Category Archives: Freedom

WASHINGTON This years 4th of July Freedom Fest at Guantanamo Bay featured a live music performance by a band whose music was used to interrogate detainees at the Naval base.

The heavy metal band Drowning Pool played a show for U.S. troops at Guantanamo Bay on Tuesday before the fireworks display, the Miami Heralds Carol Rosenberg first reported.Years ago, interrogators blasted the bands song Bodies as part of an effort to break down prisoners will and keep them awake during extended interrogation sessions.

In a 2006 story in Spinabout using music as a tool of torture, David Peisner wrote that almost every interrogator and soldier he spoke to mentioned Bodies as their preferred song for psyching out enemies and captives.

Years later, the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmed in a report that military interrogators used Bodies during interrogations with Mohamedou Slahi, a Mauritanian detainee.

Slahi, who was transferred from a CIA black site to Guantanamo in 2002, was released last year after 14 years of detention. He was never charged with a crime. While in prison, he hand-wrote a diary, chronicling his experiences being subjected to interrogation techniques that have since been banned. A redacted version of Slahis diary was published in 2015. In it, Slahi wrote that he might never forget that song.

Mohamedou Slahi

The chorus of Bodies includes the line, let the bodies hit the floor, a reference the brotherhood of the mosh pit, the band has said.

Slahi told the Miami Herald that he still has hearing problems because of lengthy exposure to loud music during interrogations. I love art and good music and feel much pain for music to be used as a tool of torture, he wrote in an email published by the Herald. This is so twisted on many levels. Because music is supposed to make you happy and make you a better person; sometimes.

A 2005 internal review of alleged prisoner abuseat Guantanamo found that loud music was part of a futility technique designed to break down prisoners ability to resist answering questions. Futility technique included the playing of Metallica, Britney Spears, and Rap music, the report read.On a few occasions, detainees were left alone in the interrogation booth for an indefinite period of time while loud music played and strobe lights flashed.

Southern Command spokeswoman Army Col. Lisa Garcia told HuffPost that because the event was planned by the Naval stations recreation office and not the joint task force that oversees the prison at Guantanamo, the link between past interrogations using music was not on the forefront on the planners minds.

It is likely that leadership was not informed of the potential for negative connotations because individuals were more familiar with the song Let the bodies hit the floor than the name of the band that performed it or its past history with detainees, Garcia wrote in an email.

Some bands have objected to the military using their music as part of interrogations. Just as we wouldnt be caught dead allowing Dick Cheney to use our music for his campaigns, you can be damn sure, we wouldnt allow him to use it to torture other human beings. Congress needs to shut Guantanamo down, The Roots said in 2009.

A manager and a spokeswoman for Drowning Pool did not respond requests for comment, but one member of the band has said in the past that he was not concerned by the militarys use of his music. People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that, played over and over, it can psychologically break someone down, bassist Stevie Benton told Spin in 2006. I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that.

Benton later posted an apology on MySpace and said his comment was taken out of context.

Before their performance at Guantanamo, the band went on a tour of the Naval base. Words cant describe what an honor and privilege this is, band manager Paul Gargano posted on Instagram. Another post by Gargano shows the band performing before an enthusiastic crowd.

The metal band regularly performs shows for and to benefit members of the military. Days before the show at Guantanamo, Drowning Pool played at Soto Cano Air Force base in Honduras. They are scheduled to perform in the Rock the Troops concert next month in Colorado Springs.

This story has been updated to include comment from Southern Command.

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Guantanamo 'Freedom Fest' Features Band Whose Music Was Used To Torture Detainees - HuffPost

Freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. On July 4th, 1776, delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, fueling the actions in the American Revolution that would render America a sovereign nation.

Although it wasnt until 1941 that July 4th was declared a federal holiday, Americans have celebrated their independence every year since the adoption of the declaration. 241 years later, Independence Day is a holiday filled with festivities. It provides time to grill out, marvel at the bold and brilliant displays of fireworks, and time spent with friends and family all with the purpose of celebrating the nations freedom.

But, while in the throes of elation it is important to not only rejoice in our freedom but remember what it took to get here.

This is the land of the free because of the brave and I like to envision thats because of our military, said Cpl. David Torres, combat camera, Marine Aircraft Group 49. In the 1700s when we took our independence, they really had no idea what was going to happen. Independence Day is a time to reflect on all the contributions everyones made to this country. Its a good day to reflect on the countless men and women who gave their lives for the freedoms and the liberties we all enjoy.

The principles outlined in the declaration; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, still ring true and are the guidelines by which the Constitution was formed. In 1787, just four short years after the victory of the American Revolution, delegates representing almost every state met at Philadelphias Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. It was there, in the same building that saw the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, that the Constitution was signed. Due to the actions of our founding fathers a nation was formed, but the actions of its citizens have made the country what it is today.

Americans are like their own type of breed, said Cpl. Alexander Rood, food service specialist, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. We all come from different places but those who feel patriotic and love their country so much, wont ever back down.

Since before its inception, the nation has been a country of immigrants. Those seeking refuge or just looking for a fresh start, can find it here on Americas shores and though at first they might see it as a foreign nation, America quickly becomes their home.

Im a first generation American. My parents were born in Ecuador and moved to this country in the late 80s, Torres said. Ive always had strong ties to my Ecuadorian background, but I growing up I remember thinking I might be Hispanic but this is my country, I was born here. I think its only right that you should serve your country for a given amount of time. Its the least I can do for the place I call home.

July 4th allows Americas citizens to rejoice not only in their freedom but in the very pillars this nation stands on. Strength through adversity; the courage to break free and the willingness to begin anew against all odds are few of the many attributes that make America what it is, and the very principles that earned the nation its freedom.

Original post:

Independence Day: USA celebrates 241 years of freedom - Hi-Desert Star

Im not the only one asking this question. A startling message came through to me on Facebook a few weeks agoeven before the Steve Scalise shooting. It was from a business acquaintance in India whom Ive corresponded with for the past five years. His message: Are you safe? America seems in big chaos and trouble. If you need to escape, you and your family can stay with my family.

So Im not alone in this uneasy feeling that America is walking on the edge.

What do workers, sightseers, or bikers do when they come to the edge of a cliff? Either plunge over to their demise or push back to safety. Standing on the edge for too long leads to anxiety at best and destruction at worst.

For the past several months, Ive been trying to collect my thoughts on why, after all these years, I feel fearful about freedom. After all, terrorism, racial tension, and nuclear threats are nothing new.

Something else is in the air.

Peggy Noonan, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Wall Street Journal, recently scolded both political parties with her line, Democracy is not your plaything. Political rancor, misrepresentation, deception, and outright lying on both sides of the aisle and between the left and the right has reached a fevered pitch. But thats not new.

Neither is it news that those who call themselves journalists dish out biased reporting, selecting which stories to report and which to ignore and shaping attitudes by the language they use and the tone they choose in their coverage.

What is new? This: How pervasive the discord has become. The degree to which it has gridlocked our government. The intimidation now used to destroy businesses with an opposing opinion. The intimidation used to destroy an individuals reputation, job, and livelihood if they voice an opposing viewpoint. The anarchy reigning on university campuses.

Traveling and Entertainment

Every time I sling my belongings on the TSA conveyor belt at the airport, I realize how much the convenience of an openly free society is slipping away. Recently, TSA announced even more stringent regulations will be introduced at the end of the summer travel season. Those who travel with their jobparticularly internationallyunderstand that the safety regulations affect more than convenience. They affect productivity and the pocketbook. Safe travelers must pay to skip the long lines and then must still concern themselves about a bomb scare in the terminal that causes a late or cancelled flight.

And who goes to a concert or sporting event in a large venue today without looking around at the crowd and thinking, Sure hope some crazy suicide bomber isnt loose in here?

Personal Responsibility to Earn, Succeed, Give Back

In the past, personal responsibility meant to learn, earn, succeed, give back to the less fortunate and less able-bodied who needed assistance. Today, personal responsibility has come to mean Im responsible to get all that Im entitled to receive.

Coptic Christians are being slaughtered in Egypt. Islamic extremists have declared Jihad on all other faiths in the name of their false religion. Congress passes laws and the federal court system rules on matters of religious liberty routinely, as businesses and individuals struggle to maintain freedom to practice their religious beliefs.

Those whove never fought or sacrificed for freedomor lost someone who has-can never appreciate its fragility. Those who fail to speak up to protect it may soon find themselves silenced for good. Be grateful for the freedom you enjoy today. Never take it for granted.

The Morning Email

Wake up to the day's most important news.

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Is Freedom More Fragile Today Than in the Past? - HuffPost

Press freedom

The new government moved swiftly in 2015 to replace the management at state-run television and radio outlets, and it then passed a law giving itself direct control over the hiring and firing of executives of state news media.

More recently, it has discussed plans to restrict foreign investment in privately run Polish media companies and repolonize the industry.

The Polish governments attacks on the media are attacks on liberal democracy, said Michael J. Abramowitz, the president of Freedom House, an organization that monitors press freedom around the world. The group said that legislative, political and economic means were all being used to stifle the media and limit dissent.

The government has come under fire for legislation aimed at women, especially a 2016 bill to ban nearly all abortions in the country. The bill failed after thousands of people protested in 90 Polish cities.

Last month, the government passed a bill requiring a prescription for the morning-after pill for emergency contraception, which had been available over the counter to any woman over the age of 15. The health minister cited concerns about harmful health effects, even though the World Health Organization says the pill poses little to no risk.

Restricting access to the morning-after pill will have devastating consequences for women and girls living in a country which already has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, Anna Blus of Amnesty International said in a statement.

A version of this article appears in print on July 7, 2017, on Page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: Called Beacon of Freedom, Poland Has Its Detractors.

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Trump Hails Poland as a Beacon of Freedom. Rights Groups Beg to Differ. - New York Times

Flake recalled visiting an Islamic center with his family after learning of then-presidential candidate Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.

He drew parallels between modern anti-Muslim prejudices and historical persecution of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of which Flake is a member after the Utah-based faith's founding in 1830, and he stressed the need for solidarity among religions.

"We must stand for religious freedom in this country regardless of the prevailing political winds," Flake said. "The [United States'] founders understood that the protection of religious freedom was essential. It was essential then; it is essential now."

Flake was the keynote speaker for the Religious Freedom Annual Review, a two-day conference sponsored by BYU's International Center for Law and Religion Studies. The event, which continues Friday at the BYU Conference Center, features speakers, panels and workshops related to religious liberty.

Brett Scharffs, director of the law and religion studies center, said religious freedom is a central component of the LDS Church, which owns and operates BYU.

Scharffs recounted stories of the faith's founding by Joseph Smith in New York and the violent attacks on the young leader and his fellow believers that followed the nascent religion westward.

Mormons should remember that history, Scharffs said, to better extend reciprocity and respect to other minority religions.

"For the LDS Church, the era of persecution has largely passed," Scharffs said. "But for others in many parts of the world, it continues to this day."

Flake said people should never be forced by their government to violate their religious beliefs, and that he is grateful to live in a country where he can exercise his faith freely.

He spoke of his experience as a Mormon missionary in South Africa and Zimbabwe, and remarked on LDS growth in previously isolated areas such as Cuba and Botswana.

Returning to Trump's policies, Flake spoke against reinstating the travel and business embargoes on Cuba loosened by the Obama administration, joking that U.S. tourism would be a more effective weapon against the country's Communist regime led by the late Fidel Castro and his brother and successor Raul.

"If you really wanted to punish the Castro brothers, we should just make them deal with spring break once or twice," Flake said. "That ought to do it."

Other speakers and panelists Thursday focused on changing U.S. religious demographics with younger generations abandoning organized religion in increasing numbers and the proper role of religiosity in education and business settings.

Candace Andersen, a member of California's Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, talked about her experience representing her Mormon faith in politics, fending off campaign opponents who labeled her "Sarah Palin on steroids" and working with a local school board member to halt the development of a casino in her county.

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Trump's policies test religious freedom, GOP senator tells BYU audience - Salt Lake Tribune

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) Rep. Mike Coffman says the glass panel on the Colorado Freedom Memorial that was shattered over the weekend needs to be replaced and that more needs to be done to prevent that kind of thing from happening in the future.

The founder, Rick Crandall, noticed the damage Monday morning as he was sprucing it up for Independence Day.

(credit: CBS)

Something, right? Of all the times for it to happen, he said.

After looking at the impact point and considering the strength of the glass, Crandall is all but certain this was deliberate.

(credit: CBS)

And the cost to fix it, roughly $55,000.

Coffman says hes planning a fundraising dinner to collect money for the cleanup.

No one thought there would be a problem like this and theres never been a problem like this before, so clearly we have to replace the glass and install a security system, said Coffman.

The location and date of the event are still being worked out.

(credit: CBS)

Six thousand names of those killed in action since Colorado became a state are on the memorial.

Aurora police cannot say for sure the damage was caused by vandals, but they are investigating and offering up to $2,000 for information about what happened.

(credit: CBS)

We still need help raising money, in addition to the replacement of the panel, to cover the ongoing operations and maintenance for the memorial, so I would encourage everyone to go towww.cfmf.netto donate or make a check out to the Colorado Freedom Memorial and send it to P.O. Box 472333, Aurora, Colorado 80047-2333, said Diane Crandall.

A GoFundMe page is now up to help with the repair costs.

LINK: The Colorado Freedom Memorial On Facebook

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Rep. Coffman Says Damage To Freedom Memorial Needs Repair - CBS Local

LONDON Finance firms should not be forced by regulators to change location after Britain leaves the European Union in 2019, Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority told a Reuters Newsmaker event on Thursday.

Banks, insurers and asset managers based in Britain are already making contingency plans to shift some operations to continental Europe after Brexit takes effect in case access to the EU single market is closed off.

But Bailey said Britain and the EU are in a position to preserve free trade for financial services, meaning such moves need not happen.

"Firms should be able to take their own decisions on where they locate, subject to appropriate regulatory arrangements being in place which preserve the public interest," Bailey said, in his first major speech on Brexit since Britain triggered the formal EU divorce proceedings in March.

"Authorities should not dictate the location of firms," he told an audience in Canary Wharf, home to some of the world's biggest banks.

Future financial sector relations between Britain and the EU should be based on "mutual recognition" or regulatory cooperation "but not exact mirroring" of rules, Bailey said.

Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Dublin are all vying for a slice of Britain's financial services industry after Brexit. Bailey said such competition was good.

But he also said Brexit should not be used as an excuse to restrict the ability to have open markets and freedom of location.

"The roots exist to come out with sensible outcomes on this."

Some companies have already announced plans to move people to continental European locations to retain access to the EU single market. Bailey said a transition period based on current trading arrangements was needed this year.

This would avoid a "regrettable" situation whereby firms had to "press the button" on moves to the EU before they know what the outcome of Britain's negotiations with the bloc will be.

"It needs to be a sensible period," Bailey said.

Bailey questioned whether restricting trade in this way was an inevitable or necessary response to Brexit.

"When I hear people say firms need to re-locate in order to continue to benefit from access to EU financial markets, I start to seriously wonder."

NO LOCATION POLICIES

France and other EU countries, for example, want the clearing of euro denominated derivatives, which London dominates, "located" within the EU after Brexit.

"It does not require a location policy," Bailey said.

Joint oversight with the EU of clearing houses in London is "something that is very clearly preferable to the cost and risk that is introduced by a location based policy."

Such joint oversight was already working well between the UK and United States regulators in clearing, he said.

He dismissed talk in the EU that given the dominance of Britain's financial services sector, the largest in Europe, there should be specific rules for the UK, rather than the existing general regime for recognizing non-EU financial firms.

"I do not accept that," Bailey said.

Non-EU financial firms from the United States, Singapore and elsewhere can currently offer their services in the EU if their home regulation is deemed by Brussels to be "equivalent" or as tough as the bloc's own rules.

This regime should be applied to Britain in the same way.

"It would not be the best outcome to adopt a special treatment for the oversight of outsourced service provision arrangements involving the UK and EU when there are already arrangements in place which can form the basis of an equivalence arrangement," Bailey said.

NO RACE TO THE BOTTOM

Britain was not interested in a "race to the bottom" in regulation after Brexit, he said.

Britain has worked hard over the years to build up relations with EU and national regulators across the bloc, he said, though he conceded that he was already being locked out of EU regulatory discussions about Brexit.

"It's perfectly reasonable ... It does not concern me."

There are already fears that asset managers in Britain will be prevented from managing funds based in the EU after Brexit, but Bailey said this longstanding cross-border "delegation" should continue.

"It works well today. There is no reason to disrupt that model," Bailey said.

Critics of Brexit have said that Britain will end up being a "rule taker", meaning it will have to copy and paste the bloc's rules into UK law if it wants to maintain access in financial services.

"I don't want to be in a situation where we become a pure rule taker," Bailey said.

For live link to Newsmaker click on reut.rs/2thSd4S

(Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Jason Neely and Jane Merriman)

TOKYO Asian shares lost ground on Friday after a weak session on Wall Street, while global sovereign debt yields were elevated across the board on bets the European Central Bank is moving closer to unwinding its massive monetary stimulus.

CHICAGO Illinois ended its historic budget drought on Thursday after the House of Representatives enacted the state's first complete spending plan since 2015 by overriding the governor's vetoes.

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Finance firms need freedom to choose location after Brexit - Reuters

Back in 1976, the bicentennial anniversary of the United States, David Araial wrote a drama called The Inherited Freedom. The thought behind the drama was that a free America was gained by our ancestors, and each generation must do its part for the next.

David was the first formal artist-in-residence in Caldwell County. He was attached to Caldwell Community College. Davids greatest role was helping revive community theatre. He designed the theatre at the college that became the home of Foothills Performing Arts.

David spent a lot of time on The Inherited Freedom. He studied local history and the relationships among local, state and national actions in the Revolutionary War. We as in the people of the Catawba Valley area indeed played a vital role in winning freedom. There is a strong argument that the rebellion would not have succeeded without the heroics of patriots in battles such as Cowpens, Ramseurs Mill, Kings Mountain and Guilford Courthouse.

It was an outdoor production that required building a new set. The drama was well-received.

I was looking up something else when I came across an old newspaper editorial about Americas inherited freedom that was inspired by the bicentennial drama. The inheritance of liberty is passed down from one generation to the next. It is up to the current generation to ensure continued freedom.

We meaning our great country are like a very large family. Some of us do the heavy lifting in defense of home and hearth, others support the country by supporting its defenders and our method of government. There is no unimportant way to nurture liberty. The home front and the far-flung battle lines cannot exist without each other.

We are committed ideally to not leaving anyone behind.

Our family America is like individual families: Some families produce offspring, some produce the next generation of leaders or, at the very least, the next wave of patriots who will defend freedom at all cost. Not one American, however, is exempt from preserving the essence of liberty. Every citizen is eminently qualified.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Who said that? President Ronald Reagan.

Its something to think about.

I had a great time at the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival. Ive seen fireworks all over the place and heard tributes to our beloved veterans and those in uniform right now. I enjoy my freedom.

I realize, however, that I can hardly match the achievements of my father and his generation: The Greatest Generation. I was not among the thousands in my own generation who went to war.

My daddy and people like him gave me the opportunity to write words that extol service, achievement and liberty and urge others to be the best citizens they can. Citizenship includes speaking out against wrong and anything that could lessen the stature of our America our national family.

I am content in the promise that even if glory passes me by, I will maintain honor and commitment to my inherited freedom, with gratitude to those who have paid a heavy price for me.

Here are some comments for this holiday week.

In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved. Franklin D. Roosevelt

(And we must remember that government is of the people and limited to only those powers and abilities we grant. Freedom gives us the right to bestow where government is concerned.)

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, it must be demanded by the oppressed. Martin Luther King Jr.

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must undergo the fatigue of supporting it. Thomas Paine

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it. Mark Twain

I simply could not resist the quote from Twain. Teddy Roosevelt said something quite similar about the presidency.

Link:

Column: Freedom inherited across generations - Hickory Daily Record

TRAVERSE CITY The Traverse City Beach Bums may have themselves a good bit of momentum going into the All-Star break.

The Beach Bums edged the West Division-leading Florence Freedom 2-1 in a Frontier League baseball game Thursday at Wuerfel Park, giving Traverse City a series win.

The Freedom's lone win in the series was coincidentally on Independence Day, and all three games were decided by a single run.

The Bums had only four hits, but didn't record any of those when they scored their only two runs in the fifth inning.

Kendall Patrick was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and eventually came home on a Josh Hauser sacrifice fly. Arby Fields walked in the same inning, stole second and scored on another wild pitch.

Will Kengor, Alexis Rivera, Hauser and John Montgomery each had one hit.

Traverse City ace Kramer Champlin also got back on track, allowing less than three earned runs for the first time in exactly a month.

Champlin struck out five and scattered six hits over six innings.

Devin Over tossed one scoreless frame of relief and Enrique Oquendo pitched two hitless innings to close out the win, pick up his third save and lower his season ERA to 2.40.

The Beach Bums head Friday to Illinois to take on the Normal Cornbelters, starting the final series before the All-Star break. Right-hander Brian Bayliss acquired in last week's James Ball trade makes his debut for the Beach Bums, while Normal counters with Julio Vivas.

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Bums take series from 1st-place Freedom - Traverse City Record Eagle

John Cornyn, Trump wannabe

Of all the politicians to emulate, the number two guy in the SenateJohn Cornyn (R-TX)has chosen popular vote loser Donald Trump. On Twitter. He's picking fights with reporters over Trumpcare, and it's embarrassing for everyone.

It all started when he tweeted a Wall Street Journal story: "How Many Jobs Does ObamaCare Kill?" (A timely article for the right, considering the brand-new analysis showing that upwardof a million job losses under Trumpcare.) Reporter Emily Singer retweeted him with this comment: "Apparently to Cornyn, he views 22 million people losing health care as a fair trade for maybe 250K jobs."

To which Cornyn responds with this gem:

Because the ultimate in freedom is having your elected officials take your health care away, make it too expensive to replace, and tell you you are now liberated. But he wasnt done. Greg Sargent responded to that freedom tweet: Huh. @JohnCornyn just endorsed CBO finding that 22 million fewer would be covered under GOP bill. Just casts it as a choice for all of them.The response:

Which makes no sense and is no answer to the 15 million people the CBO says would lose insurance next yearmost of them on Medicaid.

Trumpcare is a nightmare. Millions would lose their health insurance, rates will go up for women and people with disabilities and it ends Medicaid as we know it. Call your Republican senator at (202) 224-3121 and give them a very angry piece of your mind. Then, tell us how it went.

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John Cornyn channels Trump, takes to Twitter to say freedom means having no insurance - Daily Kos