Fred Phelps' "God Hates Fags" Message: Is It Free Speech?

John W. Whitehead March 15th, 2010

"You can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred of God."–Pastor Fred Phelps

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear Snyder v. Phelps, a case dealing with anti-gay protests at the funerals of American soldiers, is stirring up debate over whether the privacy rights of grieving families trumps the free speech rights of demonstrators.

The case arose after members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church picketed the Maryland funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Sn … (Read More)

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The State of the Union - 2010

Erik Guzman January 29th, 2010

One in ten Americans are out of work, businesses are closing left and right, and after a year in office President Obama still hasn't ushered in world peace. If you ask this American, change hasn't come fast enough.

(If you're on the front page of the site, click "Read More" to see audio player options.)

And so, it was with eager anticipation that I watched Obama's first official State of the Union address this week. If you were too busy looking for a job to watch, … (Read More)

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Obama and the Global Police: More Friendly Fascism?

John W. Whitehead January 14th, 2010

"The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse."– James Madison

Over the course of his first year in office, Barack Obama has shown himself to be a skillful and savvy politician, saying the things Americans want to hear while stealthily and inexorably moving forward the government's agenda of centralized power. For example, in one breath, Obama pays lip service to the need for greater transparency in governme … (Read More)

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Is Tweeting Now a Felony Under Federal Law?

John W. Whitehead November 18th, 2009

Say you want a revolution.

We better get on right away.

Well you get on your feet

And out on the street.

–John Lennon, "Power to the People"

The ominous rise of the surveillance state continues unabated. With each passing day, hope fades that the Obama administration will diverge from George W. Bush's erection of a police state.

The government's treatment of Elliot Madison is a case in point. Madison, a 41-year-old self-styled anarchist and social worke … (Read More)

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Loving Big Brother: The Future Is Now

John W. Whitehead October 5th, 2009

"He loved Big Brother."–George Orwell, 1984

1984 portrays a global society of total control in which people are not supposed to have thoughts that in any way disagree with the corporate state. There is no personal freedom. Snitches and surveillance cameras are everywhere. And people are subject to the Thought Police, who deal with anyone guilty of such thought crimes. The government, or "Party," is headed by Big Brother, who appears on posters everywhere with the words: … (Read More)

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Freedom Fading - John W. Whitehead on SBE

Erik Guzman July 3rd, 2009

If it's not enough of a 4th of July bummer that the economy is in the toilet, join John Whitehead on this edition of Steve Brown Etc. to hear about the shocking ways that the freedoms we're celebrating are going up in smoke.

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If your city canceled their 4th of July celebration because of budget cuts, here's a recipe for fireworks. Combine one part federal hate crimes law and two pa … (Read More)

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