Daily Archives: January 5, 2022

Professor Chris Frost, the former head of journalism at Liverpool John Moores University, told Index of the importance of allowing every individual view to be heard, and that those who fear taking onopposing ideas and seek to silence or no-platform should consider that it is their ideas that may be wrong. He said: If someones views or policies are that appalling then they need to be challenged in public for fear they will, as a prejudice, capture support for lack of challenge. If we are unable to defeat our opponents arguments then perhaps it is us that is wrong.

I would also be concerned at the fascism of a majority (or often a minority) preventing views from being spoken in public merely because they dont like them and find them difficult to counter. Whether it is through violence or the abuse of power such as no-platform we should always fear those who seek to close down debate and impose their view, right or wrong. They are the tyrants. We need to hear many truths and live many experiences in order to gain the wisdom to make the right and justified decisions.

Free speech has been the topic of many debates in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. The terrorist attack on the satirical magazines Paris office, in January 2015, has led to many questioning whether free speech is used as an excuse to be offensive.

Many world leaders spoke out in support of Charlie Hebdo and the hashtag #Jesuischarlie was used worldwide as an act of solidarity. However, the hashtag also faced some criticism as those who denounced the attacks but also found the magazines use of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed offensive instead spoke out on Twitter with the hashtag#Jenesuispascharlie.

After the city was the victim of another terrorist attack at the hands of ISIS at the Bataclan Theatre in November 2015, President Franois Hollande released a statement in which he said: Freedom will always be stronger than barbarity. This statement showed solidarity across the country and gave a message that no amount of violence or attacks could take away a persons freedom.

French cartoonist t0ad told Index about the importance of free speech in allowing him to do his job as a cartoonist, and the effect the attacks have had on free speech in France: Mundanely and along the same tracks, it means I can draw and post (social media has changed a hell of a lot of notions there) a drawing without expecting the police or secret services knocking at my door and sending me to jail, or risking being lynched. Cartoonists in some other countries do not have that chance, as we are brutally reminded. Free speech makes cartooning a relatively risk-free activity; however

Well, you know the howevers: Charlie Hebdo attacks, country law while globalisation of images and ideas, rise of intolerances, complex realities and ever shorter time and thought, etc.

As we all see, and it concerns the other attacks, the other countries. From where I stand (behind a screen, as many of us), speech seems to have gone freer where it consists of hate though this should not be defined as freedom.

In the spring 2015 issue of Index on Censorship, following the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Richard Sambrook, professor of Journalism and director of the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff University, took the opportunity to highlight the number journalists that a murdered around the world every day for doing their job, yet go unnoticed.

Sambrook told Index why everyone should have the right to free speech: Firstly, its a basic liberty. Intellectual restriction is as serious as physical incarceration. Freedom to think and to speak is a basic human right. Anyone seeking to restrict it only does so in the name of seeking further power over individuals against their will. So free speech is an indicator of other freedoms.

Secondly, it is important for a healthy society. Free speech and the free exchange of ideas is essential to a healthy democracy and as the UN and the World Bank have researched and indicated it is crucial for social and economic development. So free speech is not just nice to have, it is essential to the well-being, prosperity and development of societies.

Ian Morse, a member of the Index on Censorship youth advisory board told Index how he believes free speech is important for a society to have access to informationand know what options are available to them.

He said: One thing I am beginning to realise is immensely important for a society is for individuals to know what other ideas are out there. Turkey is a baffling case study that I have been looking at for a while, but still evades my understanding. The vast majority of educated and young populations (indeed some older generations as well) realise how detrimental the AKP government has been to the country, internationally and socially. Yet the party still won a large portion of the vote in recent elections.

I think whats critical in each of these elections is that right before, the government has blocked Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook so theyve simultaneously controlled which information is released and produced a damaging image of the news media. The media crackdown perpetuates the idea that the news and social media, except the ones controlled by the AKP, are bad for the country.

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Why is free speech important? - Index on Censorship Index ...

At a time when freedom of speech seems to be under assault, its worth stepping back to reconsider why it matters.

In a free society, all citizens must be able to pursue their own paths, set their own goals, and think for themselves. Of course, in America and elsewhere, there are norms, orthodoxies, and taboos. And dissident personalities frequently challenge these norms by eschewing orthodoxy and venturing into the taboo.

How a society treats these dissidents can tell you a lot about how truly free that society is. In some places, government silences or punishes those with unpopular viewpoints for refusing to sacrifice their independence and their ideas (the recent protests in Hong Kong are an instructive example).

America offers a richer tradition. People are free to express their ideas, even if those ideas are unpopular, unconventional, or wrong (though, in many cases, they may eventually be proven right). Americans are thus free to participate in peaceful protests, wear black armbands to school, and even burn the nations flag. A speaker may say things that are unpopular, uncomfortable, or downright grotesque. But in a free society, we engage dissent through discussion and debate rather than through censorship and punishment.

Free speech is inextricably linked to prosperity. After all, prosperity comes from ideas, and new ideas can thrive only in a society in which they are free from suppression. Its easy to think of widely embraced ideas that were once controversialfor example, the idea that all children, regardless of race, should have the same educational opportunities. Thanks to our tradition of free speech, such forward-looking ideas reshaped our society for the better.

Today it is more important than ever to protect our freedom of speech. Too many people have come to believe that discussion and debate are inadequate; they seek a society that squelches dissent with force. In law, government regulations are censoring speech that is disparaging, immoral, and offensive.

In culture, people attack the speaker rather than engaging their ideas. Opponents vilify speakers as misogynists, or racists, and then attempt to drive them from the public square, or deprive them of their livelihood. In worst-case scenarios, disagreeable speech is met with violence. These attacks on the tradition of free speech are damaging to a free society and suppress uninhibited, robust, and wide open debate.

Freedom of speech is an invaluable cornerstone of a free societyand its worth fighting to protect.

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Remembering why free speech is important | Pacific Legal ...

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Glad officers have the right to free speech, by Karl Hecker - The Keene Sentinel

EFF is deeply saddened and angered by the news that our friend, Egyptian blogger, coder, and free speech activist Alaa Abd El Fattah, long a target of oppression by Egypt's successive authoritarian regimes,was sentenced to five years in prison by an emergency state security court just before the holidays.

According to media reports and social media posts of family members, Fattah, human rights lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer, and blogger Mohamed 'Oxygen' Ibrahim were convicted on December 20 of spreading false news undermining national security" by the court, which has extraordinary powers under Egypt's state of emergency. El-Baqer and Ibrahim received four-year sentences.

A trial on the charges held in November was a travesty, with defense lawyers denied access to case files or a chance to present arguments. At least 48 human rights defenders, activists, and opposition politicians in pre-trial detention for months and years were referred to the emergency courts for trial just before Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi lifted the state of emergency in October, Human Rights Watch reported.

The profoundly unjust conviction and years-long targeting of Fattah and other civil and human rights activists is a testament to the lengths the Egyptian government will go to attack and shut down, through harassment, physical violence, arrest, and imprisonment, those speaking out for free speech and expression and sharing information. In the years since the revolution, journalists, bloggers, activists and peaceful protestors have been arrested and charged under draconian press regulations and anti-cybercrime laws being used to suppress dissent and silence those criticizing the government.

A free speech advocate and software developer, Fattah, who turned 40 on November 18, has repeatedly been targeted and jailed for working to ensure Egyptians and others in the Middle East and North Africa have a voice, and privacy, online. He has been detained under every Egyptian head of state in his lifetime, and has spent the last two years at a maximum-security prison in Tora, 12 miles south of Cairo, since his arrest in 2019.

Its clear that Egypt has used the emergency courts as another tool of oppression to punish Fattah and other activists and government critics. We condemn the governments actions and call for Fattahs conviction to be set aside and his immediate release. We stand in solidarity with #SaveAlaa, and Fattahs family and network of supporters. Fattah has never stopped fighting for free speech, and the idea that through struggle and debate, change is possible. In his own words (from a collection of Fattahs prison writings, interviews, and articles, entitled You Have Not Yet Been Defeated, order here or here):

Im in prison because the regime wants to make an example of us. So let us be an example, but of our own choosing. The war on meaning is not yet over in the rest of the world. Let us be an example, not a warning. Lets communicate with the world again, not to send distress signals nor to cry over ruins or spilled milk, but to draw lessons, summarize experiences, and deepen observations, may it help those struggling in the post-truth era.

every step of debate and struggle in society is a chance. A chance to understand, a chance to network, a chance to dream, a chance to plan. Even if things appear simple and indisputable, and we aligned early on with one side of a struggle, or abstained early from it altogether, seizing such opportunities to pursue and produce meaning re- mains a necessity. Without it we will never get past defeat.

Fattahs lawyer said in September that Fattah was contemplating suicide because of the conditions under which he is being held. He has been denied due process, with the court refusing to give his lawyers access to case files or evidence against him, and jailed without access to books or newspapers, exercise time or time out of the cell andsince COVID-19 restrictions came in to playwith only one visit, for twenty minutes, once a month.

Laila Soueif, a mathematics professor and Fattahs mother,wrote in a New York Times op-ed just days before his sentencing that her sons crime is that, like millions of young people in Egypt and far beyond, he believed another world was possible. And he dared to try to make it happen. He is charged with spreading false news, she said, for retweeting a tweet about a prisoner who died after being tortured, in the same prison where Alaa is now held.

Fattah himself addressed the court at trial: The truth is, in order for me to understand this, I must understand why I am standing here, he said, according to an English translation of a Facebook post of his statement. My mind does not accept that I am standing here for the sake of sharing.

We urge everyone to order Fattahs book and send a message to the Egyptian government and all authoritarian regimes that his fight for human rights, and our support for this courageous activist, will never be defeated.

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EFF Condemns the Unjust Conviction and Sentencing of Activist and Friend Alaa Fatttah - EFF

One day after Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greenes Twitter account was suspended over Covid-19 misinformation, Rand Paul announced that hes fed up with Big Tech. To emphasize his fist-shaking, he declared hed be joining a Donald Trump-backed video-streaming platform called Rumble.

Why Rumble? Adored by the far-right, Rumble is a Canadian video-sharing platform that launched in 2013 but saw serious growth during the Covid-19 pandemic: The companys monthly viewership soared from 1.6 million users in fall 2020 to 31.9 million by the end of 2021s first quarter. Its a bit of a mishmash of viral clips of cute animals doing funny things, political commentary, and conspiracy theories about where society is headed.

Although anti-vaccine propaganda runs rampant on Rumble, as does liberal disdain, it labels itself as a neutral platform, and it just keeps getting bigger. In May, Narya Capital invested in Rumble; Narya was co-founded by German-American billionaire Peter Thiel the Republican venture capitalist who co-founded PayPal, invested early in Facebook, and spent millions to fund Hulk Hogans bankrupting lawsuits against Gawker and author J.D. Vance, who followed up his memoir Hillbilly Elegy with a run for the Ohio Senate seat on a far-right ticket. Colt Ventures, the family office of former Trump adviser Darren Blanton, also invested at that time, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Former Trump administration lawyer Michael Ellis joined Rumble as its general counsel and corporate secretary in November. Around the same time, Russell Brand gave the platform a celebrity boost, coming aboard as a creator and agreeing to give the platform first access to all of his videos, as well as exclusive content.

On Dec. 1, Rumble announced plans to go public and claimed to be valued at $2.1 billion. Rumble is designed to be the rails and independent infrastructure that is immune to cancel culture, CEO Chris Pavlovski said in a press release about joining with NASDAQ. We are a movement that does not stifle, censor, or punish creativity and believe everyone benefits from access to a neutral network with diverse ideas and opinions. On Dec. 14, Donald Trump announced that his work-in-progress social media app, Truth Social, had partnered with Rumble.

Though Rumble is all about a free and open Internet, as Pavlovski would go on to say in his statement, it didthreaten to sue another YouTube competitor, Odysee, over a tweet that alleged Rumble misled its investors. While Odysee withdrew the statement in question as requested, it then posted what appears to be a screenshot of the cease-and-desist andtweeting again: We are very sorry for suggesting that Rumble would ever fake traffic to mislead their investors. There is nothing suspicious about their average user leaving after only 1 minute despite it being a website for long-form video content. We retract our prior tweet.

Now, Rumble is not the first social media platform to say they prioritize free speech over everything else, as Yotam Ophir an assistant professor in University at Buffalos communication department points out. Even Reddit kind of started as a company that tries to break the rules and get censorship off the map you know, until Charlottesville, which pushed reality back in their faces, he says. Weve seen it before and it usually ends badly. He brings up the likes of Parler and Gab, which lean heavily to the right. Im getting tired of hearing about all those freedom of speech heroes that are going to open the new platform that changes the rules only to learn a month from now that they cant actually do it because the lawsuits will start coming in, the public pressure will start coming in, and advertisers wont want to stay on a platform thats full of hate speech and misinformation.

Rumbles terms and conditions do state that the platform doesnt allow for videos that incite violence and utilize hate speech, but its unclear how loose their definitions may be and how strict they are about such moderation.

When asked how Rumble polices the spread of misinformation, particularly misinformation regarding vaccines and Qanon theories, a Rumble representative responded to Rolling Stone with an email that sort of skirts around the question. Unlike other platforms, Rumble doesnt amplify content by sharing it with groups outside of your followers, they write. Instead, we use a chronological feed that treats all uploads equally. This design removes the incentive to produce and amplify extreme content to gain views. In addition to our terms, we believe this approach creates a healthier society without resorting to editorial restrictions on content we disagree with. When a video posted on Rumble gets significant views (more than the follower count), in nearly all cases, it is not because of our platform but because people share the content on other websites and platforms. These platforms have algorithms incentivizing engagement and amplify content to a wider audience.

The chronological approach may be valid. However, Rumble does have a trending section, which must operate via some sort of algorithm. Moreover, as Ophir mentions, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook all started with chronological feeds. When you had 10 friends, you pretty much saw everything they did, he recalls. But when you follow 45,000 people, you cant see everything thats happening. He predicts that Rumble will be forced to adapt as it grows. Thats when matters may snowball even more or the whole thing falls apart.

If and when conservatives move from YouTube to Rumble or from Twitter and Facebook to other free-speech platforms like Parler and Gab this could create hyper echo chambers, according to Yini Zhang, a colleague of Ophir who studies social media and the spread of misinformation. Such chambers can radicalize people and make them more extreme in their attitudes and beliefs, and the idea of there being corners for liberals and conservatives to huddle in, she thinks, just deepens the divide.

The migration reminds her of the late Eighties and early Nineties after the FCC fairness doctrine was repealed. Thats when we saw the rise of cable news with Fox News on the right and MSNBC on the left, she says, highlighting the creation of an increasingly partisan media environment. People with strong political opinions and convictions know which cable news channel they should watch, and they know which channel will offer them the correct or truthful information. A social-media parallel is what she fears most, adding that its not impossible to imagine a liberal equivalent launching in the future. Liberals and conservatives, she worries, will then completely insulate themselves in a very homogeneous information environment that just caters to their existing views.

So, whats the solution? Ophir hopes for regulation. I dont think that private companies should be responsible for moderating content and censoring misinformation. Thats not their job. Theyre not able to do that. Theyre not motivated to do that. And this isnt limited to Rumble. Its true for Facebook and Twitter too. Private companies only have one goal in mind: They want to make money. So, we cant ask them to be guardians of information and integrity. It doesnt make sense. Every time those motivations are in conflict, those companies keep choosing profit over public safety.

Ophir explains that these platforms sneak through the cracks of FCC involvement by identifying as tech companies instead of media and news sources, which he finds laughable at this point. The legal system is still like 30 years behind, he says. Were still treating the Internet like its 1995. Its not. Social media is now the biggest thing in the world.

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Rumble Mixes Cat Videos With Covid Misinformation and the Right Is Loving It - Rolling Stone

New Year, New Opportunities to Strengthen Nebraska

January 4, 2022

Governors official photohere.

As we enter a new year, we face new opportunities to strengthen Nebraska. Our state will soon convene for the second session of the 107th Nebraska Legislature. I look forward to the robust debate that will fill the halls of the Capitol over the next few months as Nebraskas senators work to deliver results for the men and women who voted them into office. These senators come from districts with diverse perspectives, and the legislation they introduce will reflect those differences. However, there are key directives that most Nebraskans back.

Enable Nebraskans to keep more of their hard-earned money.

Our historically low unemployment rate of 1.8 percent is a testament to Nebraskans desire to work hard and earn. From teachers to truckers, mechanics to medical professionals, farmers to fast food workers, and every profession in between, our states women and men invest their time and effort to better their communities and support their families. Nebraskas tax code shouldnt get in their way.

Last session, we provided Nebraskans with a historic level of tax relief but there is more work to be done.

For example, we provided a tax exemption for 50% of Social Security income that will be phased in over five years. This year, we should increase that percentage and implement it sooner. We also began the process of aligning taxes on job creator income with those of taxes on individual income. I believe that needs to continue in order to fully unleash our economy.

Last legislative session, I supported LB 408 The Property Tax Request Act. This bill would have limited the annual growth of local government property taxes to 3% -- a reasonable limit that would have prevented property tax bills from increasing faster than Nebraskas families can afford. We nearly advanced the bill, falling just four votes short of moving it forward. Lets do better for Nebraska this year and get property taxes under control.

Spend, but spend responsibly.

As the state works to deliver even greater tax relief, it is critical that we also control government spending at all levels. Weve done it at the state level. Before I took office, state spending was growing at 6.5% a yearan unsustainable pace. During my time as Governor, the state has successfully limited the average annual rate of growth to 2.5%. For the sake of Nebraskas next generation, we should find ways to spend responsibly for years to come.

That includes this year, when we have the unique task of deciding how to spend funds Nebraska received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. Its imperative that these ARPA dollars go toward one-time projects. This is one-time money and must be spent as such. Otherwise, we risk growing government spending at an untenable rate. These funds can help our state better recover from COVIDs economic impact, strengthen public health and safety, and continue to invest in our skilled workforce. This is an excellent opportunity to fund infrastructure projects across our state that will benefit Nebraskans for generations to come.

Protect Nebraskans freedoms.

For liberty to flourish, Nebraskas elected officials must continue to protect public safety.

We have an obligation to update our aging state penitentiary. The existing building was constructed in 1869. Although its seen moderate updates over the years, the correctional facility is outdated. For the safety of our correctional officers and inmates alike, we must pursue a modern state penitentiary.

Preventing floods and ensuring access to water for future generations to come is also an important component of Nebraskas public safety. The Legislatures Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STARWARS) Special Committee has been working to identify funding opportunities to enhance areas of Nebraska not only for tourism and economic development, but also for water sustainability and flood control. Investing proactively in our water security will mitigate the hardship, destruction, and loss of life that can accompany floods, as we know all too well.

Theres also opportunity to pass legislation that would strengthen protections of our God-given freedoms. Most fundamental is the right to life. Theres also the right to keep and bear arms, the right to religious freedom, and the right to free speech. Although these rights are already enshrined in the Constitution and in our State Constitution they are under attack in varying degrees. We should introduce and advance legislation that ensures Nebraskans retain all of their fundamental rights, both now and in the future.

We have a tremendous opportunity this session to enact meaningful change for our states communities, families, and children. I look forward to sharing more of my vision for Nebraska during my annual State of the State address on January 13.

As always, please email pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2244 with any questions you may have. Im confident that we can follow these directives by working together the Nebraska Way.

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New Year, New Opportunities to Strengthen Nebraska | Office of Governor Pete Ricketts - Governor Pete Ricketts

It was this time last year Silicon Valley rolled out a long-anticipated purge of political dissidents from the 21st-century digital public square, starting all the way at the top with President Donald Trump. In the aftermath of a two-hour riot at the Capitol, the outgoing president became the most canceled man in America. The dynamic later flipped, making him uncancellable as a consequence of social media giants dramatic overreach.

Within 48 hours last year, Trump was stripped from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Shopify pulled the presidents online stores from its platform and YouTube escalated its enforcement against claims of voter fraud.

Then came a crackdown on Republican supporters. TikTok blocked the hashtag patriotparty. Reddit banned the massive r/DonaldTrump subreddit page, and tech giants Apple, Google, and Amazon colluded to make Parler, the free speech alternative to Twitter, a relic of the past. Its only a matter of time before they make same example out of Gettr, another social media platform gaining traction.

On Sunday, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was permanently suspended from Twitter. Her crime? Sharing statistics from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) maintained by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the New York Times, Greene published a chart from the CDC claiming the data showed extremely high amounts of COVID vaccine deaths.

The post earned Greene a fifth and final strike under Twitters policy against misinformation, which provokes permanent suspension. Greene was given her third strike in July when she claimed the novel Wuhan coronavirus was not dangerous for individuals under 65 and at a healthy weight. Greenes official Twitter account remains online with nearly 400,000 followers.

Shortly after Greene was kicked from Twitter, the Georgia congresswoman was slapped with a 24-hour suspension on Facebook for a similar alleged violation of the platforms community standards, i.e., permitted viewpoints. Greene revealed the suspension in a Telegram post Monday morning.

A post violated our policies and we have removed it; but removing her account for this violation is beyond the scope of our policies, a spokesperson for Meta, formerly Facebook, told the Wall Street Journal.

Greene, a sitting member of Congress, is not the only one to suffer immediate de-platforming to start off the new year. Dr. Robert Malone, a pioneer in mRNA technology, was also kicked off Twitter for unclear reasons just before his appearance on the Joe Rogan Podcast.

A viral clip from the podcast outlining the presence of mass formation psychosis gripping the western world over coronavirus hysteria then became the subject of censorship on Google-owned YouTube.

Just as last year introduced a radical escalation of censorship, this year promises to be no different. Trump was at least an outgoing elected official when he was removed from nearly all major online platforms last year, with less than 20 days left in office. Greene is only halfway through her first term with no plans to retire.

The censorship wont stop. The ideological forces behind it have benefitted too much. It helped land their preferred presidential candidate in the White House. It kept millions of Americans trapped in their homes for months on end to record profits for big business. Its enabled bad actors to manipulate the public discussion and brand outcasts out of those who fail to follow the predetermined narrative, to detrimental consequences.

Theres another election just 10 months away, and therefore a lot more to censor.

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com.

See more here:
Big Tech Launches Another New Year Purge Of Political Dissidents - The Federalist

Weatherford College history and government students wont get a pass on classroom discussions of the Jan. 6 Capitol violence when they come for their spring semester 11 days into the new year.

We will definitely talk about Jan. 6, history and government instructor Nick Pugh said, adding that those dialogues in his class will start with students general thoughts of the event, when hundreds of then-President Donald Trumps most ardent supporters stormed the Capitol steps and into the building in an attempt to halt Congressional certification of Joe Bidens electoral college win over Trump.

And, two, what can we take from these events? Pugh continued. What are we supposed to learn from this?

Pughs colleague, history and government instructor Darrell Castillo, appeared eager to get his students talking.

As long as youre talking, theres going to be a resolution somewhere, Castillo said. For the history classes, of course, Ill relate it to other times there have been spontaneous demonstrations. And for the government class, Ill relate it to constitutional free speech or not.

The or not, he said, depends on if you think that was a constitutional exercise of free speech. I personally think it was. I do not classify any of those events as insurrection. I classify those events as the exercise of free speech, whether it comes from the left or it comes from the right.

The disruption left four dead on Jan. 6, and a Capitol Police officer died the following day of injuries sustained in the violence. More than 700 participants have been arrested in connection with the event, many of whom now have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors and/or felonies with which they were charged.

I couldnt believe what I was seeing on TV, Pugh said. We have to address these topics respectfully and with the knowledge they inflame passions on both sides. We are being invited to dig deeper, and (delve) what leads to the circumstances that this could happen in the U.S.A.

Castillo didnt say a word when asked if he thinks the country is headed for civil war. He just nodded.

If history is any indication, yes, he replied after a moment.

Sitting in his office at Weatherford College, Castillo indicated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, could be the preface for more far-right violence in America.

Thats why I find Jan. 6 interesting from a historical and political science perspective, he said. Because, that type of overt public extreme action, if you even want to call it extreme violence, is coming from the right. I will add its a precursor of more extreme violence coming from the right.

Castillo can speak of the right political flank both because politics is his bag and because he is a right-leaning conservative with the bonafides to prove it he has worked in Congress and served in the Reagan White House.

As for his students, he said a year ago they largely seemed OK with the scenes the nation watched on TV.

There was a lot of agreement and some disagreement, Castillo said of student reactions then. But the disagreement was in the minority, and I mean that in the sense of numeric minority.

He added hes detected no shifts in that student mindset as the anniversary has approached.

My students are usually politically conservative and socially conservative, said Castillo, who is faculty sponsor for the Weatherford College Republicans.

Pugh acknowledged the conservative community in which he teaches, adding that his students more often than not take their political cues from their parents.

I think their biggest question was, is this going to become normal? he recalled. I think that was the biggest fear.

The separate discussions that will take place in the instructors classrooms could get lively.

Castillo said some members of the crowd who ascended the Capitol steps that day, at worst, committed disorderly conduct. He said those who committed assaults, and several have pleaded guilty to that and other felonies, were engaging in unconventional political participation.

I dont think any examples one can put forth rise to the level of criminal activity, he said. Civil disobedience and disorderly conduct have been known to be effective. It certainly was proven to be effective in the Civil Rights movement.

And members of Congress, who were spirited from their chambers to undisclosed locations during the melee, were never remotely in any real danger, he said.

One has to remember that the Capitol is a public venue, he said, adding it is far less secure than the White House. In this free and open democracy we should be able to walk in the Capitol building or the White House.

Castillo said Antifa, the loosely knit coalition of anti-fascist protesters, and participants in the youth-fueled, 2011 Occupy Wall Street demonstration, have had their own violent episodes while exercising their free speech rights.

You see those same instances of police being assaulted by individuals involved in such extra-political actions, he said.

According to Fox News, one officer was pushed off a scooter during the Occupy Wall Street demonstration and 28 occupiers were arrested on disorderly conduct charges.

Pugh, who said he and Castillo enjoy a friendship despite sometimes politically opposed stances, said he did see criminal activity occurring at the Capitol a year ago Thursday.

Its pretty clear the federal courts dont agree with [Castillo], he said.

He also said he believes members of Congress did feel fear as the protestors filled the Capitol halls and breached the House of Representatives.

It doesnt take a whole lot of wind around here to get a backyard fire into a wildfire, he said. And, with passions being what they are, yeah, I think they had a genuine reason to be afraid.

He also criticized the critical thinking of people who now support those who participated in the event.

Ive heard Jan. 6 talked about with echoes of the Declaration of Independence, he said, drawing a distinction between the very specific complaints of the colonists and the false claims of a stolen election. What I have not heard is a cogent list of grievances. If theres a list of cogent grievances, I want to hear them. I anticipate, in the discussions this spring, the students will be respectful. Theyll be insightful, curious, intelligent often characteristics they are accused of not having.

Castillo likewise will encourage frank student discussion and discourage trivializing the day.

My approach is, I feel that students should feel free to question the answers, not just ask the questions but to question the answers, he said. Im not going to change anybodys thinking they are 18 or 19. They already know what they are thinking.

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DIVERGING VIEWS: College profs talk instruction of Jan. 6 - Weatherford Democrat

A community activist was arrested at a Florida press conferenceheld by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday after he protested the state's protest and coronavirus policies.

The confrontation began when DeSantis' aides began asking attendees for their press credentials at the Florida Department of Health prior to the governor's entrance. One attendee, Ben Frazier, the 71-year old president of Jacksonville's Northside Coalition, was asked to leave the room because he wasn't a journalist.

But Fraizer, who was there to challenge the state's lack of COVID-19 precautions, stood his ground, along with a group of likemindedcitizens. "This is a public building, and we don't intend on moving," he said. "We're here to hold the governor accountable."

RELATED: Floridians ask, "Where is Ron DeSantis?" as state shatters COVID records

"That's not the proper way to do that," an aide responded.

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"What's the proper way, sir, not to follow our First Amendment rights?" Frazier asked. "Public expression, sir, it's critical to our democracy. This governor has stood against our rights to protest and to assemble peaceably. It is wrong."

Frazier's remarks refer to Florida's "anti-riot" bill signed back in April of last year, which stiffened the penalties associated with participating in "riots." Critics have broadly demurred the measure as an attempt to silence free speech and peaceful protest.

RELATED: Cops and their allies have pushed hard for new wave of stringent anti-protest bills

During the presser, Frazier pointed to a lawsuit by several states currently aimed at challenging the bill's constitutionality.

"This governor is an enemy of the people," he said. "We have a right to be here and we are not moving."

Eventually, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office deputies put handcuffs on the community organizer and escorted him out of the building. Frazier, a Black man, asked the officers why he was the only one being arrested.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Frazier faces onetrespassing charge, which is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.

Ron Desantis, who surrounds reporters with sycophants who cheer his answers and jeer the press (on rare occasions when they are allowed to ask questions), just had a citizen arrested for peacefully attempting to observe the presser in a public building. pic.twitter.com/62siI33PCh

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 4, 2022

Asked about the incident, a DeSantis spokespersontold The Tampa Bay Times that Frazier had "the right to protest in public places but not to trespass in a secured facility in order to disrupt a press briefing and prevent information from being conveyed to the public."

The development comes amid a massive upsurge in COVID-19 cases throughout the Sunshine State. This week, DeSantis, who has vociferously opposed mask and vaccine mandates, said that DemocraticCOVID policies have been driven by a sense of "hysteria," disputing the science of common-sense health precautions.

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Ron DeSantis hounded during press conference: "This governor is an enemy of the people" - Salon

Last month, the Supreme Court of the United States heard arguments in a case that could set off a new era of abortion bans across much of the country. It also marked the start of President Bidens Democracy Summit, a high-level conference bringing together world leaders, civil society and the private sector to discuss challenges and opportunities facing democracy internationally. One of the stated themes of this first of two planned summits is a focus on human rights.

The proximity of these two moments is more than mere coincidence. Yes, the U.S. faces an unprecedented crisis for the right to abortion. But we must also recognize the numerous links between democracy and reproductive rights. A most basic and fundamental freedom in a democracy is the ability to control decision-making around ones own reproduction. When this freedom is removed, it threatens the ability of half of the countrys population to participate equally in society. So, if the U.S. hopes to credibly host a marquee event to promote its return to global democratic leadership, it must contend with cracks in that facade here at home.

If the U.S. hopes to credibly host a marquee event to promote its return to global democratic leadership, it must contend with cracks in that facade here at home.

The recent Supreme Court cases out of Texas and Mississippi are a key example. They involve some of most extreme abortion bans in U.S. historybanning abortion at six and 15 weeks respectively (the former a cut-off before many even realize they are pregnant).

As we wrote in a brief in the Mississippi case with Amnesty International USA and Human Rights Watch, abortion bans are inconsistent with international human rights protections and a worldwide trend toward expanding access for abortion care. They also place the U.S. in direct violation of its human rights obligations. The U.S. has ratified several human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and must comply with their terms. Access to abortion is protected under a myriad of rights under these treaties, including the right to life, the right to non-discrimination, the right to privacy and the right to be free from torture.

Abortion bans are inconsistent with international human rights protections. They also place the U.S. in direct violation of its human rights obligations.

U.S. disregard for these internationally-recognized human rights far predates Texas and Mississippis abortion bans. For decades, its global restrictions on abortion have not only deprived countless pregnant people of their right to necessary healthcarethey have disrupted core democratic freedoms such as free speech. Policies like the Helms and Siljander Amendments, as well as the global gag rule, impact the ability of individuals to participate in political life by shutting down free speech and democratic conversation about abortion around the world.

The foundation of the U.S. approach to human rights is American exceptionalismthe idea that our Constitution affords us the most protections. But where has that left the status of fundamental rights such as reproductive freedom here in the U.S.?

Fortunately, President Biden has the power to improve the United States credibility on human rights. Early in 2021, the Global Justice Center and over 140 other organizations signed a letter to the president calling for executive and administrative action to implement U.S. human rights obligations on sexual and reproductive health and rights. As an example, President Biden could take executive action and issue guidance from relevant agencies clarifying that under the Helms Amendment U.S. foreign assistance funds can be used to support abortion care provided in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment of the pregnant person.

Constructive U.S. engagement on human rights has the potential for broad impactnot only to shore up protections for Americans domestically, but also to bolster the perception of human rights globally. As Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, U.N. special rapporteur on the right to physical and mental health, recently said, We have this joke among us that when the U.S. sneezes the rest of the world catches a [cold]. We know that politically that what happens in the United States does have an impact in precedents elsewhere in the world.

In her remarks at the Democracy Summit, Vice President Kamala Harris said, We are working to defend equal rights, including reproductive rights, which are at grave risk here in the United States. While such acknowledgement is a welcome step, there is far more the U.S. could do to live up to its promises.

Before its next Democracy Summit, the Biden administration should make a real commitment to ending all anti-abortion policies that cause the U.S. to fall short of its democratic aspirations.

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The US Can't Be a Global Leader on Democracy While Banning Abortion at Home - Ms. Magazine