Category Archives: Free Speech

The Hindu Arun Jaitley. File Photo: Monica Tiwari

Taking exception to the government view that it was not proper on the part of television channels to have compared Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs Independence Day address with Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modis speech, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has said it amounts to violation of the right to free speech and expression.

Also impacting the right are the recent order of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India restricting advertising time on the electronic media and the Election Commission proposal to ban opinion polls, Mr. Jaitley said in a note released by the BJP on Monday.

Quoting Article 19(2) of the Constitution, Mr. Jaitley said it provided specific conditions under which the right to free speech could be restricted. These restrictions must necessarily have nexus to the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, the public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.

No restriction can be imposed on the right to free speech either by the government or by the Election Commission which falls outside the purview of any of the above circumstances.

The BJP leader said the effect of the Information and Broadcasting Ministrys order was that on days the Prime Minister addressed the nation, no other speech should be telecast, Chief Ministers must be boycotted and any comment of an Opposition leader should be censored.

Criticism which does not offend any of the Article 19(2) restrictions can never be restricted. No action under the Cable law can be taken for a legitimate exercise of the free speech right. The restrictions under the Cable regulations must all be read in the context of Article 19(2). Otherwise, such provisions of the Cable regulations may fall foul of Article 19(1) (a).

On the TRAI order restricting advertising time, the BJP leader said it ostensibly hurt the business of a news channel and also effectively hurt the right of free speech.

On the EC proposal to ban opinion polls, Mr. Jaitley said the commission would be best advised to keep away from this controversy and allow the market place of democracy to accept or reject the findings of an opinion poll.

If the polls can be legitimately banned in this country, the next step would be to ban political commentators from giving assessments favourable to some and adverse to some others. A potential loser in an election cannot seek to alter the rules of Free Speech.

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It’s violation of right to free speech and expression: Jaitley

YAL @Cypress College Free Speech Wall Fall #39;13
Can #39;t watch the video? Try this link: http://tinyurl.com/YALWall2013M Join the next event: http://tinyurl.com/YALForum2013 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Young-Americans-for-Liberty-at...

By: NoMSG

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YAL @Cypress College Free Speech Wall Fall '13 - Video

Defending Free Speech With a #39;Panic Button #39;
http://www.youtube.com/user/ESLVOA6?sub_confirmation=1 http://learnenglishworld.com.

By: VOA Learning English

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Defending Free Speech With a 'Panic Button' - Video

Free speech under attack in Sri Lanka, activists warn

By: Mynews

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Free speech under attack in Sri Lanka, activists warn - Video

Where would we be as a nation without the freedom of speech?

After all, according to the annual State of the First Amendment survey, it is by far Americas favorite freedom and our most important right. In that survey, 47 percent voted for free speech, compared to 10 percent for the next closest right, freedom of religion. It is only appropriate that we dedicate a week to celebrating free speech.

The freedom to express ourselves and speak our minds is an inextricable part of a strong democracy. When you have a government directed by its citizens, it is critical that those citizens be engaged and informed. Indeed, our founding fathers recognized the critical need for the free flow of information.

It is equally important that citizens have the freedom and the avenue to challenge the government and its representatives, discuss key issues, and be absolutely assured that their voices are heard.

Newspapers provide that avenue and self-expression through guest opinion pieces and letters to the editor. We recognize the importance of publishing a diversity of viewpoints, as we only grow as a country and effectively address difficult issues if a variety of expertise, facts, and opinions are shared.

Today, social media has been heralded as one of the greatest platforms for free speech and self-expression. Anyone can post whatever they want at their convenience, and it lives online for the whole world to see.

But when it comes to important matters, where citizens want to make sure that their thoughts and expertise are considered by the public and leaders alike, newspapers provide the platform to reach their community and influence their leaders.

We see this again and again, most recently when Vladimir Putin and John McCain spoke directly to Americans and Russians by going straight to newspapers. As they demonstrated, its an effective strategy to capture attention and state your position whether you are a global leader or a small-town worker.

Years ago, newspapers were the only reliable way to disseminate information to a wide audience. Thanks to the Internet, our society has become inundated with information from many sources. The Internet plays a critical role in the delivery of newspaper media and newspapers remain the trusted source in communities, large or small, that cut through the clutter with the news that you need to know.

Newspapers remain the reliable way to reach the American public. Our circulation revenue is up and our readership is growing, because today, more than ever, people need a news source they can trust.

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Editorial - Oct. 27, 2013: Celebrating the role of newspapers in protecting free speech

History buffs may be surprised to learn that 79 Montanans were convicted of sedition during World War I.

In an unusual act of forgiveness, on May 3, 2006, former Gov. Brian Schweitzer pardoned 78 of the convicted in a cere-mony attended by 50 of their descendants. Gov. Joseph Dixon had already pardoned one other in the 1920s.

It just surprised the heck out of me that people were sent to prison in Montana on free speech issues, said Clem Work, a retired University of Montana journalismprofessor.

Work, the author of Darkest Before Dawn: Sedition and Free Speech in the American West, spoke for 15 history hounds at the Butte-Silver Bow Archives on Wednesday. Montana arrested, convicted and imprisoned more people for violating sedition laws in 1918 and 1919 than any other state, he said.

Work calls sedition the illegal promotion of resistance against the government, usually in speech or writing. But the ultimate definition was up to the government.

It had a tremendous impact across this country and on the state of Montana, said Ellen Crain, director of the Archives. She noted that Schweitzers blanket pardons came after Works book was published in 2005. Its an incredibly important book.

To the surprise of many in the audience, Work told stories of ordinary folks like Janet Smith and her husband, William K. Smith, who were probably targeted by authorities in Custer County because they owned enviable livestock and land, Work said. She was demonized by the county prosecutor.

Smith was the only Montana woman convicted and sent to prison for sedition. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Deer Lodge and given a $5,000 fine, and he was sentenced to 20 years and a $20,000 fine. They were forced to forfeit their land to pay the fines.

Varying degrees of dissent clustered in pockets primarily in a few wide-spread counties: Lewis and Clark, Custer County and Fergus County.

Many ordinary citizens were arrested, mostly for speaking out against the United States entry into World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918.

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‘Descended into darkness’: Speaker details sometimes ugly history of free speech

Juan Williams on Firing from NPR, #39;Muzzled, #39; and Threats Posed to Free Speech
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Juan Williams on Firing from NPR, 'Muzzled,' and Threats Posed to Free Speech - Video

Online Hate and Free Speech: Where Do We Draw the Line?
The rapid growth of the Internet has sparked robust debate about the boundaries of free speech. Racists, cyberbullies, terrorists and hate-mongers use the Internet to recruit and incite. Should...

By: Newseum

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Online Hate and Free Speech: Where Do We Draw the Line? - Video

This is the fourth day of Free Speech Week, during which we will be celebrating freedom of speech by posting highlights from Catos recent work to support freedom of speech in its various forms, whether through legal advocacy, media appearances, or other public outreach.

Today we will take a look at the threat to free speech posed by the IRSs power over non-profit groups. As many will remember, Tea Party and small government advocacy groups were specifically targeted for harassment, audits, and delays when seeking IRS approval to operate as 501(c)(4) non-profit groups. This was one the bigger scandals of the several to hit the Obama administration in the last year or two, and for good reason. The use of executive agencies to harass and silence political enemies presents a threat to the freedom of political speech and is a smack in the face of the concept of representative government.

This kind of abuse of the IRSs power isnt really anything new, however, as the following Cato Institute video explains:

For more on the IRS scandal, check out the briefing below, featuring Catos Trevor Burrus and John Samples:

For more information on Free Speech Week and to learn how you can help celebrate free speech, check out http://www.FreeSpeechWeek.org.

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Free Speech Week — Thursday

Providence admits to violating a woman #39;s right to free speech
Providence gave about five hundred dollars to a woman whose right to free speech was violated after police removed her while she was on the street criticizing Cicilline.

By: WPRI

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Providence admits to violating a woman's right to free speech - Video