Freedom of expression is everybody's birth right. Recently in Bangladesh the ruling party, along with other ultra-religious miscreants, is killing this freedom of expression in the name of "hurting religious sentiments" and on the ground of blasphemy. We, the whole democratic and secular world, condemn this - and ask Bangladesh Government to stop this immediately and release those writers/bloggers who just expressed their views on something traditionally considered sensitive in nature. This is a threat to freethinking, this is a Threat to humanity, this is a Threat to the overall prosperity of a nation and the whole world.
Some of you may have seen media coverage about my decision to step off
the board of directors of the David Suzuki Foundation. I am writing to
tell you more about this and what it means.
After my children and grandchildren, my greatest pride is the David Suzuki Foundation.
I am fiercely proud of how the Foundation brings science and solutions
to environment problems. I’m determined to ensure that the Foundation
continues to have the ability to solve critical environmental issues and
bring hope for the future.
But I have reached a point in my life where I would like to consider
myself an elder. I want to speak freely without fear that my words will
be deemed too political, and harm the organization of which I am so
proud. I am keenly aware that some governments, industries and special
interest groups are working hard to silence us. They use threats to the
Foundation’s charitable status in attempts to mute its powerful voice on
issues that matter deeply to you and many other Canadians.
This bullying demonstrates how important it is to speak out.
The Foundation’s science-based, solutions-oriented research and
educational work has enriched our democracy and reflected Canadian
values for two decades. While not always happily received by governments
or industrial interests, this work is strictly non-partisan, as
required by the laws governing charities, and has made the Foundation
one of the most trusted environmental voices in Canada.
Our opponents, however, are redoubling their efforts to marginalize the Foundation by getting at me, personally.
So last year, I made the decision to step off the board of directors of
the David Suzuki Foundation. I remain one of its most active volunteers
and committed major donors. This way I can fulfill my personal mission
and the Foundation can continue to build on its inspiring work—for us
and our grandchildren—in finding solutions to our shared, and very real,
environmental challenges.
I hope you understand this decision and will continue to show your, steadfast support for my work in this concrete way:
Please share this letter with your family and friends and, at this
critical moment, invite them to become supporters of the David Suzuki
Foundation, by joining our online community or donating today.
This message was sent to the group 'Anonymous' from inside Egypt prior to the undemocratic government unprecedented shutting down of the internet in an attempt to stifle free speech.
At the end of November, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, which is run by the Smithsonian, announced it was removing a four-minute excerpt of the 13-minute video A Fire in My Belly by New York artist David Wjonarowicz, who died of AIDS in 1992.
The Catholic League, along with conservative forces in the U.S., protested the work as "anti-Christian" because of an 11-second segment featuring ants crawling over a bloody crucifix. (I think molesting little boys is "anti-Christian" but they don't seem to be too concerned about that. I suppose we all have our priorities).
The work is part of the gallery's exhibition of gay and lesbian portraitures of life — Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture — running through Feb. 13, 2011.
The removal of A Fire In My Belly sparked an outcry in the arts community. The Association of Art Museum Directors blasted the Smithsonian for bowing to "unwarranted and uninformed censorship."
Both the Andy Warhol Foundation and the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, which loaned images to the Hide/Seek exhibit, proclaimed they would stop donating money to the Smithsonian, which oversees many of the museums in Washington, D.C.
A non-profit Washington art gallery, Transformer, has pledged to keep showing the piece in its storefront window every day for 24 hours until it is reinstated at the National Portrait Gallery.
Since the video's removal on Nov. 30, other galleries in the U.S., including ones in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis and Pittsburgh, also began screening it.
Dictator of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe (with Hitler-esque mustache).
Here is text from the leaked cable which was written in September 2000. The memo records a meeting between a US embassy official in Harare and a senior source in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the party opposed to Mugabe's Zanu-PF.
1. (S) According to Elton Mangoma, MDC-T Minister of Economic Development and member of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's inner circle, the MDC would like the U.S. to contribute to a "trust fund" to buy off securocrats and move them into retirement.
It was also reported that the UN planned to ask Germany and the United Kingdom to contribute to the so called "trust fund".
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Julian Assange a 'high-tech terrorist' today on Meet The Press. This is the strongest condemnation of Assange by any US official to date.
As the United States scrambles to find a law to charge Assange, I predict they will eventually invent some sort of conspiracy related charge in an attempt to shut him up. I also predict massive failure on the part of the United States government in doing it.
The vicious intimidation campaign against WikiLeaks is a dangerous attack on freedom of expression and the press. Top US politicians have branded WikiLeaks a terrorist organization, and urged corporations to shut it down. Commentators have even suggested assassinating its staff.
Whatever we think of WikiLeaks, legal experts say it has likely broken no laws, and the group works with leading newspapers (NYT, Guardian, Spiegel) to carefully vet what it publishes - so far less than 1% of the cables leaked to it.
We urgently need a massive public outcry to defend our basic democratic freedoms. Sign the petition to stop the crackdown -- let's reach 1 million voices this week!
I received an invitation to this event and I thought it was an interesting follow up to the earlier post about the new appointment of Chad Simon to the Pride Toronto board.
An all-candidates-style discussion with those who want to join Pride Toronto's board of directors, hosted by Janne Farrow.
Join the Pride Coalition for Free Speech and Xtra as we get to know future Pride Toronto board members and quiz them in an all-candidates meeting format.
Public. Transparent. Accountable.
We all want a strong, vibrant Pride. Be part of the solution.
I was recently informed by someone who visited China that my blog is banned there. My first thought upon hearing this news was 'no surprise there'. My second thought was, 'I should make a badge for my blog'.
I'm a bit busy these days, but I still wanted to proudly display my newfound censorednessism, or whatever one is when one is censored. So, rather than make a badge I simply googled 'banned in china' and I found pictures of t-shirts like the one on the right, which are available for purchase at Zazzle.com
I don't get a cut if you buy one, but I figured if I'm using their pic, I should give them credit. Maybe one of these days I'll create my own badge, but for now I'll let people think the fit dude in the picture is me.
In 2003 Natalie Maines, the lead vocalist for the country trio, Dixie Chicks made an off the cuff remark at a London, UK concert. She said "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." This comment came at a time when the United States and the UK were about to invade Iraq. This did not sit well with many in the American media, some Dixie Chicks fans, and politicians. Many felt that as the country was about to "go to war" it was inappropriate to publicly disparage the President.
A documentary called Shut Up & Sing covering the time period from the comment incident to their 2006 tour has been made and will be released on November 10. The movie was screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September of this year, and was the first documentary in 14 years to be screened at a gala presentation.
Click the play button below to view the trailer.
The group was on Oprah recently to promote the movie, their new album and tour. I was familiar with their new song, 'Not ready to make nice', which I really like, but I wasn't aware until the Oprah show that the song is essentially the Chicks response to the backlash against them, which included protests, the burning of their records and even a death threat. That threat, and a reference to a Mother telling her toddler daughter to call the Dixie Chicks "scum" (which can be seen in the movie) are part of the lyrics that make up the powerful climax of the song:
Not Ready To Make Nice Words & Music by Emily Robison, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson
I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
Quotes from Emily, Martie and Natalie about their new song from their official press website:
Emily [Robison]: We knew it was special because it was so autobiographical, and we had to get it right.
Martie [Maguire]: I realized I had suppressed a lot about the death threat. It all came flooding back in the process of writing this song, I think we all realized just how painful it had been for us.
Natalie [Maines]: This album was therapy. To write these songs allowed me to find peace with everything and move on."
I will see the movie when it comes out, and I will write my opinion about it here. It should be interesting and entertaining, even though some have said it is simply a ploy by the artists to increase their sales and try to win back fans. That may be so, but, America is supposedly a free country, and if at the same time the group is educating Americans to be a bit more tolerant and accepting of the rights they so proudly brag about all the time, then it can't be all bad.
, which is run by the Smithsonian, announced it was removing a four-minute excerpt of the 13-minute video A 
in 1992.
, along with conservative forces in the U.S., protested the work as "anti-Christian" because of an 11-second segment featuring ants crawling over a bloody crucifix. (I think molesting little boys is "anti-Christian" but they don't seem to be too concerned about that. I suppose we all have our priorities).
and a senior source in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the party opposed to 
's Zanu-PF.
s board of directors, hosted by Janne Farrow.
and 
