ALG: Forced contraception violates religious liberty, fits into larger pattern of Constitutional violations

Feb. 9, 2012, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement blasting an Obama Administration regulation forcing religious-affiliated institutions to provide contraception in violation of their own doctrines:

"Whether one agrees with the use of contraception or not, forcing religious institutions to pay for a practice that violates their doctrines is a gross misuse of government power and a violation of the First Amendment. This policy was not even a part of the law that Congress voted on, it was a regulation issued from on high by HHS and the White House. It initially applies to religious-affiliated institutions like hospitals, colleges and charities, but if it stands, there will be nothing in the way to also directly force it onto churches and houses of worship in the future.

"Obama is tearing down the constitutional firewalls between state and church, and imposing his will alone. This is a consistent pattern of ignoring and breaking the law to enact his political agenda and it must not be allowed to stand."

Attachments:

"Above the Law," ALG President Bill Wilson, Mar. 29, 2011 at http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?display=3200

"Obama's Radical Non-Recess 'Recess' Appointments," ALG President Bill Wilson, Jan. 5, 2012 at http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=3982

"Did Congress Authorize the Obama Refi's?" ALG Senior Editor Robert Romano, Nov. 2, 2011 at http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=3811

"Obama's executive orders overstep," ALG press statement, Oct. 31, 2011 at http://getliberty.org/content.asp?pl=10&sl=5&contentid=778

"Tyranny with a whisper," ALG President Bill Wilson, Sept. 29, 2011 at http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=3714

"More calls for tyranny over America," ALG President Bill Wilson, Oct. 17, 2011 at http://blog.getliberty.org/default.asp?Display=3762

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Americans for Limited Government is a non-partisan, nationwide network committed to advancing free market reforms, private property rights and core American liberties. For more information on ALG please call us at 703-383-0880 or visit our website at www.GetLiberty.org.

RNC - Bipartisan Opposition to Obama's First Amendment Overreach

All – it seems that with every passing hour, President Obama’s blatant overreach of the First Amendment is picking up more and more steam with Independents, Democrats and Republicans who are ALL voicing their opposition. There is a consistent message: this is an extreme overreach and it seems that the White House is struggling to contain the story.  The real question is, how long until President Obama flip-flops and does the right thing?

WATCH:  Sens. Rubio and Manchin: Bipartisan Opposition To Obama’s First Amendment Overreach

Obama Admin Struggles To Contain Uproar Over First Amendment Overreach

“The White House struggled Wednesday to contain the growing uproar over its birth-control mandate, with Democrats peeling off one by one in what has become an increasingly divisive election-year controversy. Pressure to roll back the new contraception policy mounted quickly as the day wore on, driven by divisions among Democrats, mixed messages from President Obama’s advisers and a constant drumbeat from the GOP. ‘It’s becoming a thorny problem for the White House and it appears to only be getting worse,’ said one Democratic strategist.” (Amie Parnes and Sam Baker, “Obama administration struggles to contain uproar over birth-control rule,” The Hill, 02/08/2012)

Liberal Catholics Who Supported Obamacare Now Upset

“Without former Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, President Barack Obama wouldn’t have gotten his health care overhaul in 2010 passed through Congress. But Stupak, a pro-life Catholic who voted for the health care reform after being promised that federal dollars wouldn’t fund abortions, now isn’t happy with Obama.” (Alex Pappas, “Liberal Catholics who supported Obamacare now upset over contraceptives,” Daily Caller, 02/08/2012)

Contraceptives Rule Riles Some Dems

“President Barack Obama’s contraceptives edict has handed Republicans an election-year gift. But now, the president may have a problem with his own party, too. A handful of high-profile Catholic Democrats are bailing on the president and joining the GOP chorus of critics. They’re arguing that the rule needs to be significantly softened if not, as Republicans want, scrapped altogether. At this point, the Democratic defectors are few in number but tall in stature. They include two swing-state pols on the November ballot — Obama’s former DNC chairman, Tim Kaine, who’s running for Senate in Virginia, and Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey — as well as House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson.” (Scott Wong, “Some Catholic Dems bail on Obama,” Politico, 02/08/2012)

Franklin Center - Attacking the Fifth Estate: Bloggers legally belittled

Friends,

We wanted to share the below editorial by Franklin Center President Jason Stverak regarding the recent court ruling in Oregon saying that bloggers are not protected by shield laws. Feel free to repost on your site. 

Attacking the Fifth Estate
By Jason Stverak 
Online Journalism Review

Bloggers in Oregon, watch out. That’s because this month an Oregon court ruled that bloggers do not have same protection as the “media.”
 
This ruling emerged when Crystal Cox, a blogger, was accused of defaming Obsidian Finance Group and its co-founder Kevin Padrick on her blog. She posted that Padrick acted criminally in a federal bankruptcy case. Padrick sued and the court found that Cox was not protected under the state’s media shield law.
 
This decision has implications for bloggers around the country.
 
Since there is no legal definition for “the press,” this court ruling is one of the first to explicitly say that bloggers are not the media. This comes only a few short months after a federal court ruled that anyone, including bloggers, may legally record public officials, including police officers. The ruling said:
 
[C]hanges in technology and society have made the lines between private citizen and journalist exceedingly difficult to draw. The proliferation of electronic devices with video-recording capability means that many of our images of current events come from bystanders with a ready cell phone or digital camera rather than a traditional film crew, and news stories are now just as likely to be broken by a blogger at her computer as a reporter at a major newspaper. Such developments make clear why the news-gathering protections of the First Amendment cannot turn on professional credentials or status.
[Page 13 of the Slip Opinion from Glik v. Cuniffe]
 
While the Glik case was a victory for citizen journalism, the Oregon ruling is a failure to recognize the drastic changes occurring in the journalism world. Current technological advancements have made the line between citizen journalists and mainstream media harder to define. This is beneficial not only to anyone who produces news but also news consumers as well.

Read More at Online Journalism Review 

If you would like support the Franklin Center, your tax-deductible contribution can be made online by clicking here or send to our offices at 127 S. Peyton St. Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity promotes social welfare and civil betterment by undertaking programs that promote journalism and the education of the public about corruption, incompetence, fraud, or taxpayer abuse by elected officials at all levels of government. Founded in January of 2009, The Franklin Center is a nonpartisan organization that believes that new technology can advance the cause of transparency in government. The Franklin Center aims to educate, to advise and to train individuals and organizations from all backgrounds to become thorough, unbiased and responsible reporters well versed in new media techniques and journalistic integrity. For more information on the Franklin Center please visit www.FranklinCenterHQ.org.

Franklin Center - ICYMI: First Amendment victory for citizen journalists

Today, Washington Times ran an editorial from Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center. It discusses the recent court decision to allow citizens to film government officials, including police officers, in public. This decision is important to citizen journalists who are not protected under any shield laws or credentials. It is also one of the first cases that opens the definition for “the press” in the Constitution.

An excerpt of the editorial is below:

Freedom of the press belongs to everyone, not just ‘official’ reporters
 By Jason Stverak
The Washington Times

 

In a landmark decision, a federal court ruled last week that recording public officials, including police officers, is protected by the First Amendment. This decision, which may outrage law enforcement officials and members of Congress, is one of the first federal court decisions that brings the First Amendment into the Internet age.

This case emerged from separate incidents in which private citizens usedpersonal video cameras or cellphones to capture alleged police brutality.

The first occurred when Khaliah Fitchette, a New Jersey teenager, boarded a bus in Newark. As she waited for the bus to depart, two police officers boarded the bus to forcefully remove a drunken passenger. Ms. Fitchette began taping the police officers and refused to quit upon officer request. She was arrested and detained while the police deleted her footage. No charges were filed against Ms. Fitchette, but she filed a lawsuit against the Newark Police Department with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey.

The second incident occurred in Boston when Simon Glik pulled out his cellphone to tape police officers punching a man on the street. An officer asked Mr. Glik if he was recording audio. When Mr. Glik admitted that he was, the officer arrested him for violating the state's wiretap law. He also was charged with disturbing the peace and aiding the escape of a prisoner. The charges were dropped eventually because of lack of merit, but Mr. Glik joined the ACLU lawsuit, claiming his free-speech rights had been violated.

Read More at Washington Times

2010 LFOD Rally Battle Video Link

Captain Morrill's Artillery Co. spectator participant battle at Silver Ranch August 28, 2010 as part of the NH annual Live Free or Die Rally 4 day events.

 

Battle video link:

http://blip.tv/file/4073155

 

Battle photo album:

http://www.plaxo.com/profile/photoViewer/197568843938?album_id=5819&photo_id=3115210&ahid=197772355609&pk=cf170a8dfeec9250b967e4fdd91fcc60962536cd&ps=photo

 

Live Free or Die Rally photo's:

http://ledgertranscript.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=31274339