FC: Free Expression Network gives "muzzles" to Bush, Clinton, more

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

************

> Date: 13 Apr 00 07:17:57 -0400
> From: "FEN Newswire"<newswire () freeexpression org>
> To: <declan () well com>
> Subject: FEN Newswire: CENSURED FOR BEING CENSORS
>
> For Immediate Release -- April 13, 2000
>
> CENSURED FOR BEING CENSORS:
> George W. Bush's Presidential Campaign, the Clinton Administration and
> New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani Among List of "Winners" of Dubious
> Honor
>
> Contact -- Josh Wheeler 804-295-4784
>
> The ninth annual Jefferson Muzzles were announced today by the Thomas
> Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression.  Released each
> year on Thomas Jefferson's birthday, the Muzzles are awarded to those
> responsible for the most ridiculous or egregious affronts to free
> expression occurring in the preceding year.
>
> Among this year's political recipients are the George W. Bush
> Presidential Campaign, the Clinton Administration and, for the third
> consecutive year, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Censorship in
> public schools, however, once again claimed an inordinate number of
> Jefferson Muzzles.
>
> This year's 12 Jefferson Muzzles tie 1999 for the largest number in the
> history of the awards. The director of the Thomas Jefferson Center,
> Robert M. O'Neil, states that through the Muzzles the Center hopes to
> call greater attention to acts that curb free expression, often because
> of personal whim or bias, in times or places where free expression is
> vital. "Censors often set out with the best of motives, and no intent to
> restrict speech. Somewhere along the way, they lose sight of one set of
> values -- those embodied in the First Amendment -- in an effort to serve
> others.  When a person or group does grave damage to free expression, a
> Jefferson Muzzle is in order."
>
> The following list of Y2K "winners" includes summaries of the incidents
> for which they were awarded a Jefferson Muzzle.  FOR A MORE EXTENSIVE
> RELEASE ON EACH INDIVIDUAL RECIPIENT, please contact Josh Wheeler at
> 804-295-4784.
>
>
> Muscogee County (Georgia) Superintendent of Education Guy W. Sims for
> ordering the alteration in 2,300 copies of a history textbook, of a
> classic painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River.  Mr.
> Sims thought Washington's watch fob could be mistaken for an exposed
> part of Washington's anatomy.
>
>
> The George W. Bush Presidential Campaign for seeking to have the Federal
>
>
> Election Commission regulate the content of a parody of the Campaign's
> official Web site.
>
>
> The Clinton Administration for the continuing infringement on free
> speech caused by the implementation of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
> policy regarding gays serving in the military.
>
>
> CBS News for censoring an NBC billboard in its coverage of the New
> Year's Eve festivities in Times Square by electronically making it
> appear to be a billboard for CBS.
>
>
> The 1999 Virginia Assembly for banning the use of a Confederate battle
> flag logo on a group's motor vehicle specialty license plate.
>
>
> New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani for attempting to withdraw massive
> New York City funding from the Brooklyn Museum, and for filing suit to
> remove the Museum from its city-owned facilities, in protest over the
> content of an exhibit in the museum.
>
>
> Lorain County (Ohio) Prosecutor Gregory White for bringing criminal
> charges against a woman for taking photographs of her 8-year-old
> daughter taking a bath.
>
>
> The Rockingham County (Virginia) School Board, Principal C. James Slye,
> and Superintendent John H. Kidd for censoring a pamphlet on censorship
> by ordering a high school English teacher to remove from his classroom
> door pamphlets that listed books banned in the United States.
>
>
> The Midland (Texas) Independent School District Board and Midland High
> Principal Neil Richmond for not allowing a high school student to
> participate in his graduation because of his part in the taking of an
> off-campus photograph that embarrassed  Principal Richmond.
>
>
> Ponder (Texas) Independent School District Superintendent Byron Welch,
> Ponder High School Principal Chance Allen, and Assistant Principal Ted
> Heers for their actions leading to the arrest and jailing of
> seventh-grader Christopher Beamon for the content of his class-assigned
> horror story.  The administrators deemed the story a threat because
> Beamon used the names of fellow students.
>
>
> The Board of Trustees of Georgetown Charter Township, Michigan for
> exploiting an ambiguity in a state law intended to affect minors alone,
> in order to control what adults see and read on computer terminals in
> the public library.
>
>
> The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for attempting to suppress the
> posting of a fictional film on an Internet Web site because of  the
> film's controversial content.
> ______________
>
>
> The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression of
> Charlottesville, Virginia, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution
> engaged in education, research, and intervention on behalf of the
> individual right of free expression.  For more information, visit the
> Center's website at  http://www.tjcenter.org.


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