they were sitting on a powder keg.

If they did not allow a minimal level of private enterprise, the people would no longer accept the needless suffering. So they allowed an individual or a family to start businesses. They were not allowed to hire any employees. Still, these new enterprises miraculously eliminated many of the shortages and everyday life became easier.

When I was in college, it was compulsory to study Marxism and Leninism. The first tenet, paraphrased, was that the Communist Party and its cause is sacrosanct. It represents the interest of the people and any act or word that could be construed to be against it must be crushed and punished, immediately.

The second was that the capitalist economy is a chaotic series of booms and busts. Thousands of businesses make decisions without knowing what everybody else is doing. Without coordination, most products and services will be in imbalance; oversupply or undersupply. This is very expensive. Companies go bankrupt. People get laid off. The economic consequences are terrible.

On the other hand, a socialist economy is planned with perfect information. The planners know what everybody is doing and can perfectly regulate supply to meet demand.

This sounded pretty logical. So why did it not work? Why did we have to stand in breadlines in the freezing cold for hours?

But these were questions we were not allowed to ask. The first tenet forbid them. Anyone who did ask was kicked out of school, with slim chances for a job. Some went to jail. We did not dare to discuss any of these topics even among ourselves. Anyone who found themselves in trouble with the authorities would be forced to give us up to save their own skin. This was perhaps the most difficult aspect of life for all of us to bear.

We lived behind the Iron Curtain like zombies. Covering our eyes and ears, reciting meaningless slogans in unison that none of us believed. Thats why I had to take a chance and leave, when I could. Its also why freedom of expression is not just another freedom, to be listed alongside others. The ability to speak ones conscience and to debate ideas openly is the cornerstone of all freedom.

If we cannot freely debate the reasons for breadlines, we will not be able to avoid standing in them.

Guest commentaries like this one are written by authors outside the Barrons and MarketWatch newsroom. They reflect the perspective and opinions of the authors. Submit commentary proposals and other feedback toideas@barrons.com.

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Peterffy: Freedom of Expression Is the Cornerstone of Liberty - Barron's

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CHICAGO The one thing that post-'60s liberalism killed in the black underclass was the spirit of entrepreneurship. This spirit of creating opportunities and inventing new products had largely defined black life during the first half of the 20th century. The segregationists had no care for blacks as long as they stayed on their side of the color line, and blacks made the South Side of Chicago thrive with their entrepreneurship. When America admitted its profound racial wrongdoings in the 1960s, many whites sought to redeem themselves of Americas racist history by patronizing blacks. They ushered in an era of government programs that promoted dependency over entrepreneurship, and blacks suffered greatly.

Today, there is a growing movement within the black underclass to reverse their plight by reviving the spirit of entrepreneurship. They seek to embrace the lessons of many black thinkers during the segregation era, such as Carter Godwin Woodson, who said: "No man knows what he can do until he tries."

On the 76th day of his 100-day vigil to raise funds for a transformative community center on the South Side of Chicago, Pastor Corey Brooks invited Bruce Montgomery to the roof for a conversation by the campfire. Montgomery teaches the entrepreneurship classes at Project H.O.O.D. and is an entrepreneur himself.

"Listen, I want to just jump right in," the pastor said. "In Chicago, we're dealing with a lot of violence."

BLACK LIVES MATTER HALTS ONLINE FUNDRAISING AFTER STATES THREATEN LEGAL ACTION: REPORT

"Yes, we are," Montgomery said.

"What does entrepreneurship have to do with stopping violence?"

"Entrepreneurship has everything to do [with it] because we know that where there is wealth, where there is commerce, where there is good credit scores, you don't see challenges in education, poor health outcomes, lack of vision for opportunity," Montgomery said. "If you can't see it, you don't think about being it."

"Absolutely," the pastor said.

"We had the most famous entrepreneurs, black entrepreneurs, in the entire United States" within "a four-mile radius of this rooftop," Montgomery said.

"There was a time when businesses were thriving in this area," the pastor said. "I mean booming. But now, as you just said, there's nothing. How do we get from having all of these businesses to now having nothing?"

"When we think about some of the legendary entrepreneurs, there was a place down the street called Roberts Motel. Mr. Roberts just passed just a year or so ago."

"I bought my church building off of Mr. Roberts," the pastor said.

"That Roberts Motel was the meeting place," Montgomery continued. "That's where Harold Washington went to have conversations about [running for mayor of Chicago]. That's where Mr. Collins got together and said he was going to start a Seaway Bank. That's where arguably one of the most illustrious black entrepreneurs used to operate right off 63rd Street: S.B.Fuller of Fuller Products."

By the 1950s, Samuel B. Fuller, born to Louisiana sharecroppers, made a fortune off of cosmetic products and became known as the richest black man in America. He put thousands of sales people to work, even those who were not black.

"It doesnt make a difference about the color of an individuals skin," he had said. "No one cares if the cow is black, red, yellow or brown. They want the milk it can produce."

Montgomery pointed out: "As redlining restricted covenants that limited where blacks could move, live, work and own, we in Woodlawn and this surrounding area, we were focused on meeting our own needs ourselves."

Then the 1960s hit. Integration swept through America. The government targeted blacks with its Great Society programs, which did not promote the entrepreneurial spirit. And blacks began to move away from their redlined neighborhoods, and they no longer exclusively patronized the black businesses that had served them for so long.

"We started to disperse and go to the South Side, the further South Side, the south suburbs, we started to lose that capacity," Montgomery said. "We became consumers as opposed to producers."

"Do you think that for our culture, it shifted to a consumption mentality?" the pastor asked.

"For far too long, but I'll tell you, pastor, it's coming back," Montgomery said. "Young people are starting to see that there are many roads in which they can be. They don't just have to be a rapper or an athlete to make it forward. They can be a business owner."

Montgomery continued: "This is what we've got to get into: this idea that if we can think it up, we can dream it up, we can build it up, we can make it up and we can own it up."

"That's why I'm so thankful for you teaching the classes," the pastor said. "If we're going to solve some of the issues of violence, we have to start participating in free market capitalism."

"Don't hide behind the coattails of government. Move forward with business solutions to solve the problems that we have right now," Montgomery said. "The good news is through advanced technologies, 3D printing, 3D manufacturing, you can put a manufacturing facility in your basement. You can put it in a 1,000 square foot garage. There's no reason we shouldn't be making and printing and designing and producing. And look, you can put a saying on a t-shirt and sell them for $40 and make a $2,000 on the weekend. So get your hustle on, and start doing business."

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"I want to thank you for all the work you do, helping us get these businesses off the ground, helping people turn their businesses around," the pastor said gratefully. "Keeping doing it."

"I can only do it because Project H.O.O.D. inspires me. It inspires anybody," Montgomery said. "I'm fortunate to come from four generations of entrepreneurs. First in Arkansas, my great-grandparents and grandparents and then my parents here in Chicago. And so, I want to continue that, and I want my grandchildren, my grandsonsI got three grandsons, and I want them to be a part of this experience and know that we can lead the way forward."

In the words of Samuel Fuller: "Wherever there is capitalism, there is freedom."

Follow along as Fox News checks in Pastor Corey Brooks each day with a new Rooftop Revelation.

For more information, please visitProject H.O.O.D.

Eli Steele is a documentary filmmaker and writer. His latest film is"What Killed Michael Brown?" Twitter:@Hebro_Steele.

Camera by Terrell Allen.

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Rooftop Revelations: 'Wherever there is capitalism, there is freedom' - Fox News

After six students were banned from entering a college in Karnatakas Udupi district for wearing a hijab last month, the row over whether educational institutions can impose a strict dress code that could interfere with rights of students has spilled to other colleges in the state. The issue throws up legal questions on reading the freedom of religion and whether the right to wear a hijab is constitutionally protected.

Article 25(1) of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion. It is a right that guarantees a negative liberty which means that the state shall ensure that there is no interference or obstacle to exercise this freedom. However, like all fundamental rights, the state can restrict the right for grounds of public order, decency, morality, health and other state interests.

Over the years, the Supreme Court has evolved a practical test of sorts to determine what religious practices can be constitutionally protected and what can be ignored. In 1954, the Supreme Court held in the Shirur Mutt case that the term religion will cover all rituals and practices integral to a religion. The test to determine what is integral is termed the essential religious practices test.

In the first place, what constitutes the essential part of a religion is primarily to be ascertained with reference to the doctrines of that religion itself, the SC had held in the Shirur Mutt case. So the test, a judicial determination of religious practices, has often been criticised by legal experts as it pushes the court to delve into theological spaces.

In criticism of the test, scholars agree that it is better for the court to prohibit religious practices for public order rather than determine what is so essential to a religion that it needs to be protected.

In several instances, the court has applied the test to keep certain practices out. In a 2004 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the Ananda Marga sect had no fundamental right to perform Tandava dance in public streets, since it did not constitute an essential religious practice of the sect.

While these issues are largely understood to be community-based, there are instances in which the court has applied the test to individual freedoms as well.

For example, in 2016, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the discharge of a Muslim airman from the Indian Air Force for keeping a beard. Justices T S Thakur, D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao distinguished the case of a Muslim airman from that of Sikhs who are allowed to keep a beard.

Regulation 425 of the Armed Force Regulations, 1964, prohibits the growth of hair by Armed Forces personnel, except for personnel whose religion prohibits the cutting of hair or shaving of face. The court essentially held that keeping a beard was not an essential part of Islamic practices.

The court did not examine religious practices as required in the Shirur Mutt case, but referenced an input by senior advocate Salman Khurshid.

During the course of the hearing, we had inquired of Shri Salman Khurshid, learned senior counsel appearing on behalf of the Appellants whether there is a specific mandate in Islam which prohibits the cutting of hair or shaving of facial hair. Learned senior counsel indicated that on this aspect, there are varying interpretations, one of which is that it is desirable to maintain a beard. No material has been produced before this Court to indicate that the Appellant professes a religious belief that would bring him within the ambit of Regulation 425(b) which applies to personnel whose religion prohibits the cutting off the hair or shaving off the face of its members, the verdict stated.

While this has been put to courts on several occasions, two set of rulings of the Kerala High Court, particularly on the right of Muslim women to dress according to the tenets of Islam, throw up conflicting answers.

In 2015, at least two petitions were filed before the Kerala High Court challenging the prescription of dress code for All India Pre-Medical Entrance which prescribed wearing light clothes with half sleeves not having big buttons, brooch/badge, flower, etc. with Salwar/Trouser and slippers and not shoes.

Admitting the argument of the Central Board of School Education (CBSE) that the rule was only to ensure that candidates would not use unfair methods by concealing objects within clothes, the Kerala HC directed the CBSE to put in place additional measures for checking students who intend to wear a dress according to their religious custom, but contrary to the dress code.

If the Invigilator requires the head scarf or the full sleeve garments to be removed and examined, then the petitioners shall also subject themselves to that, by the authorised person. It is also desirable that the C.B.S.E issue general instructions to its Invigilators to ensure that religious sentiments be not hurt and at the same time discipline be not compromised, Justice Vinod Chandran ruled.

In Amna Bint Basheer v Central Board of Secondary Education (2016), the Kerala HC examined the issue more closely. Justice P B Suresh Kumar, who allowed the plea by the student, held that the practice of wearing a hijab constitutes an essential religious practice but did not quash the CBSE rule. The court once again allowed for the additional measures and safeguards put in place the previous year.

But both these cases involve restrictions placed on the freedom of religion for a specific purpose to ensure a fair examination process and the CBSE had cited a resource crunch to check every candidate if they allowed autonomy in choosing their dress.

However, on the issue of a uniform prescribed by a school, another Bench ruled differently in Fathima Tasneem v State of Kerala (2018). A single Bench of the Kerala HC held that collective rights of an institution would be given primacy over individual rights of the petitioner. The case involved two girls, aged 12 and 8, represented by their father who wanted his daughters to wear the headscarf as well as a full-sleeved shirt. The school that refused to allow the headscarf is owned and managed by the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) under CMI St Joseph Province.

Petitioners cannot seek imposition of their individual right as against the larger right of the institution, Justice Muhamed Mustaque held.

The father appealed before a division Bench of the High Court. The division Bench headed by Justice Vinod Chandran dismissed the appeals as it was submitted that the appellants-petitioners are not now attending the School and are no more in the rolls of the respondent-School.

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Explained: Freedom of religion and attire - The Indian Express

Joe Rogan and Roxane Gay. Illustrated | AP Images, Getty Images, iStock

The author and podcaster Roxane Gay has joined the (so far, small) exodus of artists who are choosing to leave Spotify rather than share a platform with Joe Rogan and his COVID misinformation. "It was a difficult decision there are a lot of listeners on the platform," she wrote Thursday in The New York Times, "and I may never recoup that audience elsewhere."

This isn't the first time Gay has taken this kind of stand. In 2017, she pulled a forthcoming book from the publisher Simon & Schuster after that company gave a six-figure book deal to right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos. (The contract was later canceled after he got too provocative.) On Thursday, Gay explained her departure from Spotify by looking back at that incident.

Yiannopoulos "had every right to air his political beliefs, but he didn't have a right to a lucrative book contract," she wrote. "Nor did I, for that matter. The right I did have was to decide who I wanted to do business with."

It's not about censorship, in other words. It's about freedom of association.

Much of the commentary about Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and the other artists leaving Spotify over Rogan's podcast has cast the kerfuffle as another example of "cancel culture." Young and Mitchell "are the latest to join a growing number of journalists, academics, and artists in favor of censorship," wrote law professor Jonathan Turley. But that's not struck me as quite right. For one thing, Rogan's podcast is too big to cancel he has a reported 11 million daily listeners. As a number of observers have pointed out, that number would probably get bigger if he left his exclusive Spotify contract and was able to distribute across multiple platforms.

Young, meanwhile, left Spotify not with a cry for Rogan to be canceled but a demand to be released from the platform. "They can have Rogan or Young," he wrote in a public letter. "Not both." That's a claim rooted in a right to associate or not with the persons and companies of his choosing.

Story continues

Americans love to fight about freedom of speech, but we don't as often talk about freedom of association, which is also a First Amendment right. That's a shame. "Like free speech, freedom of association has been enshrined in liberal democratic jurisprudence here and across the world; liberal theorists from John Stuart Mill to John Rawls have declared it one of the essential human liberties," Osita Nwanevu wrote in 2020 at The New Republic. "Yet associative freedom is often entirely absent from popular discourse about liberalism and our political debates, perhaps because liberals have come to take it entirely for granted."

Gay is plenty critical of Rogan, and of Spotify for employing him. But she doesn't have the power legal, cultural, or otherwise to cancel him. Instead, she packed her bags and left. That's her right.

Woody Allen goes out with a whimper

Trudeau flees as trucker convoy enters Ottawa

The fantasy of a Trump-slaying Republican

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The Joe Rogan controversy is actually about the freedom of association - Yahoo News

Hello,

Some Conservatives are breaking away from the federal caucus support for the Freedom Convoy that has led to chaos in Ottawa.

The dissension comes after parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh reported here that the Conservative Partys new interim leader, Candice Bergen, advocated in internal discussions against asking the protesters to go home, according to an e-mail obtained by The Globe and Mail.

On Friday, Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson, a lifelong Conservative appointed to the senate in 2009 on the recommendation of former prime minister Stephen Harper, announced hes quitting the Conservative senate caucus over the issue though he will hold on to his party membership.

This is no longer a caucus I want to belong to, Mr. Patterson said in an interview. I do not support this approach, and I hope it will change.

He said he has been disappointed at the absence of a Conservative condemnation of the continued lawless occupation of the downtown core of Ottawa. Its uncharacteristic for a party I always considered stood for law and order.

I was absolutely appalled at members of our caucus and even our new leadership associating themselves in any way with the racist, hateful, misogynist, white-supremacist hooligans in the so-called Freedom Convoy. That was what motivated me to finally make the step of realizing that these caucuses no longer represent the party I know, he said, referring to the senate caucus and national caucus.

Meanwhile, Quebec MP Pierre Paul-Hus, the Conservative public-services critic, tweeted Friday that action against the protest is necessary after a week undergoing the Siege of Ottawa.

He suggested the motivation of truckers is unclear. I ask that we clear the streets and that we stop this occupation controlled by radicals and anarchist groups.

Ontario Conservative MP Dean Allison said he respects and values his colleague Mr. Paul-Hus, but on this issue, I would have to strongly disagree with him. He did not elaborate.

Amid the back and forth, Ms. Bergen called for a peaceful resolution to the impasse in a statement released by her office. She said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should provide a clear plan to end the situation in Ottawa. Lets work together to find solutions, said the statement To the truck drivers in Ottawa: please remain peaceful. Call out and denounce any acts of hate, racism, intolerance or violence.

Meanwhile, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly said Friday that 150 additional police officers will be deployed throughout downtown Ottawa as part of a new strategy to manage the occupying demonstrators and restore a shaken trust with residents as thousands more are expected to arrive this weekend.

Parliamentary reporters Janice Dickson and Ms. Walsh report here on this development.

Elsewhere, more than 100 vehicles taking part in a protest convoy arrived in Quebec City Thursday ahead of a rally planned this weekend in front of the National Assembly. Story here from CBC.

And in Saskatchewan, the provincial legislature was closed Friday in advance of expected protest against COVID-19 restrictions while a protest against restrictions began in Winnipeg, outside the main entrance of the Manitoba legislature grounds.

This is the daily Politics Briefing newsletter, written by Ian Bailey. It is available exclusively to our digital subscribers. If youre reading this on the web, subscribers can sign up for the Politics newsletter and more than 20 others on our newsletter sign-up page. Have any feedback? Let us know what you think.

TODAYS HEADLINES

EMPLOYMENT PLUMMETS Canadian employment plummeted in January and work absences because of illness soared to record levels as the Omicron variant drove a steep uptick in COVID-19 infections. The country lost 200,000 jobs last month, the first decline in employment since May, Statistics Canada said Friday. Story here.

TRUDEAU AND FREELAND MAKE APPEALS TO UKRAINE GOVERNMENT Justin Trudeau and Chrystia Freeland made personal appeals to persuade the Ukrainian government to not arrest and imprison former president Petro Poroshenko when he returned home in mid-January, two sources in Ottawa and one in Kyiv say. Story here.

TORIES LOOKING TO QUICKLY REPLACE OTOOLE Federal Conservatives say they have to move quickly to find a permanent replacement for Erin OToole, because the minority government means Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could trigger an early election. Story here.

MPS SUMMON GOFUNDME REPS A committee of MPs has voted to summon representatives of GoFundMe to Parliament as soon as possible to answer questions about the California crowdfunding companys ability to screen out hate campaigns. Story here.

END COMING TO ALBERTA VACCINE PASSPORT: KENNEY Premier Jason Kenney says his government will announce next week a date to end Albertas COVID-19 vaccine passport, with the actual cancellation coming soon after that. Meanwhile, varied premiers are taking different approaches to loosening COVID-19 restrictions. Story here.

HORGAN FEELS PRETTY GOOD AFTER CANCER TREATMENT B.C. Premier John Horgan says hes feeling pretty good after treatment for cancer diagnosed in November, and has lost 25 pounds in the process. I had a couple of jackets taken in, so Im ready to go, Mr. Horgan said outside the B.C. legislature this week. Story here from City News 1130. Meanwhile, voting to elect the next leader of British Columbias Liberals is under way. Story here.

THIS AND THAT

The projected order of business at the House of Commons, Feb. 4 is here.

PARLIAMENTARY BLACK CAUCUS SPEAKS OUT ON PROTESTS The Parliamentary Black Caucus, representing MPs and senators, is denouncing protests in Ottawa and Gatineau. We strongly support the right of Canadians to protest. Regrettably, we believe that this protest became a venue for extremist elements to intimidate Members of Parliament, Senators, and the residents of Ottawa and Gatineau, said a statement issued on Friday. The full text, including proposed actions, is here.

DEFENCE MINISTER TRIP TO EUROPE CONCLUDED Defence Minister Anita Anand has concluded a week-long trip to Europe that included stops in Ukraine, at NATO headquarters and in Latvia. In Ukraine, Ms. Anands meetings included talks with Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed on the Operation UNIFIER training mission. During the tour, she also met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

FEDERAL LIBERALS GATHER IN ONTARIO The Liberal Party of Canadas Ontario wing is holding a virtual convention on Friday and Saturday, with party leader Justin Trudeau expected to join 1,300 party members. Other speakers include Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Defence Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.

COLLEGIALITY IS POSSIBLE Amidst turmoil across the aisle during the week, the federal Transport Minister here records a moment of collegiality with a member of the Official Opposition.

THE DECIBEL On Fridays edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Asia Correspondent James Griffiths is in Beijing as the 2022 Winter Olympics begin in Chinas capital. Mr. Griffiths talks about what its like to be inside the Olympic bubble and how politics are playing into these Games. The Decibel is here.

PRIME MINISTERS DAY

Private meetings. The Prime Minister was scheduled to speak with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The Prime Minister was also scheduled to virtually meet with students from Smallwood Academy in Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador.

LEADERS

Bloc Qubcois Leader Yves-Franois Blanchet holds a media availability at Parliament Hill.

No schedules provided for other leaders.

OPINION

The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how protest is a legal right, but a blockade isnt a legal protest: Canadians have the right to protest regardless of whether the cause is left, right, centre, trucker, whatever. But any time that interferes more than minimally and temporarily with the rights of others and particularly when it moves from persuasion by words to physical interference it ceases to enjoy the protection of the law. It becomes instead a threat to law and order. Police always have every reason to show patience, and to lean on negotiation rather than force. But at some point, one way or the other, the law and the rights of others must ultimately be upheld against illegal protests be they left, right, centre, trucker, whatever.

Campbell Clark (The Globe and Mail) on why it already looks like no Conservative will be able to challenge Pierre Poilievre for the party leadership: He is a love-him-or-hate-him politician who garners tub-thumping applause from those who agree and revulsion from those who dont. He made his name as a partisan pitbull and placed his flag on the right wing of his party. He is probably the best communicator the federal Conservatives have, but will nonpartisans learn to like him? Thats a question that gnaws at some in his party, and at some in the caucus of MPs around him, who fear that he will shrink the blue tent to a hard core, and turn off broad swaths of moderate suburban Canada. But a lot of them think he will win the leadership.

Andrew Coyne (The Globe and Mail) on how Erin OToole pushed around the Conservative caucus, as leaders always have but didnt count on caucus pushing back: Mr. OTooles leadership was not the only problem facing the party its internal divisions, as I wrote recently, are the real issue, of which his uncertain leadership was more consequence than cause nor will it necessarily fare any better under a new leader. But the decision to remove him could have highly salutary effects in the long-term, and not only for the Conservative Party. After this, any future Conservative leader will be on notice: treat the caucus with respect, or face the same fate as Mr. OToole. The example having been set, it is not inconceivable that members of other party caucuses may one day demand a similar measure of respect. It was one thing when all caucuses were under the same yoke, seemingly in perpetuity. But now that the Conservatives have broken free, there is at last the potential for a backbench spring, a fundamental change in the balance of power between leader and caucus.

Robyn Urback (The Globe and Mail) on why the Conservatives need an affable, relatable new leader more than a right-wing one: In theory, it was probably the right approach tactically speaking for Mr. OToole to campaign for the Conservative leadership as a true blue, then pivot to the centre for the general election in order to be as palatable as possible to the widest swath of Canadians. But his change was so stark that it left the membership feeling duped and betrayed, and he never quite found a way to relay to Canadians what his centre-right vision would look like. Constantly changing your mind will do that. The Conservatives need a normal, affable, relatable new leader far more than they need one who will bring the party back over to the right. But they might be too busy laughing at Mr. Poilievres jokes to come to that realization.

Kelly Egan (The Ottawa Citizen) on how its time for Ottawa police to stop saying all options are on the table to deal with protest, and instead pick one and try it: Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly seems like a nice guy. Heres the problem. We dont need a nice guy right now. We need a strong leader, someone not afraid to pick the right fight. At the end of his initial presentation to the police services board Wednesday, Sloly dramatically took off his glasses, stared into the camera and said one of the most dispiriting things weve heard all week: There may not be a policing solution to this demonstration. You know, the truckers must be laughing at us. Weve basically admitted we think its too risky to attempt to forcibly remove them, one by one, because someone might get hurt or even killed.

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Politics Briefing: Several Conservatives break from the federal caucus' support for 'Freedom Convoy' - The Globe and Mail

Well, I was seconds from going to bed, and said out loud Oh no, Freedom Kicks! so here we are. D.C. United, after the news onslaught, has slowed down, though the team resumes training out in Leesburg this morning after getting back from Florida, and before they head off to California. However, most of our news today is about the Washington Spirit, so lets get to it:

Six Washington Spirit players on USWNT 2022 SheBelieves Cup roster | Black and Red UnitedSix Spirit players are on the USWNT roster for SheBelieves Cup, and a seventh (Trinity Rodman) will be training with the team. Thats over 25% of the roster, which is wild. Its good to be the champs! That camp runs starting next Thursday, and if my understanding of the Spirits camp schedule is correct, the players will meet back up with Washington down in Florida.

Speaking of Spirit preseason, well have more on that very soon, because training is open to media today, so Ill be braving the Beltway to find out how things are going.

Black History Month: Call her Trinity | Stars and Stripes FCAnd speaking of Rodman, our own Donald Wine II has his annual Black History Month series going at Stars and Stripes, and shes the topic today.

Speaking of speaking of preseason (I promise Im not gonna say speaking of any more in this post), the Spirit are at The St. James because its inside and the weather outside is straight trash:

Charlotte FC Signs Expansion Draft Picks Anton Walkes and Joseph Mora to New Contracts | CharlotteFootballClub.comIn ex-DCU news, Joseph Mora has signed a contract with Charlotte FC. The expansion side selected him in the expansion draft, gifting United $50,000 in GAM, but still had to reach contract terms, which they did. Look for him in their starting 11 in...wow its only 22 days away.

Report: Jozy Altidore poised to join New England Revolution | Waking the RedThis one makes some kind of sense, as Bruce Arena loves a proven MLS winner almost as much as he loves getting the best out of his most expensive 2-3 players. Toronto has said they want to not carry Altidore as a DP this year, so them shipping him out also makes sense.

But still, think about this: Altidore, with his injury history, playing half of his games this year on possibly the worst surface in MLS. It could work, especially since the Revs appear to need an Adam Buksa insurance plan due to interest from Europe in the Polish striker, but its also a situation where if you told me Altidore finished 2022 with 700 minutes played, I wouldnt be surprised.

Last thing, and we stay in MLS for this one:

Emmanuel Reynoso must be a Wayne Rooney fan, because thats a Rooney vs. Orlando kind of goal to score on the Lions.

Thats my entire set of links and tweets. Enjoy the very early part of the morning, when its not cold, before we go right back into winter again.

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Friday Freedom Kicks: USWNT roster full of Washington Spirit players, Jozy Altidore to New England Revolution - Black And Red United

On February 2, news reports said Germanys media regulator rejected the Russian state-owned media outlet RT (formerly Russia Today) because it did not have an appropriate broadcast license.

The move upheld a decision in December, when RT DE began broadcasting in German on satellite and online based on the channel's Serbian license. German authorities said RT never attempted to get a German license.

In response to the rulings, Russia appealed to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE):

We are seriously concerned about the decision of the German broadcasting regulator to ban transmission of RT DE, the Russian Mission to OSCEs Twitter account tweeted.

We call on the @OSCE_RfoM to assess the situation around RT DE and to remind Berlin of necessity to fulfill its obligations on freedom of the media and access to information.

That is misleading.

It is standard practice for governments to require media outlets to have a broadcast license. Serbia is not a member of the European Union. Germany, an EU member, said Serbia's license has no legal standing in the EU.

It's Orwellian to say the least for Moscow to complain about press freedom.

Russia is well-known for draconian media restrictions, threats to independent journalists and impunity when they are harmed. In the watchdog group Reporters Without Borders' global rankings of press freedom, Russia posts near the bottom: 150th out of 180 countries rated in 2021.

Russian authorities routinely censor foreign and domestic independent media, either forcing them to close by declaring them undesirable organizations, or saddling them with heavy restrictions and fines as foreign agents.

(Disclosure: The Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were both designated foreign agents in 2017. A dispute over the designation is ongoing.)

Almost immediately after German authorities reaffirmed RTs lack of broadcasting rights, Russias Foreign Ministry announced it would retaliate by banning the German state news agency Deutsche Welle in Russia and stripping DW reporters of their accreditation to work there.

The latter step is more severe than Germanys withdrawal of RTs broadcasting rights.

RT chief editor Margarita Simonyan nonetheless vowed that her channel would continue broadcasting to Germany. Simonyan has previously described her network as akin to the Russian Defense Ministry, bragging that it was capable of conducting information war against the whole Western world.

The German license actions in December followed a decision by the U.S. video platform YouTube to suspend RTs German channel for violating rules on publishing COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

The United States also requires RT's parent nonprofit organization, TV-Novosti, to register as a foreign agent with the U.S. Justice Department, including amounts spent on programming.

Read this article:

Russia Concerned About 'Freedom of Media' But Only Its Own - Polygraph.info