Infographic: Abstinence-Only Education
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NCAC Executive Director on Ward Churchill and protecting controversial speech
A court Tuesday upheld the University of Colorado’s firing of professor Ward Churchill after controversy arose from his essay which referred to victims of the 9/11 attacks as “little Eichmanns.” Judge Larry Naves ruled that Churchill would neither get his job back nor receive financial compensation. According to the LA Times, in ruling, the Judge stated “I am bound by [...]
A Brief History of Music Censorship
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Skirting responsibility: Google CEO Eric Schmidt on internet censorship
On Monday, The Telegraph reported on Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s talk at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. In it, he chastised censorious governments, saying completely effective internet censorship was unattainable and governments trying to do so were doomed to fail. Schmidt’s comments neatly skirt Google’s complicity with governments’ censorship by claiming that they warn governments that internet censorship can fail, [...]
A Brief History of Film Censorship
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Video games are ruining our children! A look at an amicus brief supporting CA violent video game law
Spilling a little red type. GamePolitics does quick work on an amicus brief filed by the Eagle Forum (“leading the pro-family movement since 1972”) supporting California’s video game law by highlighting the most problematic claims of the brief. As GamePolitics writes, “In the amicus brief, the Eagle Forum lays an array of societal problems at the feet of violent video [...]
Louisiana bill SB 152 on sexually explicit materials passes; GamePolitics on its implications
From GamePolitics.com, a review of the Lousiana bill SB 152 By a 35-0 vote June 10, 2009, the Louisiana Senate passed SB 152, a bill which would make a pattern of distributing sexually explicit material to children a deceptive trade practice under state law. GamePolitics readers may recall that in its original form, SB 152 was drafted by disbarred Miami attorney Jack [...]
The Report Card: Free expression in schools in the 2008-2009 school year
This week we're running a little segment we're calling the NCAC Report Card. Our look into free expression in school and how it fared in the main subject areas. You can read our performance assessments here, but we'd also like to know how you think your school, school district, or college fared. If you're graphically-savvy, you can modify this report [...]
The Report Card: ENGLISH
GRADE: C+ Books - always a hot button issue in the censorship debate. This year, similar to previous years, some curriculum classics got challenged. Here's a few of the fights we saw over books being taught in middle- and high-school classes. In December, the Coeur d’Alene School Board voted unanimously to return 26 titles (among them Brave New World, Tom [...]
Kirk’s ass, and censorship in the arts.
slurkflickr's commentary on cleaning up her own artwork: So as a general rule, my relationship with DC Comics when I worked on "Star Trek TOS" was pretty great. I had a fantastic editor, Margaret Clark, and I even got a decent inker once or twice- rare for a relatively new penciller. However, there was this one time when I was [...]
An interview with West Bend library board member on calls for book censorship
Kids’ Right to Read’s Jamie Chosak interviewed West Bend library board member Mary Reilly-Kliss about the book challenges in West Bend. Here’s an excerpt: Kids’ Right to Read Project: On June 2, 2009, West Bend’s library board voted to keep the books where they are. What was your experience of this meeting and how did you feel upon hearing this [...]
Art Censorship in the City of Chicago Bridgeport mural by Gabriel Villa
In May 2009, artist Gabriel Villa’s work on private property was painted over. The National Coalition Against Censorship wrote in response: The political message of Villa’s mural gives it the highest constitutional protection. Its destruction is, therefore, much more significant “mistake” than Mayor Daley would have it, it is a violation of one of our most deeply cherished rights – [...]
ALL ABOUT SOTOMAYOR Roundup
6/1/2009 On Sotomayor and censorship: First the bad news… 6/2/2009 Student speech under fire under Sotomayor? 6/3/2009 The Good News: Sotomayor’s decision in U.S. v. Quattrone, gagging gag orders 6/4/2009 What about Souter? A closer look at the Supreme Court’s outgoing Associate Justice 6/5/2009 Courts favor “Douchebags”; Doninger redux, and the problem of school censorship when it comes to off campus Internet expression 6/5/2009 Sotomayor [...]
NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin, Toni Morrison, Fran Lebowitz at the Free Speech Leadership Council launch
Click on the photo to see more photo's from last night's Conversation with Toni Morrison, launching NCAC's Free Speech Leadership Council.
Bill O’Reilly, the death of Dr. Tiller, and free speech
Did Bill O’Reilly’s speech about Dr. George Tiller violate the law? Probably not. It is despicable? Certainly. Should it be condemned? Absolutely. Following news of Dr. George Tiller’s murder, journalists quickly began looking at the organizations and individuals who’ve taken radical positions against abortion providers. The most mainstream is Bill O’Reilly, whose show on the Fox network has frequently mentioned [...]
Launching the Free Speech Leadership Council: A Conversation with Toni Morrison
This Wednesday, June 3, National Coalition Against Censorship’s launches the Free Speech Leadership Council with A Conversation with Toni Morrison. Talking with Fran Lebowitz, Morrison will talk about her new book Burn This Book and her experiences with censorship. Just recently, Morrison's Song of Solomon was pulled - and then returned - in AP classes in Shelby, MI. This book, [...]
Nostalgia time! NCAC blogger Rebecca is moving on…
Rebecca Zeidel has been an astute and dedicated* blogger here at NCAC blog. Chairing the Kids' Right to Read Project (a project co-sponsored by NCAC and ABFFE), she's written about book censorship, science censorship, and censorship of youth voices. Today's her last day, so I thought we'd bring out one of her more infamous blog posts: Super sez: ‘TTYL’ has g2g [...]
How to get rich quick with the iPhone. Maybe.
The process for developing iPhone applications is simple: you need a catchy idea, a smart programmer (or two, or more) and lots of time. Easy. Once you’re done, you can then submit your application to the Apple store for review. Once accepted, you set a price and start sharing profits with Apple for every app downloaded. And then, [...]
A Conversation with Toni Morrison
The Inaugural Event of the Free Speech Leadership Council of the National Coalition Against Censorship Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 6:30 to 8:30 PM Hosted by Jane Friedman Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, Toni Morrison is the author of many novels, including The Bluest Eye and Beloved, which are widely taught, and frequent targets of censorship [...]
Tempest in a teapot: Really, is Miss California being punished for her honest, free speech?
Antonio Finns in the Sun-Sentinel lauds Miss California Carrie Prejean for "defend[ing] free speech rights just beautifully." In the Miss America competition, she showed her support for "opposite" marriage (which we understand as "straight marriage") and not gay marriage. She lost the pageant. And since then, the conversation keeps devolving: with claims that she [...]
Teen sex! No fun with iPhone! Holocaust denying! Cyber bullying!
It's five, and my Firefox windows is a few tabs away from crashing. Let's go through 'em, shall we? Bristol Palin is now a celebrity spokesperson for the teen pregnancy prevention run by the Candies Foundation. You may have heard of Candies, a tween/teen clothing store which markets the "floral lace thong" for 7-16 year olds. I'd add a link [...]
Update on “The Story of Stuff” – it’s “spreading and spreading”
We reported in February about a teacher who was punished for violating the school's academic freedom policy by showing two videos, including The Story of Stuff. Yesterday, the New York Times reported that the video "has become a sleeper hit in classrooms across the nation." The article continues: "[M] any educators say the video is a boon to teachers as [...]
What it means: Nine Inch Nails and the iPhone application*: Annotated edition (*4+)
I should have put money on it – or at least Twittered – my Monday prediction that Apple would re-allow the new Nine Inch Nails application into the iPhone Store. The Apple store pulled the application because the application – which had NIN albums – included the controversial album, The Downward Spiral.* Trent Reznor, who’s very internet savvy, first sent [...]
#amazonfail explained in a flowchart
See it in full effect. Inspired by Anatomy of the #AmazonFAIL protest.
Amazon removes GLBT books from search, some books back in online store
The twittersphere has been, well, a-twitter (sorry!) about a story this weekend of Amazon pulling media with GLBT content from it’s sales ranking. Search #amazonfail to have a look. The excuse? The books were “adult” materials. However, it became quickly clear that it was GLBT content that was defining “adultness,” rather than the potential age-appropriateness of the content. The impact? [...]
The fight over Texas science policy continues…
On Friday, March 26, the Texas Board of Education struck down a bill that required evolution be taught with consideration of the "strengths and weaknesses" of the theory. The new bill, however, is not a striking victory for advocates of depolicized, science-based education. According to the NCSE: ...the revised biology standard (7B) reflects two discredited creationist ideas — that "sudden [...]
Facing internet censorship: technologies to combat censorship, international pressures
Starts at 8:20. NCAC on internet censorship on the "Listening Post" on Al-Jazeera. From Al-Jazeera: The segment focuses on the role and responsibility of the Western companies who provide the technology to police the Internet, as well as how to get around the controls to access material that many governments do not want their citizens to see. NCAC's Svetlana Mintcheva's [...]
Motherhood and multitasking. Could mothers smoke on US magazine covers?
What our censorious culture is keeping from us. Deconstruction of an editorial in April's French Vogue. From Jezebel.com: ... It's a cigarette-fueled, pregnancy-padded, bottle-fed primer in that which cannot be done in Vogue's American pendant. ... Smoking is one of Carine Roitfeld's Favorite Things; she once told the Guardian she wouldn't want Anna Wintour's job because in America, you can't [...]
Utah Governor vetos age-restriction bill
We are very happy to report that Utah Governor Jon Huntsman has vetoed bill HB 353. That bill would have punished sellers for "violating" what were previously voluntary age restrictions. In his letter to the Utah Speaker of the House David Clark and Speaker of the Senate, Huntsman writes: While protecting children from inappropriate materials is a laudable goal, the [...]
Jack Thompson calls on national policy to limit video game sales
Jack Thompson, who penned HB 353 (the bill pending in Utah that we asked you to help stop) has written a letter to President Obama calling for a national plan similar to the one proposed in Utah. In response to a recent tragedy in Germany where a young man shot 15 people at his former school, German and American media [...]
HB 353: Imposing ratings systems and the First Amendment
HB 353 has been passed in the Utah state senate, and now sits on Governor Jon Huntsman’s desk. This bill would hold retailers responsible for selling minors material labeled for mature audiences. Sellers of books, movies, video games, and music could be penalized up to $2000 for “violating” age guidelines created voluntarily for informational purposes only. This bill takes a [...]
“Breaking Dawn” from Twilight series not on the shelves of Utah school library
Reported yesterday in the Salt Lake Tribune, Breaking Dawn, the final book in the Twilight Series has arrived at Brockbank Junior High. So why can't students check it out? Following a parent's complaint, has not been put on the library shelves. As far as we understand, the book was selected for educational reasons and should be kept in the library. [...]
A false dichotomy: Peter Schmidt argues ideological exclusion may have protected us from terrorists
In an article published today in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Peter Schmidt responds to the call to stop ideological exclusion, the denial of visa to foreign scholars, writers, etc. based on their political positions. In this article, "Obama Must Tread Fine Line on Scholars Barred From the U.S. for Their Views," Schmidt warns that stopping this exclusion entirely may [...]
Teacher fired for pushing for class project on The Laramie Project
Following good news of Steve Martin’s bailout, there’s more bad news on the high school drama front. USA Today reports on the firing of a teacher who led a class project on The Laramie Project – a play and film based on responses from Laramie residents after the murder of Matthew Shepherd. The teacher – Debra Taylor – led a [...]
Dan Savage on “Sexting”
In episode 124 of his sex-advice podcast, Dan Savage weighs in on "sexting." An excerpt: ... I just want to say a quick word about "sexting" which is the craze sweeping the nation. Young people are occasionally being arrested and being bounced out of school ... because once you take a picture of your own junk when you're a minor [...]
Want to contribute to the NCAC blog?
Blogging Censorship is looking for bloggers. Requirements: understanding of First Amendment issues, passion for free expression, great reading and writing skills. Perks: join the national discussion of censorship issues, build your writing portfolio, get coffee (if you're in New York City). Options: submit pieces one at a time for review if you're already blogging about censorship issues, cross-post your pieces [...]
College ACB succeeds JuicyCampus, AKA the rose phenomenon
"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" -- William Shakespeare The day JuicyCampus shuttered, the website (juicycampus.com) began redirecting to College ACB (Anonymous Confession Board). With the same promise of anonymity, College ACB now provides us with the same gems JuicyCampus used to. Select any of the colleges in the drop bar, and [...]
The show will go on: ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile’ will be performed
Good news: Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a go in Eastern Oregon. As a student weighed in the comments section: Hey just wanted to thank you for taking the time to mention our struggle here in Good Ol’ Eastern Oregon. As an update, a student group at Eastern Oregon University has pledged to fund a production of our play [...]
MD Appeals Court upholds protections for anonymous posting under First Amendment
The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that Independent Newspapers, which runs the forum Newszap.com, could not be forced to reveal the identities of online posters who had written critical comments about a Dunkin’ Donuts. The owner of the restaurant, Zebulon J. Brodie, claimed that the commenters had defamed him and called on Independent Newspapers to reveal their identities. [...]
NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin weighs in on NYPost cartoon controvery
CNN’s coverage of the NY Post’s controversial cartoon from a First Amendment perspective. Click here to watch the video. NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin weighs in, noting NCAC’s response to the violence in Denmark resulting from a newspaper’s running cartoon portrayals of Mohammed. […]