Tag: civil liberties
False Notion Of Freedom Among Lockdown Protesters

False Notion Of Freedom Among Lockdown Protesters

The people who have rallied in Chicago and elsewhere to protest stay-at-home orders and business shutdowns are big proponents of freedom. They claim their right to assemble has been violated, along with their right to earn a living and enjoy their normal lives.

One sign at the May 1 protest said, "Give me liberty or give me COVID-19." Another said, "Freedom is essential." There were flags warning, "Don't tread on me." The protesters, like those in lots of other places, were demanding the right to go about their lives as they choose, even if it means contracting the coronavirus and giving it to others.

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‘Fake News!’: Florida County Denies Libraries’ Request For NY Times Subscription

‘Fake News!’: Florida County Denies Libraries’ Request For NY Times Subscription

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Funding requests by public libraries for digital subscriptions to the New York Times are not uncommon in the United States. And in Citrus County, Florida, librarians recently requested $2,700 for a group subscription to the Times. But according to the Citrus County Chronicle, commissioners in the county denied the request — with one of them doing so on the grounds that the New York Times is a source of “fake news.”

Commissioner Scott Carnahan, in response to the funding request, said,  “Fake news, I agree with President Trump. I don’t want the New York Times in this county. I don’t agree with it. I don’t like them. It’s fake news, and I’m voting no. They can take that money and do something else with it…. I support Donald Trump.”

The library in Citrus County (where voter registration is about 48 percent Republican) has around 70,000 cardholders, which means that a $2700 subscription would cost about .04 cents per patron.

Commissioner Jeff Kinnard, another Citrus County commissioner, told the Citrus County Chronicle, “I don’t feel like the county is obligated to subscribe to every major newspaper or every point of view. At some point, you draw the line.” And commissioner Jimmie Smith said, “You can go to the library and have internet access to all kinds of media. There’s a plethora of different websites available.”

The commissioners’ decision to deny the funding request is drawing sharp criticism. Margot Susca, a communications professor at American University in Washington, D.C., tweeted that the commissioners had obviously made a “politically motivated decision.” And the Wall Street Journal’s Matt Riva tweeted that “Citrus County, long known for sinkholes, can now also be known for censorship.”

Sandy Price, chair of the Citrus County Special Library District Advisory Board, told the Citrus County Chronicle, “Someone’s personal political view does not have a place in deciding what library resources are available for the entire county. Libraries have to ensure all points of view are represented.”

 

Sanders Blusters After Court Restores Acosta’s White House Pass

Sanders Blusters After Court Restores Acosta’s White House Pass

Reprinted with permission from AlterNet.

 

CNN thoroughly and fittingly embarrassed the White House Friday when a federal judge ruled that it must return reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass after it was summarily taken away last week following a combative press conference with President Donald Trump.

Acosta had pressed Trump about his lies about Central American immigrants, prompting the president to become angry and to try to move on to another reporter. When Acosta refused to pass the microphone on, a White House intern tried to grab it out of his hands. The White House later revoked Acosta’s press pass, and Press Secretary Sarah Sanders claimed he had “placed his hands” on the young woman, sharing distorted video in an attempt to bolster this claim. (Even this altered footage showed that the brief contact between the two occurred because of the intern’s grab, not Acosta.)

After U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled Friday that the White House must return Acosta’s press pass, Sanders issued the following petty, misleading and hypocritical statement:

Today, the court made clear that there is no absolute First Amendment right to access the White House. In response to the court, we will temporarily reinstate the reporter’s hard pass. We will also further develop rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future. There must be decorum in the White House.

Of course, no one can reasonably believe there is an “absolute First Amendment right to access the White House.” Many people can be prohibited from entering the White House without their freedom of speech becoming infringed.

However, BuzzFeed reporter Paul McLeod noted: “The judge did rule no one has an absolute First Amendment right to have access to the White House. BUT he then said when the President invites in some reporters but excludes others the First Amendment comes into play.”

The judge did not rule on the First Amendment question, though, because he found that Acosta’s Fifth Amendment rights were likely violated as it appears he was given no due process. Sanders’ attempt to claim vindication in court by citing a minor point the judge made about the First Amendment is petty and disingenuous at best.

Her claim about enforcing “decorum” in the White House is laughable. The president makes a mockery of this idea every day, lashing out at his critics with childish insults and cheering on violence against the press. The White House’s blatant double standards for reporters and for the president himself are an enduring shame for the country.

Cody Fenwick is a reporter and editor. Follow him on Twitter @codytfenwick.