Freedom Of Speech By Unlikely Candidate

Court says Ill. student can wear anti-gay T-shirt at school

CHICAGO - A federal appeals court has ruled that a suburban Chicago student should be allowed to wear an anti-gay T-shirt at his high school -- a decision the teen's attorneys describe as a victory for First Amendment rights.

In its ruling, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals instructed the district court to order the Neuqua Valley High School to suspend its ban on the "Be Happy, Not Gay" T-shirt while a civil rights lawsuit in the case proceeds.

SOURCE: The Chicago Tribune

I applaud said decision... I applaud said decision if the atheist kids can wear a T-Shirt saying "God is imaginary" I wonder what The Alliance Defense Fund, the Christian litigation group, would say then? Would they still say: "The court's ruling is a victory for all students seeking to protect their First Amendment rights on a school campus"?

While I realise that fight was more of a battle to preach the Christian word and not really about the First Amendment, I can just as easily see them protesting the atheist kid's T-shirt as that would infringe of their freedom of religion.

Once again I will quote Voltaire as he was more succinct that I can ever be: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

An unfortunate side affect of people saying what ever they want is you don't always hear what you want to hear.

KO Special Comment FISA Veto - Feb 14, 2008

A part of what I will say, was said here on Jan. 31. Unfortunately it is both sadder and truer now than it was then.

“Who’s to blame?” Mr. Bush also said this afternoon, “Look, these folks in Congress passed a good bill late last summer.... The problem is, they let the bill expire. My attitude is: If the bill was good enough then, why not pass the bill again?”

Like the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Or Executive Order 90-66. Or The Alien and Sedition Acts. Or slavery.

Mr. Bush, you say that our ability to track terrorist threats will be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger. Yet you have weakened that ability!

You have subjected us, your citizens, to that greater danger! This, Mr. Bush, is simple enough for even you to understand.

- Keith Olbermann

Source: Countdown with Keith Olbermann (Complete Transcript)

"Taxi To The Dark Side" - Trailer

This documentary murder mystery examines the death of an Afghan taxi driver at Bagram Air Base from injuries inflicted by U.S. soldiers. In an unflinching look at the Bush administration's policy on torture, the filmmaker behind Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room takes us from a village in Afghanistan to Guantanamo and straight to the White House.

KO Special Comment on FISA - Jan 31 08

Once again, Olbermann hits the idiot right on the head

Noam Chomsky On CBC

I know I know... More videos, but when it comes to Chomsky, I just can't resist.

PART I


PART II

Canada Are Pussies ***UPDATE***

Canada Are Pussies

Canada FM regrets 'torture list'

Mr Bernier said he regretted the embarrassment the manual caused The Canadian foreign minister has apologised for including the US and Israel on a list of states where prisoners are at risk of torture.

Maxime Bernier said the list, which formed part of a manual on torture awareness given to diplomats, "wrongly includes some of our closest allies".

Mr Bernier insisted the manual was not a policy document and did not convey the official views of his government.

The listing was criticised by the US and Israel, who demanded it be changed.

Source: BBC News (Complete Article)

That "headline" is one of the toughest things I've had to write. I hated writing it. However, it had to be written.

I really love this country and I really hate that Canada succumbed to US and Israeli pressure so quickly and easily. Actually it wasn't even really pressure; all it took was moral outrage and indignation. It didn't matter that the US at the very least have conducted state sanctioned torture... discomfiture tactics... enhanced interrogation techniques or what ever the hell euphemistic term they choose to use - all they essentially said was, "How Dare You?" and Canada responded with "Hmm, you present a strong and valid argument, we shall reconsider, after all how can we argue with such well thought out and poignant rhetoric?"

I don't know how it happened or when it began but why do nations just bow to this notion that the US government is beyond reproach? Instead of US outrage stemming from being associated with nations like China and Iran, the outrage should come from them being on that list, associated with China and Iran. And the only way off that list should be from the cessation of torturous activities not the diplomatic equivalent of holding one's breath.



A clip from Fox & Friends talking about Dick Cheney and water-boading.

Why do Atheists care about Religion?

Dude makes some valid points...

Outright ban of Scientology in Germany

German officials want Church of Scientology banned in the country

BERLIN — Top German officials announced Friday that they will seek to outlaw the U.S.-based Church of Scientology.

The announcement came after a two-day conference of interior ministers of Germany's 16 states well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

Berlin Interior Minister Erhart Koerting, who presided over the two-day conference, told reporters that Scientology is an organization that is not compatible with the German constitution.

The German government considers Scientology not a religion but a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people, he added.

The ministers said the planned to ask Germany's domestic intelligence agency to begin preparing the necessary information to ban Scientology.

The agency has had Scientology under observation for a decade on allegations that it “threatens the peaceful democratic order” of the country.

SOURCE: The Globe & Mail (Complete Article)

This is a tough one for me. Although I don't agree with the principles of Scientology / Dianetics, I don't see how any modern nation's constitution can disallow its citizens to practice anything of this nature.

Granted, I can see how anyone would draw issue with a "religious" institution that charges its "congregation" for salvation. And yes I can see how Scientology can be regarded as a money making endeavour,but couldn't the same be said about self-help "gurus" such as Tony Robbins who charge for their endless library of books, cassettes, CDs & DVDs? True, he doesn't tout himself as a religion, and I'm sure he doesn't receive the same tax breaks and benefits that most religious organisations do, but I'm sure you can still buy his media in Germany.

I can see a government refusing to recognise Scientology as a religion and disallowing many of the privileges that religious organisations enjoy. But to ban it outright seems more than just a little dictatorial.