Are your Civil Liberties Under Attack? Discussion

[SV Fan]

maybe we can have a Holiday on December 5th as well. That was when the 21st Amendment was signed to the constitution to repeal prohibition. It'll be like St Patrick's day in December but without the Green

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Wouldn't you just have an annual argument about gun control?

I would hope at least some teachers, activist, politicians, etc would focus on civil liberties.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

maybe we can have a Holiday on December 5th as well. That was when the 21st Amendment was signed to the constitution to repeal prohibition. It'll be like St Patrick's day in December but without the Green

Drunken idiots will make the repeal of alcohol look like a foolish mistake.

 

[Marvolo]

The Declaration of Independence does not equal The US Constitution.

On July 4th people celebrate America becoming its own country.

Constitution Day would focus on the merits of the actual US Constitution.

Itd be just another excuse for morons to shoot off fireworks, get ****faced, and harm themselves and others.

Besides not everything this country does and has done needs to be given a holiday. Federal holidays require banks, post offices, and the stock exchange to shut down. Three things that are closed enough as it is.

As it stands the Fourth is a holday for America and all it stands for and has accomplished. No need for the Constitution to get its own holiday.

 

[Steamteck]

All these local and state governments are arming for war with American citizens and right-wing politicians stay silent. I guess small government is only important when it comes to food stamps.

I missed the right wing politicians still in power. I also can't find anyone anymore for small govt. If you see any let me know. all the republicans seem to be at best Liberal democrat light for these purposes. Where is the "leave me the hell alone and pay for your own bills party?

 

[Apollo]

Eighth grader gets detention for sharing his lunch... really?

http://www.inquisitr.com/1486381/mi...ntion-for-sharing-lunch-with-another-student/

“We have a policy that prohibits students from exchanging meals. Of course, if students are concerned about other students not having enough to eat we would definitely want to consider that, but because of safety and liability we cannot allow students to actually exchange meals,” said Tom Barfnett, the school Superintendent.

Safety and liability? Hey Tom, take that policy and shove it back up your ***.

 

[regwec]

Tom Barfnett? The clue is in the name.

 

[Apollo]

Will "political" internet speech be regulated and censored?

The Federal Election Commission deadlocked on a vote to impose strict rules on political speech over the internet, but Democrats on the commission warn that they will continue their efforts at censorship next year.
Republicans on the commission point out that the Democrat's rules changes would give the US a Chinese-style censored internet. That won't deter the Democrats from squashing free speech on the net and trampling on the FIrst Amendment.

Washington Post

FEC Chairman Lee E. Goodman said what Ms. Ravel is proposing would require a massive bureaucracy digging into the corners of the web to police what’s posted about politics.

“I cannot imagine a regulatory regime that would put government censors on the Internet daily, culling YouTube video posts for violations of law — nothing short of a Chinese censorship board,” Mr. Goodman said.

Websites that disseminate these internet ads the Democrats are targeting would be subject to reporting requirements. That goes for small blogs to big outfits like Politico or The Hill. Since the whole point of the internet is to spread information, there would be a chilling effect on free speech.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog...egulate_political_speech_on_the_internet.html

So basically punish all political bloggers in order to get to the ones you don't like?? I wonder if this section of SHH will be censored?
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[regwec]

On reading the article to which you linked, it seems to me that this is aimed at political parties' campaigning activities, rather than unaffiliated individuals.

 

[Destructus86]

So...people being arrested for protesting an injustice. American is going down the crapper faster than I thought.

 

[wiegeabo]

Arrests during mass protests aren't as big of a deal as people make it out to be.

Assuming it's a peaceful protest, people are still arrested because they're disruptive or don't obey an officer's instructions. Because in a mass protest, it only takes one spark to send the whole thing to the ****ter. It's really about keeping the protest manageable and relatively safe for the protesters, officers, and other civilians.

Unless they were committing an actual crime like looting or vandalism, anyone arrested is probably going to be let go the next day without charge.

 

[wiegeabo]

Protect our privacy and please veto HR 4681, aka The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/pe...e-authorization-act-fiscal-year-2015/lln5hN5c

 

[regwec]

This diagram is meaningless without context, but it is very striking.

Full article (which is well worth reading) here.

 

[Kelly]

Japan's homicide rate 2011, 0.3% # 442 Pop. urban: 116,701,855

United States -- 4.7% # 14,827 Pop. urban: 256,701,885

United Kingdom -- 1.0% # 653 Pop. urban: 56,105,091 Germany's are very similar to UK.

nor do the numbers include culture....

Though I agree that number is too large for the US, there are so many more variables that play into these numbers...

 

[Kelly]

I would hope at least some teachers, activist, politicians, etc would focus on civil liberties.

I do, in fact, I just showed and discussed a documentary on Human Rights, which included some of the U.S. violations including torture in my AP Human Geography class just today....

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I do, in fact, I just showed and discussed a documentary on Human Rights, which included some of the U.S. violations including torture in my AP Human Geography class just today....

Well I hope the students and parents appreciate your efforts. t:

It's hard the think of many topics much more important than human rights and torture.

How do you feel about the accusation that such a lesson simply brain washes kids to be anti-torture? I'm sure there some who would claim that your lesson has a progressive bias.

 

[Victarion]

Itd be just another excuse for morons to shoot off fireworks, get ****faced, and harm themselves and others.

I got no time for excuses and don't need no excuses.

 

[wiegeabo]

Oh yay. Another year, another effort to bring back SOPA (in the guise of reform).

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3072456/internet/dmca-reform-bill-harbors-return-of-sopa.html

 

[TheCommissioner]

im still not sold on the internet being a "right" argument

Ive always operated under the assumption that its monitored in some fashion

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

im still not sold on the internet being a "right" argument

Ive always operated under the assumption that its monitored in some fashion

Oh the internet is definitely a right. It's an incredible tool for the exchange of ideas and has become an essential part of expression and modern democracy.

When it comes to internet privacy, what's being monitored and for what purpose?

If someone needs to be watched closely then the authorities should be required to get a warrant. But mass surveillance of everyone on the internet is just an abuse of power. Again, in order to watch someone you should be able to justify it to a judge and this justification needs to be documented so there can be public oversight and accountability later.

 

[TheCommissioner]

how is it a right? just because its a modern convenience doesn't make it a right

 

[regwec]

I don't think unrestricted access by anyone to all information is a particularly "progressive" measure. I think there would be three major beneficiaries:

1) Employers
2) Advertisers
3) Governments

I am not sure the countervailing benefit to the individual's power to scrutinize those three groups would lead to a level playing field, because the imbalance in resources would remain.

Much better, I think, to retain a system where certain information must be made available to the public, and where the individual's privacy is substantially protected.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

how is it a right? just because its a modern convenience doesn't make it a right

The Bill of Rights ensures the freedom of press, the freedom of assembly and the freedom speech.

The internet gives the individual these powers a million times over.

Not to mention the immense amount of information a person has access to.

Any tyrannical government will be sure to tightly control the internet and closely watch all online activity because they know how much it empowers the people. That should tell you something.

There no way the founding fathers wouldn't defend the individual right to use the internet to inform, organize, and express countless ideas with people across the planet.