What Is Freedom of Speech?

February 8, 2012 - 11:03 am No Comments

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Freedom of Speech is the right to voice their opinions without interference from the state government or censorship. This extends to unpopular opinions and criticisms of the government or government leaders. Freedom of speech is a recognized human right as defined by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, although this speech is not allowed in countries such as China, Burma and North Korea because the government has emphasized that nobody may oppose the state. This is because of sparked fears that free speech may start a major protest or a complete overthrow of the government.

Governments have become even more and more tyrannic through the deprivation of this basic right that is commonly given to those in free societies. Many people fear the government and therefore do not excercise this basic human right and therefore seclude themselves with no outlet to their own beliefs and opinions. The internet has become the main outlet to these opinions, with considerable amounts of censorship circumventing tools such as VPNs, Proxies, Censorship resistant networks and anonymous browsing solutions such as TOR. The internet cannot be stopped, and governments can only deprive their own population from these opinions and thoughts of others.

There are limits to the freedom of speech, such as hate speech, which is the reason the Westboro Baptist Church is banned from entering the borders of Canada. The limitations of free speech may be from legal sanctions or complete social disapproval. Free speech cannot harm others or defame them in any way, and is enforced by the principles of a free society. Freedom of Speech is to make a point, to express yourself, in any form of communication from the internet to fine art to video games. The subject of Free Speech has sparked several movements, major protests and civil wars including the Egyptian revolution.

Freedom of Speech has its uses in a free society, but is a luxury in countries of tyranny where any tin-pot dicator can buy easily buy thousands of dollars worth of equipment to jam foreign shortwave radio signals or secretly spy on browsing activites from second world countries.

Censorship does not just affect the people, but the culture as well. Culture has been censored enough to start personality cults such as in North Korea, where continued propaganda to it’s people have created a new “religion” where Kim Il Sung, the eternal dead president, controls the weather based upon his mood.

In conclusion, free speech is a luxury in other countries facing tyranny from the government.

Jimmy Chen is a self-proclaimed indepedant journalist who advocates and defends Free Speech on his website, http://www.projectspeakout.com/







Circus Abuse

February 7, 2012 - 11:03 am No Comments

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I must have been around 6 years old when I last went to a circus. My aunt and uncle took me and my sister, who would have been around 4 or 5 at the time, to a tented circus. We ate cotton candy (something I never particularly liked but felt that as a kid I should eat it) while we watched the performances and I remember having the feeling that my aunt wanted us to have more fun than we were having. My sister might have been too young still to really know what was going on, and probably only noticed the bright lights, loud sounds and activity, not that the feats and performances were hard to accomplish. I had a hard time enjoying myself during the performance. Even at 6 years old animal welfare was a big passion and elephants had been my favorite animal since before I knew what that meant (I recently cleaned out some old storage boxes from my childhood and found half a dozen elephant stuffed animals and books). Before we went inside the tent there was an Asian elephant in her own small tent where we could all see. There was probably someone there answering questions about her. All I noticed was the chain around her back leg, keeping her from moving. There was a thin layer of straw on the ground, but she was kept very still by that chain. During the performances I wondered about that chain: I don’t remember the actual circus acts.

After the circus was over there was an elephant with a box saddle in the parking lot where you could pay for a ride. It was a smaller space than a pony ride would have used so the ride wasn’t very long. While waiting in line for an elephant ride, I noticed a lush lawn right next to the elephant and wondered, after watching her feet squish into the asphalt, why we weren’t on the grass. Surely that would have been more comfortable for her, since an elephant had different feet than a horse and probably felt the hot ground. So why not use the grassy area? My little sister and I took our turn on the elephant’s back, which was pretty much just a circle around, but I wasn’t that impressed. You’d think riding an elephant would be the coolest thing, but maybe it was like cotton candy, and I was just supposed to like it but just didn’t care for it much. And at what expense was the experience? The elephant couldn’t possibly want to do it, but maybe it wasn’t so bad, at least for the people who got a real joy out of it.

One of the most horrific topics of animal welfare is the use of animals, namely elephants, in circuses. In the wild elephants roam hundreds of acres of savannah or forest, using their strength to take down tall trees, and even zoos are revamping their enclosures to more closely mimic the wild. Free contact (which necessitates the use of force, domination and punishment) is illegal in zoos, with enforcement starting in two years. We know that elephants are sophisticated animals with intelligence levels up there with chimps and dolphins, and social and emotional levels rivaling our own, yet we permit this type of thing to go on. Repeatedly beating elephants, even babies, over the head with hooks and clubs to get them to submit is common, and using hooks and clubs is perfectly legal.

Watch the PETA video on YouTube that shows elephant abuse in the most famous animal circus in the world. Trainers beating elephants with hooks sharp enough to pierce their skin. There’s even a few seconds where you can see a trainer gouging an elephant’s trunk with the hook (called an ankus or bullhook) and leading her with the hook still inside her skin. Sounds harsh, doesn’t it? Maybe if it sounds like something you wouldn’t be able to watch, or something you’d have to turn off after a few seconds or something that would stick in your head for days, maybe you shouldn’t be going to the circus. Maybe, if you can’t handle knowing that something so severe occurs in animal circuses, you shouldn’t be giving them your admission money so quickly. Maybe you shouldn’t show your kids the “wonders of the circus” because you know what happens right before they all go on stage, and right after. Maybe you should just skip the circus instead. But you should still watch the video. It’s 4 minutes that might haunt you at least for the rest of the day, but this is reality for people and animals across our country. Endangered animals, mind you. Animals we’re supposed to be protecting. Animals we’re supposed to want to keep around for future generations. Mass murdering criminals on death row are treated better than these elephants are. If you really want, read this investigation into the circus. It’s very long and even more horrific, but it’s true.

Lindsay writes her animal loving blog Miniature Mastadon and, right up until her senior year of high school, was going to work with animals. After changing courses and getting a degree in writing, she ended up working in a zoo for a little more than a year. Being face to face with rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, gaur and even super close to an elephant herd (faves) dawned the realization that she can’t quite ignore the need to be involved in some way. The Miniature Mastadon is an outlet to write about animal news, triumphs, discoveries, and even some sadness. All discussion, thoughts, questions and stories are most fully welcome so come chime in!







What Is the Red Shirt Friday Tradition?

February 3, 2012 - 11:17 am No Comments

What is the Red Shirt Friday Tradition and Why?

Who can forget the home coming that many of the Vietnam Vets received in the late 1960′s and early 1970′s? The Vietnam Conflict became a long drawn out affair and eventually public opinion slowly turned against the successful conclusion of the War. Those of us who lived through those troubled years remember very quickly how the returning Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guard Veterans were treated and welcomed home. Who can forget the rotten eggs, tomatoes and even a popular movie star that made a public spectacle of her self and those who heard the Call of Duty when their Country needed them? The challenges in the theater of conflict was bad enough for those that chose to wear their Country’s Uniform but to be publicly humiliated and maligned was over the top.

The phrases, Jack Booted Thugs, Baby Killers, and so forth still rings loud and clear in the minds and conciousness of many of those who served in Vietnam as well as the Families and Friends of many who lost loved ones and friends. The Vietnam Memorial (The Wall) is a constant reminder to many of those days. In the heat of a political election in 2004 and 2005, we heard the same phrases about those young men and women who chose to hear the Call of Duty, when once again their Country needed them. Today’s Military is All Voluntary! Since September 11, 2001, there have been over five million (5,000,000) young men and women, just in the United States alone step up to the plate for their Country! Many of America’s friends and allies also came to our aid and volunteered their fighting forces to take it to the people that attacked America on that day.

This time though, it was going to be different! The Silent Majority and many of the Vietnam Vets said, “Enough is Enough!” The Red Shirt Friday Tradition Was Born! Slowly but surely that Tradition was catching on, not only in the United States but Canada as well and many of us have taken it by advertising and conferences to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. In 2005, Deb and I had two of our sons, Scotty and Tony, were in the United States Army. So it was a natural for us. They loved to hear that Mom and Dad were proud of them and that Mom and Dad said they were heroes to them. Our Two Boys, along with the over Five Million other Young Men and Women who answered the Call of Duty, WERE NOT DRAFTED OR EVEN HAD THE REMOTES THOUGHT OF BEING DRAFTED! As our two sons said to us: “We want to do what you, Papa, Uncle Jim and Uncle Frank did!” I knew what that meant and so did my Dad and two brothers. They, like so many others, wanted to be a part of the solution.

What the Red Shirt Friday Tradition is:

1) It is our way of very simply wearing a red shirt on Friday to honor their commitment

2) It is our way of showing them that we appreciate their Call to Duty

3) It is our way to let them know that they are heroes to us

What the Red Shirt Friday Tradition is Not:

1) It is not political in any way, we have turned down several politicians who wanted to capitalize on it

2) It in no way shows a support for or against the Global War on Terror

Those of us who commit to the Red Shirt Friday Tradition will do so, Until They All Come Home!







Penis Enlargement Pills Really Work

January 29, 2012 - 3:22 am No Comments

Most men these days can??t stand the size of their manhood and are looking for penis enhancements pills really work to get bigger effectively and easily. The reason for this is due to the recent studies that over 80% of women prefer big over small.

There are some methods that are actually recommendable. Those are natural penis exercises, traction devices, also known as extenders and stretchers, and penis enhancements pills forum .

Penis enlargement pills are nothing new on the market for male enhancement, enlargement and improvement products. As a matter of fact, pills as a potential enlargement method exists on the market for more than 20 years, and they are highly popular choice of many men.

Thinking there would just be a couple of exercises to do, I was surprised at the complexity of the routine. There were exercises to penis enhancements pills review , others to increase length and even some to help control ejaculations. For those with erectile dysfunction, there were even exercises to help correct that! It was actually a complete http://www.sinrex.com/ program for the health of your penis.







The Best Way to Cover Financial Problem

January 22, 2012 - 11:50 am No Comments

To earn big amount of money will definitely become the desire of the people. It is because such condition will give the people financial freedom. It means that they will not need to think about their financial condition whenever they want to purchase something. However, there are only a few people who have such financial freedom. Most of the people are still struggling with their finance because life is getting so hard recently. It is even possible that these people are facing financial problems.

This kind of problems refers to the problems where the people are not capable of purchasing the things that they need because they do not have enough money. It is also possible that the people are indebted. Of course, such situation is very annoying and frustrating at the same time. To put an end to the financial problem is definitely not as easy as dealing with the other kinds of problem. Perhaps, you might also find the same trouble where you need to overcome your debts. However, what will you do to put an end to such situation? Well, if most of the people are troubled in overcoming this problem, you do not need to face such trouble. It is because you can simply put an end to the financial problem by having the help from cash loans. This kind of loan is very capable of giving you the financial capability to overcome the financial problem. Yes, indeed, this kind of service will give you the loaned cash so you can pay back the debts that you have. If you think that this kind of service is not good enough since you only cover the debts by having another debt, you are wrong.

The cash which is given by the loans is totally easy to be paid back. It is because you do not need to pay it back in a single time. It has been determined by the term which has been agreed by you when you apply for the loans. Thus, you might face that you can pay back the loans little by little and the due date of the payment can be friendly to you. That is why this solution is what you need to have as soon as possible so you will be free from the financial problem as soon as possible. With this kind of help, you can find that financial problem is not horrible. Yes, indeed, it is because you have found just the best way to overcome it.







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