Category Archives: Freedom

Sunshine Week is commemorated nationally this week to remind people about the importance of open government and freedom of information.

It is to promote an appreciation for the powerfully simple words of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ..."

Those freedoms are what separate citizens of the United States from the victims of totalitarian societies around the globe. Those freedoms must never be taken for granted.

They also must be guarded constantly, because efforts to chip away at those freedoms never cease.

Federal and state laws guarantee public access to government information, but seeing that the laws are adhered to and not watered down is an uphill fight that never ends in communities all across America.

Sunshine Week began in 2002 in Florida as part of a fight to kill hundreds of new exemptions to the state's public records law. Other states followed, and now a broad base of organizations nationwide cooperate to keep this important issue in front of the public. It coincides with James Madison's birthday on March 16.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors originally coordinated Sunshine Week, and is now joined by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. But the list of other participants shows that freedom of information is far from a newspaper or media concern. It is a concern for civic groups, libraries, archives and nonprofits.

Freedom of information also must be important to every citizen.

The public needs to know how government money is raised and spent. It must have public information to judge job performances by police, bureaucrats and elected leaders.

But most of all the public needs facts. As a society, we need to do more digging to make decisions, rather than believe whatever is being passed around on emails, blogs or slanted talk-shows on radio and television.

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Information freedom offers power to people

PARIS (AP) The Arab Spring is changing the face of Internet freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders, which released its latest "Enemies of the Internet" list Monday.

The annual report classifies as "enemies" countries that severely curtail freedom of expression on and access to the Web. It also draws up a list of states "under surveillance."

The group added Bahrain to its enemies list, citing a news blackout and harassment of bloggers in an attempt to quell a yearlong Shiite-led rebellion against the Sunni monarchy.

The country had previously been under surveillance.

"Bahrain offers a perfect example of successful crackdowns, with an information blackout achieved through an impressive arsenal of repressive measures: exclusion of the foreign media, harassment of human rights defenders, arrests of bloggers and netizens (one of whom died behind bars), prosecutions and defamation campaigns against free expression activists, disruption of communications," the Paris-based group's report said.

But the Arab Spring the name given to a cascade of revolts across the Arab world has also led to the opening up of some regimes.

Libya, where the repressive rule of Moammar Gadhafi was thrown off in a violent revolt, was removed from the list of countries under surveillance.

"In Libya, many challenges remain but the overthrow of the Gadhafi regime has ended an era of censorship," the report said.

The group said that the Arab Spring had also highlighted the importance of the Internet and therefore the importance of protecting access to and expression on it.

"The Internet and social networks have been conclusively established as tools for protest, campaigning and circulating information, and as vehicles for freedom," the group said. "More than ever before, online freedom of expression is now a major foreign and domestic policy issue."

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Global media watchdog names enemies of Internet

Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 5:27 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 5:27 p.m.

Recent tension between health care advocates and predominantly Catholic institutions about preventive health care measures that include insurance coverage for contraceptives has again highlighted conflicts involving religious freedom. It's not a new debate.

Religious organizations have sought and occasionally received exemptions from rules that apply to others. Courts have examined religious exemption clashes case by case; for example, protecting the ability of churches to make core religious decisions, but denying broader claimed exemptions from health and safety regulations.

Lawyers, scholars and civil libertarians have differed on how to resolve conflicts between sometimes competing values: an individual's right to exercise religious expression free of government regulation; the need to uniformly enforce neutral rules on important issues like rules barring employment discrimination, the obligation of government not to interfere in the core mission of religious institutions and the need to safeguard the religious freedom of those of one religious faith (or no religious faith) from being subjected to the rules of others' faith. The government's efforts to ensure that all women have access to contraceptives as part of the national health care law is creating conflict with the Catholic Church and some religiously affiliated organizations. The government's current plan is to require that insurance companies provide coverage for contraceptives for women not only to regulate fertility but that doctors also prescribe to treat a variety of medical conditions. (This includes women whose religious principles do not bar the use of contraceptives.)

But this most recent flare-up is especially troubling in Florida. Here, some of the same groups that are demanding exemption, based on religious freedom, from parts of the national health care plan are, at the same time, asking voters to give them long-forbidden access to tax dollars to help fund their religious activities.

This radical departure from Florida's 125-year constitutional tradition of "no aid" to religious institutions will appear as proposed Amendment 8 on November's ballot, written by the Legislature in a cleverly deceptive way that is designed to seduce voters into supporting "religious freedom." On closer inspection, "religious freedom" means the "freedom" to get access to tax dollars.

These Florida groups want to exempt themselves from some government laws if those laws conflict with their religious practices, while insisting that government fund those very same religious practices. They want the money but not the rules.

That position seems a bit hypocritical. It is also short-sighted. Many defenders of religious liberty and far-sighted faith leaders oppose government funding of religion in part because government money comes with government strings. It's naive to think that government will not require recipients of public funds, including religiously affiliated institutions, to account for how those funds are spent.

By asking to be let out of rules that apply to everyone else, churches also are creating a slippery slope. If churches can opt out of policies that infringe on their beliefs, taxpayers might claim the right to opt out of paying taxes used for religious practices they don't support. They also may want to opt out of having to pay taxes for even nonreligious uses they disagree with or that violate their conscience, such as funding wars or providing foreign aid.

But we can't. Taxes aren't optional.

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Having it both ways on ‘religious freedom'

12:00 PM

By Erin Rhoda erhoda@mainetoday.com Staff Writer

FREEDOM A majority of residents at the annual Town Meeting on Saturday expressed their dissatisfaction with corporate funding of political campaigns when they took a non-binding vote in support of abolishing corporate personhood.

The town will now send a letter to President Barack Obama and Maines congressional delegates to urge them to amend the U.S. Constitution to state that corporations do not have the same rights as people. The ultimate goal is to require corporations to disclose their contributions to political campaigns, events and advertisements.

About 65 people attended the meeting at Dirigo Grange, but not all people supported the resolution. Scott Holmes was one of several people who spoke against it.

To amend the Constitution doesnt sit well with me, he said. I think it should stay the way it is.

Sarah Bicknell, a Unity College student who lives in Freedom, organized the petition to bring the measure to a vote at the Town Meeting.

She said her effort was largely a reaction to a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that the government may not limit corporations political spending. The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling allows corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money, without disclosure, on campaigns. Resident Doug Van Horn argued in response to Holmes that the Constitution has been amended before.

The Supreme Court has the right to change our Constitution, and it has done that in this particular case. We are asking essentially to ... counteract what the Supreme Court has done, he said. Resident Martha Story-Foisy argued in favor of the resolution, saying it would send a message that we dont like whats happening as far as these corporations getting involved in our election process and really, in some cases, buying elections.

First Selectman Ron Price said that while the vote was non-binding, he didnt like the idea of the whole town making a political statement. And he would have preferred a private vote at the polls, he said.

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Freedom: Corporations aren’t people

COMMENTARY | According to the Associated Press, a U.S. Marine sergeant has come under scrutiny for posting on Facebook that he would not follow orders from president Barack Obama, the commander-in-chief.

While Sgt. Gary Stein later softened his language, his actions have sparked a debate about the freedom of speech rights of members of the military. Stein and his supporters argue that constitutional rights trump all, while others say that wearing a military uniform in any official capacity means you should not be allowed to use speech to besmirch the military or its chain of command.

I agree with those who claim that constitutional rights depend upon one's role. A member of the U.S. military should not be allowed to defame the military, for obvious reasons. In a career field where unit cohesion and trust is paramount, it is in bad form, and perhaps even damaging to safety and security, for members to be allowed to freely criticize others. Historically, poor unit cohesion and lack of trust between soldiers and officers has been a significant reason for military defeats. In World War I, for example, the Russian army was widely known for its poor morale and lack of trust and camaraderie between soldiers and officers.

Military examples aside, one's freedom of speech rights also depend on one's position of trust or leadership in society. Some people hold positions of power where they should not be allowed to say whatever they wish while in their official capacity. A government official, while on the clock, should not be given a free hand to criticize other officials and thereby sow fear and anger among the public. A teacher, such as myself, should not be able to turn the classroom into his or her political podium.

Like Stein, I myself have political opinions and would like to voice them. Unlike the scrutinized Marine, however, I only express such opinions outside my range of official duties. Making my opinions known in the classroom could cause students to tailor their writings to try and appease my grading pen, unfairly curtailing their own opinions and perhaps making me an oppressive indoctrinator. I do not wish this, nor should anyone who values the Constitution.

My freedom of speech, and that of other people who hold power and authority over others, should be curtailed on the job so that others can enjoy their own freedom of speech more freely.

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Freedom of Speech Debate: Marine Wrong About Constitution

9 March 2012 Last updated at 19:11 ET

The Royal Regiment of Scotland is to be given the freedom of the city of Stirling in a special ceremony.

The soldiers are being awarded the civic honour in recognition of their services and strong links to the area.

They will then be entitled to enter the city "with drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed".

Provost Fergus Wood said: "It will be a great day for the people of Stirling to come out and cheer on the Royal Regiment of Scotland."

He said the city was "very proud" to be bestowing the honour on the regiment.

The event will begin at 11:00 with 51st Highland, 7th Battalion of the Royal Scottish Regiment marching from Stirling Castle, led by a combined military and pipe band.

The parade will then march down Broad Street before heading along Corn Exchange Road to the Albert Halls.

A band will play at the Albert Halls giving people an opportunity to enjoy the music with the soldiers.

The parade will then march along Dumbarton Road to Port Street, finishing up at Old Viewforth.

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Regiment awarded freedom of city

Freedom Group Inc., parent company of Remington Arms Co. in Madison, announced today another major management shakeup that includes the resignation of its chairman and chief executive.

Robert Nardelli stepped down, effective immediately, just more than two months after being appointed chief executive.

John Blystone was replaced as chairman by George Kollitides, a Freedom Group board member and a former managing director of Cerberus Capital Management LP, a private investment company.

The company said in a statement Kollitides will serve as interim chief executive "pending the completion of negotiations with a successor CEO expected to be named shortly."

Company officials could not be reached immediately for further comment. Both Blystone and Nardelli will serve as a senior adviser to Cerberus and an affiliate.

Freedom Group is a manufacturer and marketer of firearms, ammunition and related products for the hunting, shooting sports, law-enforcement and military markets. Among its brands are Remington, Marlin, Harrington & Richardson and New England Firearms.

It is the third chief executive change for Freedom since September 2010, when Theodore Torbeck left to become president and general manager of Cincinnati Bell Communications.

Nardelli acted as chairman of what Freedom called "the office of the chief executive" until he was appointed formally as chief executive on Jan. 3. Nardelli said in the statement he was resigning to spend more time with his investment and consulting company, XLR-8 LLC.

Nardelli was hired to assist Cerberus and its affiliates with raising money to buy and restructure underperforming companies. Nardelli also has served as chief executive and chairman of The Home Depot and of Chrysler LLC.

Steve Feinberg, chief executive of Cerberus, said Nardelli "enhanced Freedom Group's operational capabilities, strengthened the management team and created a metrics-driven organization and how-to culture."

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Yet another shakeup at Freedom Group, parent of Madison's Remington Arms

MADISON, N.C., March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Robert L. Nardelli and Freedom Group, Inc. ("FGI"), announced today that Nardelli has stepped down from his position as CEO of Freedom Group, effective immediately. George Kollitides, a member of FGI's Board of Directors and formerly a Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. ("Cerberus") Managing Director, has been named Chairman of the Board replacing current Chairman John Blystone, and will act as the interim CEO of FGI pending the completion of negotiations with a successor CEO expected to be named shortly.

Nardelli said, "I informed the Board of Directors of FGI that I would step down as CEO of FGI in order to devote attention to XLR-8 LLC, my investment and consulting company. This is a great time for me to focus on XLR-8 and leverage my 41 years in a variety of businesses and sectors and my recent private investing and advisory experience with Cerberus and its affiliates, to raise money to acquire underperforming companies, and to help them operate more profitably and improve their enterprise value. I have transitioned into a role as Senior Advisor to both Steve Feinberg, CEO of Cerberus, and its affiliate Cerberus Operations and Advisory Company, LLC ('COAC'), and I will continue to work with them in that capacity."

Nardelli continued, "Since joining the FGI board in September 2010, I have gained great respect for the dedicated and talented people of this iconic company. FGI has a proud past and a bright future in large part because of being guided by a very strong management team and board."

"Over the past 17 months, Bob's involvement with the business has enhanced FGI's operational capabilities, strengthened the management team, and created a metrics-driven organization and 'how-to' culture," said Steve Feinberg, Cerberus CEO. "We are grateful to him for his contributions. We are also pleased to add George's talent, industry expertise and knowledge to our management team, which will also be supplemented in the near-term by a world-class business leader as the permanent CEO."

Blystone will also transition to a role as Senior Advisor to Cerberus and its affiliates. Feinberg stated, "I am truly grateful for all of John's strong work on FGI and I am looking forward to him taking another senior leadership role in one of our portfolio companies."

Nardelli spent more than 30 years at General Electric Co. managing a wide range of businesses, including appliances, lighting, transportation and power systems. He also was CEO and chairman of The Home Depot and CEO and chairman of Chrysler LLC before becoming CEO of COAC in 2009.

Kollitides had been at Cerberus Capital Management since 2003, where he has served as a Managing Director, focusing on the defense, firearms and related industries. Kollitides was the principal architect of the investments in FGI for Cerberus. An avid outdoorsman, Kollitides is a long-time member of numerous hunting, shooting, Second Amendment and conservation organizations. He currently serves as a Trustee of the NRA Foundation and Director of the NRA's Hunting and Wildlife Committee, Presidents Committee on Advancement and Nominating Committee. He is also a Director of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association.

About Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.Established in 1992, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., along with its affiliates, is one of the world's leading private investment firms with over $20 billion under management. Through its team of investment and operations professionals, Cerberus specializes in providing both financial resources and operational expertise to help transform undervalued companies into industry leaders for long-term success and value creation. Cerberus holds controlling or significant minority interests in companies around the world. Cerberus is headquartered in New York City with affiliate and/or advisory offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

About Freedom Group, Inc.Freedom Group is the world's leading innovator, designer, manufacturer, and marketer of firearms, ammunition, and related products for the hunting, shooting sports, law enforcement, and military markets. As one of the largest manufacturers in the world of firearms and ammunition, the company has some of the most globally recognized brands including Remington, Marlin, Harrington & Richardson, New England Firearms, L.C. Smith, Parker, Bushmaster, DPMS/Panther Arms, EOTAC, and INTC.

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Robert L. Nardelli Steps Down as CEO of Freedom Group, Inc.

Freedom Group Inc. said Friday that its CEO Robert Nardelli has stepped down as head of the firearms maker just two months after officially taking the helm.

Nardelli, 63, is the former CEO of The Home Depot and Chrysler and worked for many years as an executive at General Electric. He joined the Freedom in 2010 as chair of the Office of the Chief Executive Officer and was officially named CEO on Jan. 3.

He said in a statement Friday that it was a good time for him to focus on his investment and consulting company, XLR-8 LLC.

Freedom Group makes guns and ammunition with several brand names, including Remington, Bushmaster and Harrington & Richardson. It is owned by an affiliate of private investment firm Cerberus Capital Management LP.

George Kollitides, 42, a former managing director at Cerberus Capital Management and member of Freedom Group's board, will act as interim CEO of the company.

Freedom Group said it expects to name a permanent successor for Nardelli soon.

Nardelli has also transitioned into a role as senior advisor to the CEO of Cerberus and the company's affiliate Cerberus Operations and Advisory Co. LLC. Freedom Group's chairman John Blyston will also transition to a role as senior advisor to Cerberus and its affiliates

Kollitides will replace Blystone as chairman of the board of Freedom Group.

The companies also said Nardelli will step down as CEO of Cerberus Operations and Advisory Co. and his long-time protg Chan Galbato will take over that role.

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Freedom Group CEO Robert Nardelli steps down

By Justin B. Duke

A group of athletes are looking for a home away from home.

The Florence Freedom is currently seeking host families for its players this season.

These players come from all over, said Shirley Brown, who coordinates the host family program.

Freedom players arent paid a lot of money and when they get to Florence, they stay with families who open their homes, Brown said.

Potential hosts are often worried they cant provide for players for a season, but the requirements are simple, she said.

We dont require them to be fed, Brown said.

Host families are only asked to provide players with a bedroom and access to laundry and a bathroom.

Its not a huge disruption to the family, said host Roseanna Koehler.

Koehler has opened her home to players since the Freedom came to Florence.

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Freedom looking for host families