Free speech – Page 28 – Living Freedom

“I am not Charlie Hebdo” (part II)

Published January 11, 2015 2:36 am by Claire

Again, this is the opinion of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. The following is not by me.

—–begin anon message, part II—–

I am not Charlie Hebdo, because I know that free speech is a lie. The Constitution is a dead letter, and I am a coward.

Charlie Hebdo published offensive speech that was found by a court of law to be worthy of protection. The speakers were killed.

Anwar al-Awlaki published offensive speech, and was killed. He was denied a day in court, and simply murdered.

I don’t want to be killed. I want to work for peace, but I’m not going to stick my head up and invite extremely well-armed people to shoot at me, no matter what costume they wear.

38 Comments

A friend says: “I am not Charlie Hebdo” (part I)

Published January 10, 2015 2:33 am by Claire

I did not write the following. It was sent to me by a friend who has concluded that free speech is now such a myth that anonymity is the only protection. These are my friend’s opinions. Because they’re long, I’ll split this into two parts and run them on successive days.

—–begin anon text—–

19 Comments

Je suis Charlie

Published January 7, 2015 12:13 pm by Claire

(Via Never Yet Melted) And what Larry Correia said. All the years since 9-11, I’ve scrupulously avoided and condemned the jingoistic notion that all Muslims are fanatics and terrorists. There’s a billion of them and most are pretty much like you and me. But. The strain of barbarism poisoning the Arab/Muslim world is growing more putrid by the moment. Since the slaughter at the World Trade Center, I’ve been waiting and wondering when the peaceable moderates of Islam would rise up, condemn, shun, defund, and de-legitimize the monsters among them. Well, those moderate voices have been way, way too moderate…

49 Comments

The Testament of James and an interview with author Vin Suprynowicz, part I

Published January 3, 2015 11:16 am by Claire

A Review
The Testament of James
By Vin Suprynowicz
194 pages
December 2014, Mountain Media

The Testament of James begins, as good mysteries often do, with a death. Actually, TToJ begins with an imposing figure in a black cape sweeping in through the door of a rare book dealer, which may be even better.

The death? Well, that may have been from natural causes, though in unnatural circumstances. The caped, cultured Mediterranean man enters the scene to inquire about a book. A book that may have had something to do with the death. A book that may or may not even exist.

71 Comments

Hope for high schoolers

Published September 26, 2014 10:00 am by Claire

Well now, this is encouraging. Teenagers commit civil disobedience to protest a proposed new history curriculum that would de-emphasize strife and civil disobedience: Hundreds of students walked out of classrooms around suburban Denver on Tuesday in protest over a conservative-led school board proposal to focus history education on topics that promote citizenship, patriotism and respect for authority, in a show of civil disobedience that the new standards would aim to downplay. Yeah, yeah, I know that school curricula have always been political playthings. I came through prison school in one of those “shut up and obey” eras. Learning only the…

9 Comments

Weekend links

Published August 16, 2014 10:51 am by Claire

Oh rats. Device sniffs out smuggled money. Irony. While Obama asks Ferguson, MO, police to quit attacking journalists, press-freedom advocates ask Obama to do the same. In the “decline of civilization and common sense” department, two women are so terrified of an angry cat that they call 911. And this was their own cat, not some potentially rabid stranger. (H/T SC) “The Soros Put.” The savvy, super-connected billionaire bets $2.2 billion (17% of his assets under management) on a coming stock market crash. H/T to Silver, who also comments. “Who lost the cities?” Hint: Their close cousins lost the whole…

10 Comments

Thursday links

Published July 24, 2014 7:45 am by Claire

Ha! There’s some nice road-rage poetic justice for ya. The pink police state. How the country becomes more authoritarian and rule-bound at the same time some personal behaviors become more “allowed.” Another scientific study that proves what’s blatantly obvious to dog people: dogs get jealous. (HRH Princess Ava Prettypaws has spent her whole life trying to insert herself between me and any other critter I ever pay attention to.) Radley Balko on victim disarmament and race. I’m so glad to see Radley’s vital work in the Washington Post. Aw, do poo widdle senator. Him suffering so much him dust had…

15 Comments

Tuesday links

Published May 27, 2014 1:42 am by Claire

Apparently neither the Fourth nor the Second Amendment apply when it’s for your own good. (H/T PB from comments.) The real problem, of course, would be solved by getting rid of government schools and all their rigid one-size-fits-allism. Still, this short video is an interesting analysis of what’s being done to boys. And to society’s future. (H/T MJR) Related to the story Gunny alerted us to the other day, the intended target in that Texas case has been ordered to recant her statements to the press. As a condition of parole. Can you spell “First amendment abuse”? What if female…

6 Comments

Thursday links

Published May 15, 2014 7:57 am by Claire

Aw, da poo widdle coppie. Him aw hurt because him being shunned after him was a bad coppie and … somebody decided to howl loud, long, and amazingly effectively for justice. Um, yeah. I don’t think I’ll be buying any new cars, thank you. (H/T J) Harry Reid’s Rule #1: Billionaires buying government are only bad when you disagree with them. (Jon Stewart whacks Reid with a cluebat.) With Google, I often think lately that its high-minded motto, “Don’t be evil,” was never anything but a cover for the slimy things it intended to get away with Apple, too. I…

14 Comments

Tuesday links

Published April 15, 2014 1:35 am by Claire

As you suffer through your taxes (or their aftermath), be of good cheer. You have much less chance of being audited than you’ve had in years. Church in a wealthy community installs a “homeless Jesus” sculpture. Woman reports the bum to cops. Notice to thieves: It’s not a good idea to burglarize the Pena household. In many places this would not be news. In darkest blue, gun-loathing New Jersey, it’s a bigger miracle than seeing Jesus’ face in a tortilla. (H/T jw) I think some school officials are going to be in trouble over this Sure hope so. (PT, who…

3 Comments

Category: Free speech