Tag: free speech

NOV 15, 2011 - Rocawear, a "lifestyle brand" launched by rapper Jay Z has pulled from sales a t-shirt that had Occupy Wall Street on it, with the W being crossed out, and a S added at the end to make it say, "Occupy All Streets", after reports he was not donating any proceeds to occupy activists at Wall Street or any other city. Backstage at his Watch The Throne concert last week, he was photographed along with Russell Simmons with the shirt on and it got out to the Internet. Social Media and the Internet exploded with anger and outcry from millions of people, and within 24 hours it was pulled.

An Occupy Wall Street leader who goes by the pseudonym Grim told TMZ, "To attempt to profit off the first important social moment of 50 years with an overpriced piece of cotton is an insult to the fight for economic civil rights known as #occupywallstreet." However, today the t-shirt has reappeared on the Rocawear website, and appears back on sale for 22 bucks, still with no proceeds to any occupy activists or any other cause.

OCT 27, 2011 - Drummers have played a big role in marches and rallies for years, and have been an integral part of the Occupy movement in Zuccotti Park but have unfortunately recently been the center of a "controversy" of some kind and pose an early test of the "GAs" or general assemblies that have no central leadership where every person is respected and heard when meeting to make decisions and resolve issues and disputes. In a way it is like watching a new form of democracy emerge and evolve.

It all started when residents living near Zuccotti Park held community board meetings and asked the activists to curtail the drumming. The activists held GAs, and after deliberation it was agreed to limit the drumming for 2 hours during afternoon hours. Later however drummers said they felt slighted and not heard fairly, another GA was held and it was increased from 2 hours to 4. Some drummers have even "broke off" in a way from the main group and have stated they have no intention to limit their drumming, which they feel is their free speech. One activist drummer Elijah Moses told the Wall Street Journal, “We do respect the fact that you live here, but at the same time we are still activists. I’m not here to cater and negotiate, I’m not here to play tit-for-tat,” he said forcefully, fiddling with his drumsticks in one hand. “What I am here for is to make change.”

Many people who come to Zuccotti Park love the drums and dance to them, but some who come to the park complain that it prevents and drowns out soft poetry reading, acoustic guitar playing and other softer expressions of art and activism. They have stated that the drummers are virtually impossible to talk to, because they are pounding constantly and unresponsive to people trying to approach them and talk to them. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next few weeks. JTMP will keep you posted on this. Here is a video on the issue:

Photo credit: Andrew Burton AP

OCT 21, 2011 - Drums, guitars, and even singing have been a major part of the Occupy Wall Street movement in Zuccotti Park, but local residents are upset about the noise and held local hearings on the issue. They have asked the protesters to limit the drumming to 2 hours during midday, and one protester said the request was reasonable and they would respect their wishes. Click Read More to watch a news clip from PIX11.com.

Hank Williams Jr. has been fired by ESPN for comparing President Obama to Hitler and saying "He is the enemy!" on Fox and Friends recently, and will no longer be the opening theme music for Monday Night Football. In a statement ESPN said, "We appreciate his contributions over the past years. The success of 'Monday Night Football' has always been about the games and that will continue." At first he was only suspended for one game, but the political fallout turned out to be too much for millions of Americans who voiced their anger at him making the comments, and ESPN responded to the outcry and let him go.

From Hank's website you couldn't tell he was fired, he sounded almost defiant and that he quit ESPN. He also spoke out claiming his first amendment rights were violated, saying in his usual "country boy" talk, "After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You [ESPN] stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run."

Here is an ESPN video on the issue: 
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7067987

 Olbermann's Worst Persons