Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 15th, 2018

snaves (39)in #freespeech • 7 years ago

A summary of the top free speech related news and events from the past week. This week we have news on a lawsuit, failed bill, university inquiry, misguided bus driver, Indian singer arrested, and a couple videos of free speech panels.

Freedom of speech is the right from which all other human rights follow because it allows people to address grievances and protest for their other rights. It is therefore of the utmost importance to protect the right to express oneself freely from those who seek to restrict it.

Buffer Zone Bill For Abortion Protests Fails

http://stlouisreview.com/article/2018-04-16/buffer-zone-bill-st
A bill that would have created an 8-foot fixed buffer zone around health care facilities such as Planned Parenthood for protests was rejected by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. The bill was meant to protect access to such facilities, but pro-life groups said it would restrict their First Amendment rights. Bill sponsor Christine Ingrassia argued it struck a balance by allowing people “to get across their message if they were choosing to demonstrate, but would allow for the driveway to be accessible.” Similar buffer zones currently exist in Chicago and Pittsburgh while the Supreme Court has both upheld such a zone in Colorodo (2000) and struck one down in Massachusetts (2014). The free speech argument won in St. Louis with several alderman who had supported the bill changing their minds.

Indian Singer Arrested For Political Song

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/18/folk-singers-arrest-shows-indias-free-speech-problem
https://www.ndtv.com/tamil-nadu-news/for-song-criticising-pm-modi-trichy-police-arrest-tamil-singer-kovan-1837366
Indian folk singer S. Kovan was arrested in the southern state of Tamil Nadu for singing a song critical of Indian Prime Minister Modi at a protest meeting. He is being charged with “promoting enmity, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, intent to cause mutiny and alarm.” A music video of the song went viral. Kovan was previously arrested in 2015 for sedition against Tamil Nadu’s state government. According to Human Rights Watch, “India’s laws on sedition, criminal defamation, hate speech, and public order are often used against journalists, activists, artists, writers, and cartoonists to crack down on speech that is critical of the authorities.”

College Settles Free Speech Lawsuit

https://www.thefire.org/victory-student-detained-for-passing-out-political-flyers-settles-lawsuit-with-illinois-college/
Joliet Junior College, a public institution, settled the First Amendment lawsuit filed by student Ivette Salazar after being detained for handing out political flyers. Salazar was detained and interrogated by campus police in November 2017 when handing out anti-capitalist flyers for the Party for Socialism and Liberation and told she needed administrative permission. The school changed its free speech zone policy as a result of the lawsuit, removing the restriction of expressive activity to one small, indoor area. A new policy was put in place modeled on the “Chicago Statement”. The settlement features paid damages and staff training for the new policy.

University Inquiry Over Professor’s Tweets

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-fresno-state-barbara-bush-20180419-story.html
https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2018/04/19/aclu-free-speech-groups-call-halt-fresno-state-teacher-investigation/534525002/
Cal State Fresno professor Randa Jarrar is under investigation by the university for controversial tweets she made following the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush. Among other things, she called Mrs. Bush a “witch” and “amazing racist.” Jarrar touted her status as a tenured professor when responding to complaints, but the university said that does not give her blanket protection. Eight free speech organizations have come to her defense in a letter to the university administration stating the tweets made as a private citizen and “protected by the First Amendment and the liberty of speech clause of the California Constitution, by which Fresno State is legally bound.”

Bus Driver In Trouble For Leading Students In Prayer

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/twin-cities-school-bus-driver-removed-after-leading-prayer/2018/04/20/4ade090a-44c2-11e8-b2dc-b0a403e4720a_story.html?noredirect=on
A pastor and school bus driver from Minneapolis, Minnesota finds himself in trouble once again for leading students in prayer. George Nathaniel was taken off his route and not assigned a new one following parent complaints. He was previously fired from another bus driving job four years ago for also leading prayers. He readily admits that his goal is to convert people to Christianity. Nathaniel wrongly believes he has the free speech and freedom of religion right to do so. He doesn’t understand that the freedom to exercise his religious beliefs doesn’t include the right to force public school students who have no choice to exercise his beliefs.

A Couple College Free Speech Talks

At Dartmouth: Dave Rubin, Yasmine Mohammed, and Onkar Ghate discussed the state of free speech in a talk produced by the Ayn Rand Institute. Video of the event is available on YouTube.
At Harvard: Jacob McHangama, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, Flemming Rose, and Mustafa Akyol held a panel discussion on free speech and minority dissent. According to Melissa Chen of IWB, the event titled “Dissent From Minorities Within Minorities” didn’t have “free speech” in the title to avoid disapproval by the student union because they believe it is a dog whistle for the alt-right. Video of the event is available on Facebook.

What do you think about these stories? Leave a comment below!

Recent Free Speech Roundups:

Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 8th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Apr. 1st, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 25th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 18th, 2018
Free Speech Roundup: Week of Mar. 11th, 2018

Free Speech Resources:

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education
The American Civil Liberties Union
Notable 1st Amendment Cases – ALA
Milton’s Areopagitica – Modern English Translation
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill – Audiobook

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
~ First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

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