Lost in Kansas – Freedom of Speech
Kansas police raid office of the Marion County Record newspaper and seize its computers…
Wait! Doesn’t such press intimidation normally happen in dictatorships? Sorry, Dorothy. This is the new Republican Kansas…“Four local police officers and three sheriff’s deputies raided the office of the Marion County Record newspaper; the home of its co-owners, Eric Meyer and his 98 year old mother, Joan Meyer; and the home of Marion vice mayor Ruth Herbel, 80. They seized computers, cell phones, and other equipment. Joan Meyer was unable to eat or sleep after the raid; she collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home.” – Letters From An AmericanUnderstand who is involved with this assault on the freedom of the press with this Relationship Map? What’s going on? And what this raid means for the Freedom of Speech, which is guaranteed under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Like authoritarian regimes
“The Freedom of the Press Foundation released a statement saying the raid appears to have violated federal law and is “the latest example of American law enforcement officers treating the press in a manner previously associated with authoritarian regimes.”“Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency. Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves,” said Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation. – CNN
Imagine you are the editor
“Imagine for a moment that you’re the editor and publisher of a small weekly newspaper somewhere else in Kansas. Imagine too that you’ve been speaking with a source about potential wrongdoing by a prominent resident. That resident happens to have a friendly relationship with the local police department. You know that publishing the story, even in the best of times, will create a firestorm in your little community.Now imagine that you read the coverage coming out of Marion County. You see that printing such a story — or even reporting it — might put you at risk of being raided. It might put your employees at risk. It might threaten the entire financial stability of your business.” – Kansas Reflector
Assault on the very foundation of democracy
“An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know. This cannot be allowed to stand.” said Executive director of the Kansas Press Association, Emily Bradbury. – Letters From An American
Storytelling for a cause
This relationship map was designed with the free Kumu app in about 6 hours. Sign up for a free DemLabs online training course on how to use Kumu for progressive and social justice causes here.TakeAway: Stand up against those who would steal your rights to freedom of speech and dissent. And support the groups fighting to protect your rights.Deepak
DemLabsImage credit: Wizard of Oz
‘You’re not in Kansas any more‘ – This phrase alludes to a line from the 1939 U.S. film The Wizard of Oz, said by the main character Dorothy upon realizing that she has been transported from her home in Kansas, a state in the central United States, to the fantastical land of OzDISCLAIMER: ALTHOUGH THE DATA FOUND IN THIS BLOG AND INFOGRAPHIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND PROCESSED FROM SOURCES BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE, NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, LEGALITY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY SUCH INFORMATION. THIS DISCLAIMER APPLIES TO ANY USES OF THE INFORMATION WHETHER ISOLATED OR AGGREGATE USES THEREOF.
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Reposted from Democracy Labs with permissison.
