Tag Archives: freedom

What if we only had one hardware store –Duane Roark @ LCC 2013-06-11

Does the Commission already has reputation problems when it’s being compared unfavorably to Lester Maddox? A citizen canceled a business trip to ask “what if we only had one hardware store” at last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Our prices we pay would be through the roof; we would not have a choice.
And you’re welcome, Duane Roark: it was LAKE who put you on YouTube last month.

He also quoted a headline from the Fayetteville Observer, Operation Tarnished Badge: Years later, tarnish remains.

A corruption investigation that sent the Sheriff and 21 others to prison still casts a shadow over law enforcement in Robeson County.

Duane Roark

If we put Deep South Sanitation out of business, it’s gonna give Lowndes County a black eye. People are to say, Continue reading

A few Citizens to be heard for a few minutes only @ LCC 2013-06-11

Only fifteen minutes on any topic, said Chairman Bill Slaughter, even though 8 people wanted to speak about trash at last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session. But there is no such rule in the county’s relevant ordinance.

County Attorney Walter Elliott, County Manager Joe Pritchard, County Chairman Bill Slaughter He was enforcing an odd mashup of the county’s 25 January 2013 ordinance about Citizens Wishing to Be Heard. It does have these two rules: Continue reading

Freedom or Order? @ LCC 2013-06-11

At last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, John Page praying for freedom and order Commissioner John Page prayed about

“the freedoms to serve in government, knowing that this government is supposed to be of the people by the people and for the people”.
But the Commission seems to care more about this part he also said:
“our decisions and everything be done decently and in order”.

Deep South Sanitation shirts The county government still seems determined to take the shirts off these people’s backs.

Here’s the video:


Freedom or Order?
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 June 2013.

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You like blogs, facebook, twitter, etc.? Oppose the “PROTECT IP” Act

If you like facebook, twitter, eBay, blogs, other social media, or even Google or Yahoo, you won’t like the so-called “PROTECT IP” Act, which is coming up to a vote in the Senate any day now. It would let big corporate copyright holders impose monitoring, take down websites, and cut off funding, all without need for a court order. There’s still time to oppose it.

Parker Higgins wrote for EFF Monday, The PROTECT IP Act Is Very Real and Very Bad — Call Now to Block It

The PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) is the evil step-sister of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the much-criticized Internet blacklist bill introduced in the House last month. They’ve got a lot in common — both bills would allow the government and private rightsholders to censor the Internet for Americans, and both bills have faced strong opposition from regular citizens, business leaders, and public interest groups.

In one way, though, PIPA is much worse: while SOPA is still in the House committee stage and has been the target of extraordinary public opposition, PIPA is already out of committee and poised for consideration of the full Senate. That means PIPA is a few dangerous steps further along in the process of becoming law. And with only a few weeks to go in this legislative session, the Senate may try to rush the bill through before the public has a chance to respond.

Here’s one way to contact your elected representatives. Or call them on the telephone. See also LAKE’s contact information for national elected officials.

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Private prisons illegal in Israel

I couldn’t find a U.S. Jewish statement on private prisons, but Tomer Zarchin published this in Haaretz in Israel 20 November 2009: International legal precedent: No private prisons in Israel
The High Court of Justice put an end to years of controversy Thursday by ruling that privately run prisons are unconstitutional.

Following the decision, the state is expected to have to pay hundreds of millions of shekels in compensation to a company that had already completed construction of the first private prison, near Be’er Sheva.

The panel of nine justices, presided over by Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch, ruled that for the state to transfer authority for managing the prison to a private contractor whose aim is monetary profit would severely violate the prisoners’ basic human rights to dignity and freedom.

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