In this day of government's increasingly imposing limits to free speech, this KNS story (prominent on the "hardcopy" page B-1, but difficult to find on-line) was very affirming. It also caused me to think even *more* highly of Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz.

From the text:

The judge lamented the fact that real terrorists have fostered a culture of fear in America, a culture that demonizes dissidence that once was honored and puts protesters like Johnson on Homeland Security lists.

“The fact the state needs to classify legitimate political dissidence as gang activity I think is pathetic and ridiculous,” he said.

It appears that Jamie Satterfield had to leave the courtroom before Liebowitz rendered her verdict/sentence, as we aren't told how the defendent fared. Well, I hope. See Link....

(Edit: Ah, I see it now, early in the text: Six months probation.)

this is taken, with permission, from the k2k list:

Sundown in the City- Civil Rights
Posted by: "Martin Pleasant"
Mon May 7, 2007 6:18 pm (PST)

"My name is Donald Land. I am a Green Party member and active in promoting the Green Party platform to as many people as I can. I had attended the Sundown concert last thursday night and after the Wailers finished their set, I took the opportunity to speak to people.

As I was having a conversation with a group of people, (3 women with 1 child, and 1 man), the women stated they were familiar with our local Greens, left saying they would return in a few minutes. The man, later identified as Tom Martin, stayed so we could speak about the Greens.

As we were conversing, A man in a yellow blazer approached us and told us to move on and left. Both of us looked down at the sidewalk and Tom said "Isn't this a public sidewalk?" I replied "Yes it is". We resumed our conversation.

Only a minute or two later, the man came back and said " I told you guys to move on". At that time, I said to Tom" Why don't we finish our conversation over here", pointing to a area in front of the stage, and started to move in that direction. When I did, the man stepped in between Tom and I, with Tom's back to me. Tom had not moved. When the man stepped in between us, is when I saw his police badge for the first time, it had been underneath the blazer.

When I recognized him to be a police officer, I stated to him that if this gentleman moves on, the people that he is with will not be able to find him if he is not here, as there were still dozens of people milling about. He made no reply to me, instead he turned to Tom's backside, and jumped on Tom with a headlock manuever, and took Tom to the sidewalk, HARD. I should also note that Tom was holding a pizza box with both hands.

Another police officer arrived at the scene, and I stated to him that what had just happened was not right, and this officer threatened to arrest me also if I did not step away and shut up, I was already at least 10 to 12 feet away, so I did step away a few more feet, and watched quietly from about 15 feet away as they led Tom out the gate, to a police car and searched him.

I then stepped out the gate to the street sidewalk and called out, " At least, tell what his name is", to which a uniformed officer replied, Tom Martin. I then waited for the women that he was with, who returned about 5 minutes later, after the police had put Tom in a police van and took him away."

Tom would like an opportunity to tell his story
Thank You

Norman Lear on Bill Maher Friday Night declared his political leanings.

"I am a liberal. I am a progressive. But, what I really feel in my heart of hearts, I am a bleeding heart conservative. Yes."

"You will not mess with my First Amendment." "You will not mess with my guarantees under the Constitution, my civil liberties. I am a conservative. But, does my heart bleed?"

Mr. Lear goes on to describe how his heart bleeds in a liberal way.

Take a look at "People For The American Way" for a reminder of how long some people have been working toward the acceptance of "the American Way", i.e. "pluralism, individuality, freedom of thought, expression and religion, a sense of community, and tolerance and compassion for others."

Something to ponder on this wintry day.

HFJ made the most remarkable concession speech I can ever recall.

I'd been thinking all day that if he lost, he should think about doing it all over again in two years when Lamar is up for re-election. And lo and behold, he hinted that he's going to try again. That was not a beaten man talking. I don't agree with him on a lot of things, but I really, really like this young man. I think that he is sincere in his religious views, and I think he has uncommon gifts.

Lamar will be 68.
He is not beloved.
He hasn't even said he's running again.
he's another dried-up old Republican who's become a multimillionaire while being a public "servant."

Do it, Junior.
Take the bar exam. You know you didn't really study last time. Practice some law, get a TV gig doing political commentary. Make up with Steve Cohen. Think about settling down with one of those gazillion women who adore you. We'll save our yardsigns, and my dad'll keep the Ford bumper sticker on the back of his truck.

Please.

Don't let the GOP rain on our parade.

Read more after the jump...

I know Ava Lowery from correspondence on another political forum site. After the recent story in the KNS about a party for a 15 year-old here in West Knoxville, I thought it would be nice for Knoxville to get a glimpse of a truly good kid and where her priorities are.

If you missed the show, it's worth seeing a replay.

Video (with transcript).

Feedback: KOlbermann@msnbc.com

As I mentioned back in April when this all started to stink, this could be the greatest wholesale invasion of privacy and breach of the Constitution ever perpetrated by the US Government on its own people.

Former AT&T technician Mark Klein's affidavit is detailed here in this Wired exclusive. Kudos to Wired, which had slipped into irrelevancy after the rise of forums like Slashdot and Kuro5hin, for having the guts to tell AT&T to stick it on the claim that publishing these docs would abridge "corporate secrets" that AT&T held at its San Francisco facility.

(edit: maybe that should be, "The Truth Laid Colbert.")

My, my, my.

If you read the Reuters report of this year's White House Correspondents Dinner...

Stephen Colbert, of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report," wrapped up the evening delivering a routine as the bombastic pundit character of his satiric talk show.

No one was safe from his sarcastic barbs.

"Fox News gives you both sides of the story -- the president's side and the vice president's side," he said to muted laughs.

...then you really should find a re-broadcast and watch it, because the criticism was sardonic, withering, and relentless. Colbert stayed in character the whole time (that character being an ironic take on Bill O'Reilly), despite "muted" laughter. And, in all honesty, no one was safe. Colbert tackled the war on Iraq, the NSA spying scandal, the abysmal approval ratings held by this president, and on and on and on and on.

Bush looked positively, well, skewered. Forget the "self-parody." That was tame and predictable by comparison.

Reverend Fred "God Hates Fags" Phelps is coming to Oak Grove, KY to "protest" at a memorial service for the fallen soldiers of the 101st from nearby Ft. Campbell, KY.

The theory is that grieving family members need a reminder that God is punishing America's abominable behavior in endorsing the gay, uh, lifestyle? Agenda?

Whatever it is, Phelps isn't known for espousing dog-whistle views on religion. The running notion is that God is punishing America by killing American soldiers with roadside bombs.

(more on the flip)

It was apparently determined that Cindy Sheehan was arrested for offending tradition. Ms. Sheehan and the wife of a Republican Representative were not dressed dignified enough for a seat in the gallery at the Capitol. No dress code guidelines were provided to SOTU attendees, it is assumed no one would wear attire with writing about the Iraq war. Our country's leaders surely do not need to be reminded of the number of U.S. deaths (2,245) resulting from the Iraq war or to be reminded to support the troops.

Although, they apparently do need constant reminder of the devastation in our own country, down New Orleans way. This was/is one of our country's worst disasters, directly affecting over half a million US citizens and indirectly affecting much of the country, and it warrants a brief mention near the very end of the SOTU. So sad.

After MetroPulse's front page article today reporting on the local Internet blogging and blabbing community some people are wondering who is #9? I wonder why do people care?

Bbeanster ask the question ,"So, #9, what did you do to this bunch that makes them slobberous with rage at the very mention of your name, errr, number?"

The short answer is I stood up to a small clique of people and they decided to run me off. I asked questions that somehow upset them. They tried to use the standard blog ploys to frustrate me but I ignored them. The more they pushed the firmer I dug in. My disregard for the "pecking order" is the main problem.

There is one positive result. My opponents have created curiosity about what I write about.

Leslie Wylie of the MetroPulse ask me six questions via email for the story on KnoxBlab. Here are my answers.

. . .In Germany, the Nazis came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me. . . . -- Martin Niemoller