Category Archives: Freedom

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Bill Metzger, who wont perform same-sex marriages, speaks at a news conference on anti-LGBT religious freedom bills at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Dismissing potential economic backlash, socially conservative state lawmakers unveiled a slate of anti-LGBT religious freedom bills on Wednesday, including a sweeping measure known as the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA).

FADA, modeled after proposed federal legislation bearing the same name, would allow individuals, businesses and other entities to refuse service to same-sex couples based on the belief that marriage should be between one man and one woman.

State Representative Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, the author of the bill, said he isnt worried about opposition to FADA from business groups or possible boycotts. Last week, the NFL suggested it wont hold future Super Bowls in Texas if the Legislature passes anti-LGBT legislation, such as Lieutenant Governor Dan Patricks anti-transgender bathroom bill.

I think religious liberties and the protection and preservation of them is of the utmost importance, said Krause, whose district includes Arlingtons AT&T Stadium, a perennial contender to host major national sporting events. If the NCAA wants to pull out because were pursuing those and validating one of our most dearly held fundamental principles, thats a decision theyre going to have to make.

Last year, after Mississippi became the only state to pass such a law, a federal judge struck down the law as unconstitutional. But Krause told the Observer hes confident his bill would survive legal challenges because its more narrow, stressing that it would also protect those who have religious objections to opposite-sex marriage, even though that isnt mentioned in the text.

It goes both ways, Krause said. If you believe marriage should be man and man, woman and woman, the government cant discriminate against you on that grounds either.

In the 2015 session, lawmakers introduced 23 anti-LGBT bills, but none passed. This year, Krause said proponents of religious freedom bills have refined their strategy, and he expects several to land on the governors desk.

In the past, the right hand didnt really know what the left hand was doing, Krause said. We actually got together and talked.

Kathy Miller, president of the pro-LGBT Texas Freedom Network, said now that same-sex marriage is legal, lawmakers are targeting numerous specific groups for religious freedom protection, such as university clubs, state-licensed professionals and county clerks.

It feels to me like the strategy is to pass tiny bits of discrimination in a lot of bills, instead of a lot of discrimination in one bill, Miller said. I hope that the House leadership can see through this pitiful attempt to force discrimination into Texas law wherever they can. This stuff needs to stay off the [House] floor.

House Speaker Joe Straus, a moderate Republican, has repeatedly deferred to economic arguments against anti-LGBT legislation, but state Representative Jeff Leach, R-Plano, said the decision about whether to pass the bathroom bill or religious freedom measures should be up to the chamber.

If we sense that these bills are getting killed behind closed doors, and there are deals being made to make these issues go away, youre going to see a public fight on the floor of the Texas House to bring those issues to light, said Leach.

Chuck Smith, CEO of Equality Texas, said he expects groups, including the Texas Association of Business, the states chamber of commerce, to oppose anti-LGBT religious freedom bills in the same way theyve fought the bathroom bill.

Equality Texas lists 13 anti-LGBT bills on its website, but state Representative Scott Sanford, R-McKinney, said that more religious freedom bills are likely to be filed before the March 12 deadline.

Sanford is the author of House Bill 1805, which would allow taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies with religious objections to decline to place children with same-sex couples. Despite a severe shortage of high-quality foster homes, Sanford said the bill is needed in part because it would preserve the right of religiously affiliated agencies to reject parents from different faiths.

Would you use the force of government to compel a Muslim agency to place with a Jewish family? Sanford said. Why not allow everyone to place according to their religions?

Krause, Leach and Sanford were among about a dozen all-white, all-male lawmakers who appeared at a Wednesday news conference, which drew a relatively small turnout from the media because it coincided with a hearing on high-profile anti-abortion legislation.

Hours before the news conference, Patrick appeared in Washington, D.C., to defend the bathroom bill on a program hosted by the Family Research Council (FRC), designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Patrick saidSenate Bill 6, by state Senator Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, would be good for business because it would protect the privacy of women.

I know from our experiences in Texas, when were recruiting a company, one of the biggest voices to make the final decision is the CEOs wife, Patrick said.

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Anti-LGBT Lawmakers Unveil Slew of 'Religious Freedom' Bills Despite Business Concerns - The Texas Observer

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Roberto Galea 16.02.2017 13:52

Poland has dropped to 45th spot in this years Index of Economic Freedom, measuring the ease of conducting business worldwide.

Last year the country came 39th globally in the ranking issued by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

Among its European peers, Poland dropped to 21st place, down from the previous years 18th.

According to the Warsaw Enterprise Institute, the Polish partner of the report, Polands economic freedom levels which are one point lower than they were a year ago are in large part a result of the growth dynamics of other countries, which have allowed them to overtake Poland.

The average level of global economic freedom has increased by 0.2 points in this year's index, reaching a record level of 60.9 points. The average for Europe was 68.0 points.

In terms of points, Polands position this year is higher than the global average and above the European average, Tomasz Wrblewski, the president of the Warsaw Enterprise Institute, said on Wednesday during the presentation of the index.

In relation to 2013, when the methodology changed, we grew by a total of 2.3 points. Since 2008, every few years Poland experienced minor hiccups on the road to full freedom. This was the case in 2009 and 2012, Wrblewski added.

High resilience

The authors of the report wrote: Polands economy has demonstrated a fairly high degree of macroeconomic resilience. Structural reforms that have included trade liberalisation, implementation of a competitively low corporate tax rate, and modernization of the regulatory environment have facilitated the transition to a market-oriented economy.

A comparatively high budget deficit is still a barrier to the economic freedom of Poland, the report added.

Fiscal consolidation and prudent management of public finance are ongoing concerns. The government needs to further reduce the budget deficit and curb the growth of public debt. In 2016, an additional tax on financial-services companies was imposed to help finance increased social spending. Continued reform, particularly in strengthening the independence of the judiciary and eradicating corruption, is needed to ensure greater economic dynamism.

At the top of the ranking were Hong Kong, Switzerland and New Zealand. (rg/pk)

Link:

Poland drops in Economic Freedom Index - thenews.pl

The Freedom wrestling team flexed its collective muscle on Wednesday, winning its fourth consecutive Class 3A-4 district title outscoring runner-up Timber Creek 227.5-155.5.

The Patriots had 11 wrestlers in the finals with Brenden Maharaj, Stephon Halliburton, Briso Aimableand Justin Marotta winning district titles.

Smaill Saint-Pierre, Marcus Jean-Baptiste, Colby Wang, Wesley Britos, Marc Dillard, Patchiney Prophete and Darrell Lowefinished second for the district champions.

Four consecutive titles is a great accomplishment for our kids, Freedom coach David Bush said. It gives the younger kids something to strive for.

In total, all 14 Freedom wrestlers advanced to next weeks region tournament at Flagler Palm Coast.

Getting 14 guys to the regional tournament is so important, Bush said. You hate to see a kids season come to an end, so this gives us another week as a complete team going into a very tough regional tournament.

All 11 of Timber Creeks wrestlers advanced to the region tournament that begins on Friday, February 24.

Third place Boone advanced 10 of its 11 wrestlers through the district tournament and finished with 142.5 points.

Orlando University was fourth with 124 points, host Cypress Creek fifth at 88.5 and Oak Ridge in sixth with 42.5.

Check out district results from across the state

Timber CreeksErnesto Maysonet (29-10) started the finals off with a 15-4 major decision win over Cypress Creeks Ivan Reyes.

The first stunner of the afternoon happened at 113 pounds when Cypress Creeks Michael Ortega (49-6)beat Boones top-seeded Jayden Bradshaw 6-4. Both wrestlers are ranked in the latest 3A rankings on The Wrestling Nationwith Bradshaw ranked seventh and Ortega tenth.

The next upset of a top seed too place at 120 points when Antonio Estrada (40-3) won the second district crown for the Wolves with a 10-4 win over Saint Pierre.

A highly-anticipated final at 126 pounds did not disappoint with Boones Lucas Rodriguez securing a 1-0 decision over Freedoms Jean Baptiste.

Rodriguez (36-0)is ranked second by TWN and Jean-Baptise (42-9) is sixth.

Maharaj (34-11)picked up the first title for Freedom at 132 pounds with a pin in the first period against Boones Andrew Fletcher.

Carlos Matos (23-6) won the third title for Timber Creek with a 4-3 win over Orlando UniversitysJoshua Pantoja at 138 pounds.

FreedomsHalliburton (30-9)picked up two pins on the day to win at 145 pounds, including a win in the final over Cypress Creeks Reggie Smith.

Gage VanKuilenburg (42-12) picked up Boones second title on the day at 152 pounds with a major decision victory over Freedoms Colby Wang.

Freedoms third title came at 160 pounds when Aimable (36-11) beat Orlando Universitys Uziel Rivera in the final.

Orlando UniversitysAlejandro Gonzalez took home the schools lone district title with a pin over Britos.

At 182 pounds, Timber Creeks Brian Santiago (35-5) took home the fourth title for the Wolves with 10-5 win over Freedoms Dillard.

Freedoms Justin Marotta (40-5), ranked seventh in the state, beat Timber Creeks Anthony Coleman 12-3 in the 195-pound final.

Orlando Universitys Wals Edmund scored the final upset of a top seed when he beat Prophete 8-0 in the 220-pound title bout.

Cypress CreeksUzochi Oparaji (31-1) finished off the day with a win by fall over FreedomsDarrell Lowe at 285 pounds.

1. Orlando Freedom 227.5; 2. Timber Creek 155.5; 3. Boone 142.5; 4. Orlando University 124; 5. Cypress Creek 88.5; 6. Oak Ridge 42.5; 7. Winter Park 23.5; 8. Colonial 12.

Click here for complete brackets from 3A-4 tournament

First-place match

106: Ernesto Maysonet (Timber Creek) maj. dec. Ivan Reyes (Cypress Creek) 15-4

113: Michael Ortega (Cypress Creek) dec. Jayden Bradshaw (Boone) 6-4

120: Antonio Estrada (Timber Creek) dec. Smaill Saint Pierre (Freedom) 10-4

126: Lucas Rodriguez (Boone) dec. Marcus Jean Baptiste (Freedom) 1-0

132: Brenden Maharaj (Freedom) p. Andrew Fletcher (Boone) 1:01

138: Carlos Matos (Timber Creek) dec. Joshua Pantoja (Orlando University) 4-3

145: Stephon Halliburton (Freedom) p. Reggie Smith (Cypress Creek) 1:26

152: Gage VanKuilenburg (Boone) maj. dec. Colby Wang (Freedom) 13-3

160: Briso Aimable (Freedom) p. Uziel Rivera (Orlando University) 1:33

170: Alejandro Gonzalez (Orlando University) p. Wesley Britos (Freedom) 1:04

182: Brian Santiago (Timber Creek) dec. Marc Dillard (Freedom) 10-5

195: Justin Marotta (Freedom) maj. dec. Anthony Coleman (Timber Creek) 12-3

220: Wals Edmond (Orlando University) dec. Patchiney Prophete (Freedom) 8-0

285: Uzochi Oparaji (Cypress Creek) p. Darrell Lowe (Freedom) 2:18

Third-place match

106: Erick Rocher (Freedom) p. Tyrese Hicks (Oak Ridge) 4:20

113: Corban Arana (Timber Creek) maj. dec. Armstrong Lubin (Freedom) 15-7

120: Noel Soto (Boone) p. Matthew Augustave (Oak Ridge) 2:11

126: Eliejah Bagley (Timber Creek) maj. dec. Colson North (Winter Park) 16-6

132: Linwood Lee (Timber Creek) dec. Carlos Arce (Cypress Creek) 3-1

138: Earl Johnson (Freedom) p. Grant Linnemann (Boone) 4:28

145: Ethan Rivera (Orlando University) p. Jordan Gates (Boone) 2:12

152: Craig Mariani (Cypress Creek) p. Jaden Delgado (Timber Creek) 5:41

160: Daniel Bass (Boone) dec. Austin Parker (Winter Park) 7-1

170: Khanh Dinh (Colonial) p. Ezequel Rivera (Boone) 2:59

182: Gabriel Banos (Orlando University) dec. Jason Angel (Boone) 9-2

195: Jon Powell (Orlando University) p. Kevin Perez (Oak Ridge) 4:29

220: Keon Bush (Oak Ridge) dec. Jacob Schalk (Timber Creek) 5-1

285: Brandon Pureza (Orlando University) dec. Shamir Nelson (Timber Creek) 5-3

Bookmark our wrestling homepage for the best coverage in the state

Follow our wrestling coverage on Twitter at OSWrestle and on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/OSWrestle/. Brant can be reached at bparsons@orlandosentinel.com

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Freedom wins its fourth consecutive 3A-4 title - Orlando Sentinel

As a candidate, Donald TrumpDonald TrumpFBI releases documents related to Trump apartment discrimination case GOP rep: Intelligence community too 'dishonest' to 'accept at face value' on Russia Overnight Regulation: Trump's labor pick withdraws nomination MORE said very little publicly about rising threats to religious freedom abroad. But recent reports suggest that President Trump may be moving quickly to nominate the official charged by law to lead that element of United States foreign policy: the ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom.

Given that President George W. Bush took well over a year to get his nominee in place, and President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaOvernight Energy: GOP Sen. Collins to vote against Trump EPA pick CIA chief met Palestinian leader Abbas ahead of Netanyahu visit: report Detained dreamer files lawsuit against DHS MORE took more than two, it appears that Trump may be placing a higher priority on international religious freedom than his predecessors.

Unfortunately, studies also show that religious freedom is in global decline, while religious persecution and terrorism are spreading.

In the Middle East, Christians, Yezidis, disfavored Muslims, and other minorities are still being savaged by ISIS and its jihadist cohorts. In Asia and Africa, millions more are persecuted by governments or terrorists. Religious persecution causes terrible human suffering, destroys economies, destabilizes societies, and abets the spread of jihadism.

Last September, candidate Trump invited religious-freedom advocates who had not endorsed him to meet at Trump Tower. At the time a Trump victory appeared unlikely, but it seemed a good opportunity to brief him anyway.

Im glad I took that opportunity. Now Id like to remind the president of what he said and suggest the steps he must take if his administration is to succeed where its predecessor failed.

I offered my view then that the Obama administration had not prioritized religious freedom in its foreign policy and had missed a golden opportunity to promote stability and human flourishing. A Trump administration should not make the same mistake.

Global religious persecution increased throughout President Obamas tenure, but U.S. actions were largely unfocused and ineffective until the last two years. A superb ambassador, David Saperstein, took over in 2014 and began to reenergize U.S. policy. He successfully urged Secretary of State John KerryJohn KerryThe case for Julian Castro as the 2020 Democratic nominee What Trump can do to secure religious freedom A boy from Utah in a Venezuelan dungeon MORE to declare that ISIS was committing genocide in Iraq and Syria. But Saperstein lacked the time to reverse six years of inertia.

Trump told us he agreed the policy should be revived. He seemed to understand that the very existence of Christians and other minorities in Iraq is at risk, and that the U.S. has done little to help them.

It is true that U.S.-trained forces may ultimately defeat ISIS troops. But the use of military force has been too little and too late to prevent the rape, torture, murder and forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of defenseless Yezidis, Christians and Muslims. It has been a humanitarian catastrophe.

It also threatens to become a national security catastrophe for the United States. If the religious minorities of Iraq disappear, so will the possibility of pluralism, moderation and stability. An Iraq with no non-Muslim minorities will become a volatile majoritarian Islamic tyranny with little hope of achieving stable democracy. It could well become the battlefield of a Sunni-Shiite war that would destabilize the entire region and beyond.

The U.S. must do all it can to protect those minorities remaining after ISIS a process Saperstein began. But even if all ISIS terrorists are killed, the murderous jihadist ideology that drives them and other terrorist groups will remain, threatening non-Muslims and Muslims alike.

In the end, this vile ideology cannot be killed by bullets or bombs. It must be defeated by better ideas, and respect for civil and religious pluralism, which must come from Muslims themselves. Those who will engage in this war of ideas, however, cannot be effective without some semblance of religious freedom.

Most Muslim-majority societies silence reformers. Those who dare to advocate for the full legal equality of non-Muslims, women and disfavored Muslim sects are vulnerable to criminal punishment for blasphemy. Some, like Pakistani reformers Salmaan Taseer (a Muslim) and ShahbazBhatti (a Catholic), are murdered.

What will it take for the U.S. to be effective in addressing these problems?

The president must put in place an ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom with the skills to mold and lead an aggressive policy within a huge, resistant bureaucracy: the State Department. The nominee should have significant foreign policy experience and understand the relationship between religious freedom and national security. His or her loyalties during the campaign should be subordinate to one qualification: the capacity to succeed.

The president and secretary of State must ensure that the ambassador is vested with the authority and the resources necessary for success. Compared to the billions we are expending on military force to defeat ISIS, the funds needed will be small and their expenditure cost-effective.

If President Trump follows through on what he told religious-freedom advocates in New York, he can help millions suffering religious persecution. He can set a new, more hopeful tone in American foreign policy that inspires the oppressed and undermines their oppressors. And he can, at low cost, increase the security of the American people.

Thomas Farr is president of the Religious Freedom Institute, director of the Religious Freedom Research Project at Georgetown University and professor of the Practice of Religion and International Affairs at Georgetowns School of Foreign Service. He was the founding director of the State Departments Office of International Religious Freedom.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

Continued here:

What Trump can do to secure religious freedom - The Hill (blog)

The Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom compares countries on a number of measures of how free their economies are. (Heritage.org)

Economy: The U.S. currently ranks a dispiriting 17th on the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom. That's down from 6th when Obama took office in 2009. The question isn't whether President Trump can turn this dismal trend around, it's whether Democrats will let him.

The Heritage Foundation has been publishing this index since 1995. It measures things like property rights, fiscal health, business freedom, tax burden, government spending, rule of law and other indicators of economic freedom in 186 countries. Based on these, each country gets an overall freedom index score, which then can be ranked against other countries.

As Heritage points out, there is good reason to focus on these measures of economic freedom, since theydirectly correlate with a country's growth and prosperity. "The affirmative link between economic freedom and long-term development is unmistakable and robust," the report notes. "The higher a country's level of economic freedom is, the higher its income per capita also is."

The good news is that economic freedom worldwide has been inching up for the past two decades. It went from a low of 57.1 in 1996 to 60.9 today.

The bad news is that it's been on the decline in the U.S. since 2008, when it stood at 80.7. Since then, it has dropped every year but one under Obama, and now measures 75.1. That's the lowest score for the U.S. since Heritage started this index 22 years ago.

As a result, the U.S. now ranks behind Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand Canada, Taiwan, the U.K., Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Even Lithuania currently has more economic freedom than the U.S.

"The substantial expansion of government's size and scope, increased regulatory and tax burdens, and the loss of confidence that has accompanied a growing perception of cronyism, elite privilege, and corruption have severely undermined America's global competitiveness," the report finds.

In other words, the U.S. index was dragged down by Obama's anti-growth war on businesses, investors and other productive elements of the economy.

Not surprisingly, the past eight years have also been characterized by historically low economic growth rates, with annual GDP growth never once hitting 3% under Obama.

Turning this around should be a priority in Washington for both Republicans and Democrats. Faster economic growth is desperately needed, not only to create jobs and increase prosperity, but to reduce the federal government's yawning deficits and mountain of debt.

Unfortunately, Democrats and the mainstream press are entirely focused on destroying the Trump administration before it has the chance to put forward any of its pro-growth proposals.

If the U.S. continues to slide down the scale of economic freedom and the economy continues to struggle, the blame will rest on the shoulders of these obstructionists.

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See the article here:

Thank You, Obama: US Steadily Lost Ground On Economic Freedom Over Past 8 Years - Investor's Business Daily

The Freedom Caucus, a group of influential conservatives, publicly expressed their impatience Tuesday with Republican leaders for failing to schedule a vote to repeal the sweeping health care law. But GOP leaders are concerned about the political backlash that could come from swift and wholesale repeal of the health care law without having a replacement plan ready.

"Health care is very important to all Americans. We want to get it right and we've been taking our time to do that," GOP Rep. Greg Walden, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, told reporters. "You're going to see us come forward with a replacement bill after we repeal that makes sure that people have access to affordable care health for the first time."

House Speaker Paul Ryan reiterated that the party is committed to both repealing and replacing Obamacare and said that leaders are taking a "step-by-step" approach.

Two senior GOP aides clarified to CNN afterwards that despite Walden's reference to "a replacement bill" that would come after Obamacare is repealed, there is no plan to consider one comprehensive legislation to replace what gets rolled back. Top Republicans are still considering a piecemeal strategy in which repeal and replace measures would be considered more or less at the same time, the aides added.

The remarks came just hours after members of the Freedom Caucus backed a proposal to immediately bring up a repeal bill that Republicans passed in 2015 to roll back Obamacare. Leaders from the Freedom Caucus will also roll out their own Obamacare legislation on Wednesday, and members of the group stress it will include provisions to both repeal and replace the law at the same time.

"We made a commitment to the American people to repeal this law -- we must keep that promise," the caucus said in a statement Tuesday morning. "We remain open to and encourage a swift vote on a health care package that is market-based, consumer driven, and fair."

Idaho GOP Rep. Raul Labrador urged fellow Republicans to follow through on pledge to dismantle Obamacare.

"Members of Congress are scared all the time," he said. "They need to just lean in."

House conservatives in the House say they are getting nervous that some senators are softening on Obamacare repeal and that some Senate Republicans from state that have expanded Medicaid are especially weary of moving the process along quickly.

GOP Rep. Dave Brat, a member of the Freedom Caucus, referred to the 2015 repeal legislation as "the only politically expedient piece to push."

"If you add anything to it, the Senate probably flies away," Brat said.

"Let's just call it a hunch," said GOP Rep. Trent Franks added.

One GOP source familiar with the vote told CNN: "There's no reason we shouldn't be able to pass this ASAP -- there's also no reason we should send anything less to President Trump's desk than we did Obama's. No need to reinvent the wheel."

But since President Donald Trump's inauguration, many congressional Republicans have asked party leaders to slow down the repeal efforts to ensure that a consensus is reached on an Obamacare alternative. Top Republicans are still weeks away from completing a repeal legislation, which now aims to include various replacement measures.

Republicans have previously used the budget reconciliation process to repeal major portions of Obamacare (in 2015, it was vetoed by President Barack Obama).

Conservative House Republicans have become more vocal in recent days in pressing GOP leaders to move that same 2015 repeal bill rather than taking more time to craft a new version.

In a meeting Tuesday morning, House leaders announced to colleagues that there will be an all-conference policy planning meeting on Thursday to continue the repeal and replace discussions, according to source in the room. At the Tuesday gathering, Walden, along with Rep. Kevin Brady, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, presented on replacement plans, and plan to get into more of the details on Thursday, that source added.

CNN's Lauren Fox contributed to this report.

Excerpt from:

House Freedom Caucus seeks swift Obamacare repeal, setting up clash with leadership - CNN

Much blood has been shed during human history in the name of religion. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) knew this all too well. Here are Jefferson's very words: "Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned" ("Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVII," 1781-1782). It is useful to recount a few such incidents which occurred during periods prior to Jefferson, some of which he may very well have had in mind. John Hus (1369-1415) was a Czech Priest, but he had been critical of the Church, especially the perceived moral failings of some of the Church's clerics. In addition, his views on Holy Communion were different from the established doctrines of the Church. And he was candid about being displeased with the Church's use of Indulgences. For such things, John Hus was summoned to appear before the Council of Constance (in 1415). Emperor Sigismund had given Hus a guarantee of safe conduct for the Council. But at the Council, he was condemned and then summarily burned at the stake.

But there is more. At this same Council, the views of the English Churchman and Oxford teacher John Wycliffe (ca. 1320-1384) were also condemned. Wycliffe was deceased, though, having died peacefully around thirty years before the Council of Constance. But he had been buried in a Church Cemetery, so the Council decreed that Wycliffe's body should be exhumed. And in time his remains were exhumed (in 1428), and then callously thrown into the Swift River. Or again, the great reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) is famous for offering sanctuary to the Spanish physician and theologian Michael Servetus (1511-1553) because Servetus was fleeing from the Roman Catholic Inquisition. But after the arrival of Servetus in Geneva, John Calvin soon had him burned at the stake, because Calvin was displeased that Servetus did not accept the doctrine of the Trinity. Of course, on a much larger scale, the European Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was a bloodbath anchored in religious garb, leaving in its wake some eight million dead. It is not surprising, therefore, that Thomas Jefferson wished for freedom of religion to be the law of the land in the United States.

*********************************************************************************

Thomas Jefferson was the first Secretary of State of the United States, the second Vice President of the United States, and the third President of the United States (1801-1809). Of course, he was particularly proud of the Declaration of Independence (1776). For this reason, at Jefferson's Monticello (just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia), the following words are chiseled deeply into an obelisk as the opening of his epitaph: "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence." The words of the Declaration are powerful, moving. Jefferson was so very justified in the pride that he felt as its author.

But that is not the conclusion of his epitaph. Here are the words that immediately follow: Author of "the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom." This document was drafted the year after the Declaration of Independence (i.e., in 1777). It is a particularly powerful, moving document as well. Here are some of the most poignant and direct words from that foundational document: "Be it enacted by General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities." Obviously, Thomas Jefferson believed that someone's religious beliefs were a matter of conscience, and he believed that coercion should never be part of the equation.

Jefferson fleshed out his views about religious freedom in even more concrete form just four or five years later. Here are some of his most candid statements: "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg" ("Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVII," dating to 1781-1782). I have long marveled at those two sentences. After all, with those words, Jefferson proclaims that polytheism and atheism, and everything in between, are all acceptable positions for the citizens of Virginia. For Thomas Jefferson, religion is a matter of conscience and so long as it is not "injurious to others" (a phrase he uses in the same context), religion is not something with which the government should be concerned.

The Constitution of the United States was penned some five years later, and the First Amendment to the Constitution has language that embraces Jefferson's stance on the freedom of religion. Here are those immortal words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (1787). Later, after being elected to the Presidency of the United States, during Thomas Jefferson's First Inaugural Address (on March 4, 1801), he uttered these potent words: "It is proper that you should understand what I deem the essential principles of our Government, and consequently those which ought to shape its Administration." Then, within the list of essential principles are the words "freedom of religion." Similarly, in Jefferson's discussions of the University of Virginia (which he founded, which is the third notation of his epitaph), he notes that the Constitution of the United States "places all sects of religion on an equal footing" (August 4, 1818).

It will come as no surprise that Thomas Jefferson was criticized in his own day for his views of religion, including his belief in the freedom of religion. For example, at one point a certain Mrs. Samuel H. Smith wrote a letter to him about such matters. She was someone whom he knew from societal events in Washington as well as from a prior visit of hers to Monticello. From Jefferson's letter of response to her (sent from Monticello, and dated August 6, 1816), it is apparent that she had heard something about Jefferson's views of religion that disturbed her and she seems to have suggested in her letter that his later views are different from his earlier views. Jefferson's letter of reply is warm, but he seems to bristle slightly at times in his response. He tells her that there have been no changes. Then he writes: "the priests indeed have heretofore thought proper to ascribe to me religious, or rather anti-religious sentiments, of their own fabric, but such as soothed their resentments against the act of Virginia for establishing religious freedom. They wished him [i.e., Jefferson] to be thought atheist, deist, or devil, who could advocate freedom from their religious dictations." He goes on to state that "I have ever thought religion a concern purely between our God and our consciences, for which we were accountable to him...I never told my own religion, nor scrutinized that of another." And then he states that "I have ever judged of the religion of others by their lives....For it is in our lives, and not from our words, that our religion must be read."

For President Thomas Jefferson, therefore, freedom of religion means freedom for all religions, not just his, not just mine, not just yours, but all religions. And Jefferson believed that polytheism, monotheism, and atheism should all be placed on equal footing in the eyes of the government. None of these is to be privileged by the government and none is to be penalized by the government. All are to be equally acceptable in the eyes of the law. Finally, and of paramount importance, Jefferson believed that the measure that is to be used for all of us is our lives, not our words. Ultimately, at the end of the day, "the Sage of Monticello" still has much to teach us.

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Freedom Of Religion According To Thomas Jefferson - Huffington Post

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

JUAN GONZLEZ: We turn now to look at President Donald Trumps newly appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, who has begun to attack net neutrality rules and other consumer protections. In a series of actions earlier this month, Pai blocked nine companies from providing affordable high-speed internet to low-income families. He withdrew the FCCs support from an effort to curb the exorbitant cost of phone calls from prison. And he also said he disagrees with the 2015 decision to regulate the internet like a public utility.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, were going to Los Angeles, where well speak with Jessica Gonzlez, deputy director, senior counsel at Free Press. Gonzlez was formerly on the FCCs Open Internet Advisory Committee and Diversity Committee. Shes also the former executive vice president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.

Jessica Gonzlez, welcome to Democracy Now!

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Thank you.

AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the significance of the elevation of Ajit Pai to be the head of the FCC, and the decisions and the stands that he takes.

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Well, Ajit Pai is Trumps new FCC chairman, and it should come as a surprise to no one that he poses a significant threat, not only to net neutrality, but also to the digital divide. In his first weekshis first week in office, he talked a good game about bridging the digital divide. But actions speak louder than words. And if you look at his actions, theres a very, very troubling history of voting against reforms to both bring affordable access to poor Americans, to low-income Americans, to people of color, who disproportionately lack home internet access, but theres also a troubling history of voting against net neutrality. He voted against the Lifeline order, to modernize Lifeline and bring affordable broadband to low-income families. He voted against the E-rate order, to help bring high-speed internet to schools and libraries in poor neighborhoods. And he voted against net neutrality, to keep the internet open so that people who dont usually get a spot in mainstream media can tell their own stories, can organize for justice and can make a living. And so, were very concerned. We have a close eye on him. And we cant trust what he says. And actions speak louder than words.

JUAN GONZLEZ: Well, Jessica, in a 2015 interview with Reason TV, Ajit Pai suggested that any federal regulation of the internet is harmful. This is what he said.

COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI: Do you trust the federal government to make the internet ecosystem more vibrant than it is today? Can you think of any regulated utility, like the electric company or water company, that is as innovative as the internet? I mean, I think what he, what Marc Andreessen, who developed, of course, the first Netscape browserwhat he and other entrepreneurs are seeing is that this is something that has worked really well, and theres no reason for the FCC to mess it up by inserting itself into areas where it hasnt been before.

JUAN GONZLEZ: So what about this issue of his view on the internet? And remember, it took the Obama administration several years, only the last couple of years of Obamas presidency, before they finally took a clear stand that the internet was a public utility, and even under Wheeler, who no one expected, as the chair of the FCC, a former telecommunications guy, that it would pass, it would take that stand. It has now. What would it mean if Pai got the FCC to vote to rescind that?

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Well, it would be very dangerous. Look, were in an administration that is trying to shut down speech. We have a president and his surrogates telling the media to shut up. Theyre trying to silence dissent. And the internet is the one clear way where we know that people, movements can control the narrative and can organize. Four million Americans wrote to the FCC in 2015 and told them, "We want an open internet. We understand that the internet companies have monopoly-like status, that they are blockingyou know, that they have the power and the incentive to block access and to cut special deals behind our backs. And we dont want that. We want to be ableonce we pay the hefty prices we do to get on the internet, we want to be able to go where we want, see what we want, and access the content we want, without getting shoved over into a slow lane if you dont have the money." And so, its incredibly vital, now more than ever, that we protect an open internet and that this administration heed the millions and millions of regular people, thatyou know, I think we cannot trust Ajit Pai. Hes a former Verizon lobbyist. Hes, you know, walking in the footsteps of Trump. And we need to be very, very, very careful.

JUAN GONZLEZ: I wanted to ask you about the troubling role of a lot of the civil rights organizations on this issue, the NAACP and others and this minority media telecommunications organization. Could you talk about the disappointing role that some of these organizations have played in this debate?

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Sure. Well, theres a few organizations that represent people of color that have come out on the wrong side of this issue. Its troubling, but, frankly, if you look at the grassroots, the vast majority of people of color understand this. We understand that we do not like the way we have been represented in mainstream media. Were portrayed as criminals. Were portrayed as people who pose a danger to the society. We understand that the internet has played a democratizing force in making sure that our voices are heard, in making sure that weve been able to organize and in making sure that we can really, you know, tap into the networks that we need to tap into to change the narrative in this country for the better of lots of different issuesfor the water protectors, for immigrant rights activists, for Black Lives Matter. And we see the way that movements have utilized the internet to change the way society perceives us. And so, these groupstheres a few of themtheyre on the wrong side of the issue, and its very troubling. But, you know, they dont represent most people of color on this.

AMY GOODMAN: I want toI want to ask you about Ajit Pais position on the FCCs attempts to prevent prison phone monopolies from dramatically overcharging families for phone calls to prisoners.

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Sure. Well, this is yet another example of where he talks the talk, but he walks in the other direction. Hein both 2013 and 2015, the FCC looked at the issue of exorbitant prison phone rates. Some families of inmates and detainees are paying up to $17 for a 15-minute call. Its outrageous. The prisons are getting kickbacks from prison phone companies to charge these exorbitant rates. And its a real abuse of power. Ajit Pai actually acknowledged that this was unjust and that the interests of inmates families may not necessarily align with the prison phone companies. Yet he went ahead and voted against two different orders to help regulate the rates and the fees that are charged by these companies. And so, he talks the talk, but he doesnt walk the walk. In fact, he filed a 20-page dissent in 2013 that mirrored some of the company talking points. And so, we have to really hold him accountable on this. He does not have the best interests of communities of color and poor people at heart. And we need to hold his feet to the fire.

JUAN GONZLEZ: And finally, I wanted to ask you, you wereyou were a member of the FCCs Open Internet Advisory Committee and Diversity Committee. Have those been dissolved? Or whats happened? Because I understand you havent been called to any meetings in quite a while.

JESSICA GONZLEZ: Its been a couple years since Ive heard anything about those. They used to be active, few years back. Wed meet on a semiregular basis. I dont think Ive received an official word on whether or not they exist anymore, but I certainly havent been invited to any meetings in the past couple of years.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, Jessica Gonzlez, we want to thank you for being with us, deputy director, senior counsel at Free Press, formerly with the FCCs Open Internet Advisory Committee and Diversity Committee.

This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. When we come back, two leading immigrants rights activists here in New York in the face of the attempted imposition of the Muslim travel ban, but also the raids that have been taking place across the country. Stay with us.

[break]

AMY GOODMAN: "El Hielo/ICE," by La Santa Cecilia, performing at our Democracy Now! studio. To see the full interview and their performance, go to democracynow.org. Yes, this is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Im Amy Goodman, with Juan Gonzlez.

Originally posted here:

FCC Under Trump: Net Neutrality & Internet Freedom Face New Attack - Democracy Now!

The Seasteading Institute has a grand vision of a libertarian wonderland; Kim described it as a floating city where "there will be no welfare, no minimum wage, looser building codes and little restrictions on weapons (better for defending against pirates, we assume)." In January they signed an agreement with the French Polynesian government "to cooperate on creating legal framework to allow for the development of The Floating Island Project. The legislation will give the Floating Island Project its own special governing framework creating an innovative special economic zone.

And no, we are not talking about meringue and custard. This is a city floating in its own "Special Economic SeaZone". We now know what it might look like; The Seasteading institute held a design competition that resulted in a tie for first place.

The whole idea is silly, but there are some very interesting ideas in the competition entries that are worth a look. They have big beautiful renderings, so we are using the slideshow format.

Go here to read the rest:

Fabulous floating cities promise freedom - Treehugger

Like some of her classmates who graduated with her from West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North in 2009, Monica Koppstein would like to move out of her parents' home and live in her own apartment.

Koppstein, 29, works as a cashier's assistant at a local business. Although she has multiple disabilities and could live on her own with some support, there are few options available to her. That's why she has remained under her parents' roof.

But that could change, now that the West Windsor Township Planning Board has approved Project Freedom Inc.'s proposed 72-unit rental apartment complex, off Old Bear Brook Road.

Work on Freedom Village at West Windsor, as the new rental apartment complex will be known, is expected to begin at the end of this year or early in 2018.

The 72 apartments will be distributed among six, two-story buildings. There are 14 one-bedroom apartments, 42 two-bedroom apartments and 16 three-bedroom apartments. All are designed to be wheelchair-accessible, with wide doorways and hallways, elevators and walk-in showers.

Freedom Village at West Windsor will be Project Freedom's eighth development, Tracee Battis told the Planning Board at its Feb. 8 meeting. She is the director of housing development for the Robbinsville-based nonprofit organization. There are four developments in Mercer County, and one each in Burlington, Ocean and Salem counties.

Project Freedom Inc.'s mission is to provide affordable housing for people with disabilities, Battis said. The earliest projects were fully occupied by the disabled, she said.

But the State of New Jersey, which offers subsidies, now requires 25 percent of the units to be set aside for the disabled, Battis said. The rest are available to low- and moderate-income households.

For Freedom Village at West Windsor, this means 18 units would be deed-restricted for the disabled. Although the State of New Jersey's goal is to mix the disabled with the non-disabled, Project Freedom Inc. has found that about 40 percent of the units typically are occupied by the disabled, Battis said.

When the meeting was opened for public comment, a couple of attendees encouraged the Planning Board to approve the application.

Nantanee Koppstein said her daughter, Monica Koppstein, would "greatly benefit from the affordable, fully accessible and quality housing" that Project Freedom Inc. offers.

It would the first such housing development in West Windsor Township, Koppstein said. "There is a critical shortage of accessible housing for residents with disabilities," she said.

"Throughout the past several years, I have watched with envy the beautiful and well-maintained housing being developed, owned and efficiently run by Project Freedom Inc. in Hopewell, Lawrence, Robbinsville Hamilton and more," she said.

"Future residents of Freedom Village, like Monica, will be tax-paying and productive members of our community," Koppstein said.

If the application is approved, it would enable people with disabilities to live independently with their peers in the community, she said.

With little comment, the Planning Board unanimously approved Project Freedom Inc.'s application.

See more here:

WEST WINDSOR: Freedom Village apartment complex approved - Packet Online