The First Amendment appears to be under siege in the United States.
Only one week ago, I shared a report about an Ohio congressman — a Republican, to boot — who had cops seize cameras from constituents attending a town hall meeting at which he was speaking. Below, I share a rather-lengthy video — more than 14 minutes long — about the case of 41-year-old Michael Allison of Robinson, Ill., who is facing the possibility of spending 75 years in prison because he filmed on-duty police officers.
This disturbing news comes barely six weeks after I shared news about the Missouri Supreme Court’s ruling that makes it illegal for someone to give someone else a referral on an apartment without government approval, barely a year after I reported on the First Amendment being suspended on the Gulf Coast and 27 months after a Tea Party organizer was muzzled at a city council meeting in Quincy, Ill. [FYI: The Quincy thing backfired. For details, See Quincy Tea Party Turns Table on City Council].
See also Photographers’ Rights for Citizen Journalists.
Hat tip: Alex Jones
UPDATE 9/01/11 at 10:53 p.m. Central: Appeals Court Rules It Is Not Illegal to Film Police.
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When EVERY AMERICAN MANIFESTLY LOOSES THEIR SPEECH RIGHTS. perhaps then they shall be moved to action. “mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable” We small business owners suffer the abolition of our commercial speech rights BY ALL LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES from Maine to California. Small businesses provide aprox 70 % of jobs. Commercial speech must proceed commercial transaction. Recession? no jobs? Hmm? Its not rocket science or intellectually sexy. Limit commercial speech you get less commerce. Allow commercial speech you get more commerce. Moreover, the southern border is wide open while government restricts the use of our own energy reserves and our status as the worlds reserve currency is under threat. Maybe we need to be brought down to third world status so people will wake up.