February 24, 2017
March 22, 2016
Weak-Kneed Liberals to Trump Protesters: Drop Dead (or at least keep it down)
In an interview on All In with Chris Hayes, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said (in response to Trump protesters) that he is “not a great fan of disrupting rallies.” Not only does that not sound like a revolution, it sounds peculiarly like weak-kneed liberals who have called protests of Donald Trump, unproductive.
March 12, 2016
Donald Trump Supporters: Make America White Again
At a rally today in Ohio, Donald Trump said in response to protesters, “We cannot let our First Amendment rights be taken away from us folks.” This is an appeal to people (yes, white people) who feel persecuted. Of course, they are not being persecuted, but often people believe disagreement, particularly from an out-group, is the same as persecution.
March 11, 2016
Tonight’s Civics Lesson: ‘Free Speech’ Does Not Protect You From Speech You Dislike
You may meet a conservative who says something like, “Protesters are infringing my First Amendment rights.” For the sake of tonight’s civics lesson, let’s say this is in the context of protesters at a Donald Trump rally.
August 18, 2014
What Constitutes Freedom In Ferguson? Or In America?
Excuse me if I sometimes have a hard time understanding what constitutes freedom in this country. And before I even begin to explain what I mean by that, let me first acknowledge that I’m well aware people will respond to what I have to say by prosecuting me for conflation.
August 15, 2014
Yes, It Is Legal To Photograph And Record Police Actions
Because the police in Ferguson, Missouri have obstructed the free flow of information, asking and then forcing people to stop recording events, I felt it was necessary to make it clear that photography or videography are not criminal activities. Yeah, that should be obvious, but in 2014 America, unfortunately it is not.
April 29, 2014
NBA Bans Sterling, And Some Conservatives Need A Lesson In Free Speech, Again
Conservatives love free enterprise and loathe (what they call) big government. But every once in a while (okay, quite often actually) an issue arises where it’s unclear if conservatives hold a consistent viewpoint when it comes to what is or isn’t acceptable or legal in the private sector vs. the public sector. And quite often this creates confusion as to what is or isn’t protected free speech. Take for instance today’s announcement from the NBA that Clippers owner Donald Sterling is banned for life for racist comments that were recorded in private.
December 19, 2013
Sarah Palin Doesn’t Understand How Free Speech Works
Sarah Palin doesn’t understand how free speech works, and this isn’t the first time she’s displayed obtuseness on intolerance and First Amendment rights.
September 25, 2013
Is Same-Sex Marriage Violating The Civil Rights Of Conservative Christians?
A minority group of gay and lesbian citizens working to achieve civil rights parity with a majority group of Christian conservative citizens, does NOT result in a civil rights violation of said majority group. But don’t tell that to conservative Christians, who would have you believe they are the most persecuted group in America.
August 16, 2013
Police State: Journalists, Photographers Beware The Growing Domestic Army
If you’re building a “domestic army,” then what is one thing you need to crack down on? — Information — Or in other words, journalists and photographers.