Constitutional Law, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics

Parliament To Debate Barring Donald Trump From Entry Into The United Kingdom

495px-Donald_Trump_by_Gage_Skidmore220px-Houses.of.parliament.overall.arpWe have previously discussed the alarming rollback on free speech rights in the West, particularly in England ( here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here). England is now a tragic example of how speech regulation and criminalization becomes insatiable — producing a down spiral as more and more speech is found intolerable or criminal. The most recent example is the call to ban Donald Trump from entry into the United Kingdom as someone guilty of hate speech. While I have criticized Trump’s statements about barring Muslims from entering the country, he is entitled to voice his views on immigration and participate in a debate about how we are going to handle both immigration and national security concerns. The chilling thing about this debate in Parliament is not that it will succeed in barring Trump but that it would not be in any way out of order with prior content-based sanctions.

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Politics, Society

Study: Sixty-Three Percent of Americans Cannot Cover An Added $500 Cost To Their Monthly Expenses

200px-US10dollarbill-Series_2004AWe have previously followed the alarming marginal economic condition of most Americans. Another study offers another glimpse into the reality of the lives for most people struggling in this country. The study by Bankrate suggests that 63 percent of Americans say that they do not have enough money to cover a $500 car repair or $1000 hospital bill.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Torts

Israeli Executive Assures Reporter That Special Vest Will Protect Him . . . Executive Then Stabs Reporter

Screen Shot 2016-01-07 at 7.26.34 AMNow this would make for a terrific case for teaching consent in battery for Torts. Israeli reporter Eitam Lachover donned a special vest made by a body armor company that is designed to protect against the increasing knife attacks of Israelis. Lachover was assured by Yaniv Montakyo, vice president of the manufacturing company, that “You have nothing to worry about, we are very confident in our product.” He then stabbed Lachover and said “I missed.”

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Academia, Politics, Society

Matthews Presses Clinton On The Distinction Between a “Progressive Democrat” and a “Socialist”

There was a curious moment recently in an interview with Hillary Clinton that might interest our political science and philosophy majors. Chris Matthews asked Clinton on MSNBC what a socialist is and the difference between a socialist and a Democrat. Clinton appeared unable or unwilling to answer that question. Given the fact that the Clinton campaign has referred regularly to Bernie Sanders being a socialist and distinguishing Clinton as a “progressive Democrat,” it would seem a fair question. It is not like asking for the difference between a “raven and a writing desk”, but it received the same unclear response.

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Congress, Media, Politics, Society

Gallup Poll: Only Two Percent Of Americans Rank Gun Control As Major Concern

President_Barack_Obama150px-shotgunactionPresident Barack Obama has made gun control a priority in 2016 and the latest area of confrontation with Congress. There is clearly a calculation that the public will support another area of conflict between the branches and the assertion of unilateral executive power. That is what makes a recent poll so interesting. Gallup found that “gun/gun control” ranked near the bottom of concerns for most Americans. How low? Try only two percent of those polled.

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Animals, Bizarre, Criminal law, Society

Lobbing Lobsters: Well-Known Skateboarder In Hot Water After Allegedly Breaking Tank And Killing Lobsters

Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.28.50 AMSkateboarder Shawn Powers has started a firestorm with a video showing him breaking open a lobster tank and throwing the lobsters against a brick wall. Powers comes across as a senseless thug (who by the way cannot tell the difference between a lobster and a crab) as he smashes the tank on videotape, declaring “I’ll break it, and I’ll take the f–kin’ crabs out.”

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Academia, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Society

University Professor Removed After Asking Students To Agree To Use Of Profanity In Class

220px-Michael_PersingerLaurentian University Professor Dr. Michael Persinger has been removed from his class for confirming that students understand that profane language is used and discussed as part of his class. That would seem a basic exercise of academic freedom since Persinger was seeking to use the language as part of his introductory psychology course. Yet, the university declared him in violation of workplace policies.

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Bizarre, Society, Torts

Instant Recall: Lumosity Ends Deceptive Claim Lawsuit With $2 Million Settlement

photo.jpg720px-US-FederalTradeCommission-Seal.svgYou have seen the commercial for “brain training” by Lumosity suggesting that its programs would reduce or delay cognitive impairment and even delay such serious diseases as Alzheimer’s. The Federal Trade Commission called the ads deceptive and sought a higher sanction. However, the FTC agreed that the company could only pay $2 million. That seems highly questionable that a company advertising across the country in high-value markets and times could only afford $2 million.

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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, International, Politics, Religion, Society

“Safety Must Be First”: Israeli-Arab and Palestinian Forced Off Flight To Tel Aviv Due To Objections From Israeli Passengers

Boeing_737-33A,_Aegean_Airlines_AN0387722There appears another profiling incident on an airline after an Israeli-Arab and a Palestinian were forced off an Aegean Airlines flight from Athens to Tel Aviv. There was no reason given for the objections to flying with the two men other than their being Muslim or Arab. It is extraordinary that these men would have to deplane rather than those objecting take another flight but the airline insisted “safety must be first.”
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Bizarre, Constitutional Law, Free Speech, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Iran Denounces Saudi Arabia For Execution Of Shiite Cleric As A Denial Of Free Speech

125px-Flag_of_Iran.svg125px-Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia.svgWith the rising tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the execution of Sheikh Nimir al-Nimir, there is a wonderfully ironic element as Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of stifling free speech by a cleric who merely disagreed with the regime. Iran of course is the government that has beaten and killed protesters calling for basic rights. We have regularly commented on Saudi Arabia’s medieval Sharia system as well as Iran’s suppression of free speech. Both countries regularly decapitate people and hang or crucify people in the name of Islamic values. Now both countries are exchanging insults about how the other is an extremist regime.

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Bizarre, Society

Indiana Woman Denounced After Heartless Posting On Efforts to Save Heart Attack Victim

1451951765626The Internet is increasingly becoming a vehicle for public shaming for those who enrage communities by thoughtless or reprehensible conduct. Holly Jones, a hair stylist in Indianapolis, is the latest target of the collective condemnation. Jones went on Facebook to complain that Kilroy’s Bar N’ Grill had ignored her needs on New Year’s Eve to help some “Junkie” who died. It turned out to be a 57-year old lady celebrating with her husband and son. Fortunately she survived. Jones’ reputation did not.

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Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics, Society

Stoking the Flames: Jackson Mississippi Councilman Calls For Citizens To Assault Police With Bricks and Bottles

Kenneth_I._StokesJackson, Mississippi Councilman Kenneth Stokes has unleashed a firestorm of controversy over his call for citizens to throw bricks and bottles at police who are trying to make arrests. Stokes declared “Let’s get rocks; let’s get bricks, and let’s get bottles. And we’ll start throwing them, and then they won’t come in here anymore.” (Notably, the Jackson sheriff agreed with the Stokes in opposing car chases in the city while Stokes himself remains entirely unapologetic for calling for violence against police.)

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Bizarre, Society

Chinese Restaurant Kitchen in Pennsylvania Found With Deer Brains, Spines, and Organs . . . But Allowed To Stay Open

untitled-19We have previously discussed the relatively lack food safety regulations for restaurants where even the most egregious violations seem to require minor fines or brief closures, like the Chinese restaurant in Kentucky found to be serving road kill. Now another Chinese restaurant vividly illustrates the disconnect after deer heads, brains, and other animal parts were found in the kitchen of New China House in Lititz, PA (among other violations). However, the restaurant will remain open and serving the public.

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Academia, Bizarre

Rubenesque Restaurants: Study Finds Customers Order More Food and Drink From Heavier Servers

180px-Peter_Paul_Rubens_004There is a fascinating study out of the scientific journal Environment & Behavior that found that diners order significantly more food and drink when served by an overweight waiter or waitress. It appears that a Rubenesque servers with more waistline are better for the bottom line of restaurants.

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Academia, Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Media, Politics, Religion, Society

Israel Bars Book From Schools Due To Its Discussion Of “Intimate Relations Between Jews and non-Jews”

RNS-BOOK-ISRAELWe recently discussed the concern over the criminalization of speech in Israel. Now there is an added concern after Israel’s Education Ministry disqualified Dorit Rabinyan’s award winning “Gader Haya” (literally “Hedgegrow,” but known in English as “Borderline”)from being used in high schools. The reason? The novel describes a love story between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man. The Education Ministry decided that the novel threatened “the identity and the heritage of students in every sector,” and the belief that “intimate relations between Jews and non-Jews threatens the separate identity.”

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