Look NOW: FREEDOM OF SPEECH AT RISK

[pandora]

This is from the www.punkvoter.com The Federal Elections Commission is looking into adding more and more limits to one’s ability to communicate and dissent against what our government is doing! These proposed rules would apply to all types of groups: 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, 501(c)(4) advocacy organizations, labor unions, trade associations and non-federal political committees and organizations (so-called "527" groups, as well as state PACs, local political clubs, etc.). The new rules, including those that apply to voter engagement, cover all types of communications -- not just broadcast TV or radio ads -- but messages in any form, such as print ads, mailings, phone banks, email alerts, websites, leaflets, speeches, posters, tabling, even knocking on doors. Please visit this website and read all they have to say. They have the email address to write your concerns. The due date is today, please speak out, this will affect all of us on this message board. This is not even about who you should vote for or against this is FREEDOM OF SPEECH at risk. Here is the direct link to the page http://www.punkvoter.com/home/home.php

[Peter Oberth]

they aren't even slowly trying to take our freedom of speech away anymore. they are just outright stealing it now. no buttering us up with lost speeches on how it would help remove the KKK from government rallies, etc. they are just taking our rights away so speak up people! and taking away our rights to say what we want and protest on the internet? arrest me now. :mad:

[blasted crabapple from NY]

any further word on this?

[pandora]

Here is the follow up on what has happened so far.

Fat Mike received a letter today from the Federal Election Commission's Office of Vice Chair Ellen L. Weintraub - letting us know she heard our voices! Thanks to everyone that wrote in to the FEC on short notice - they had never recieved this many comments before!

The Federal Elections Commission is looking into changing the rules of how much free speech groups like Punk Voter have to voice their dissent against federal elected opinions. We feel that our rights to organize in dissention of our leaders is protected by the Bill of Rights - specifically the rights to Free Speech and Assembly. (see punkvoter news April 7, 2004 below)

Vice-Chair Weintraub included Punk Voter in her opening remarks of the April 14th FEC Hearings on Political Committee Status.

She stated, "It is not just our privilege in a democracy to challenge our government to do the right thing; it is our obligation. I thank everyone who has tried to do that in this proceeding... She continued, his rulemaking was prompted by concerns about the activities of two or three organizations. We are now proposing to regulate thousands. The Commission has received over 150,000 comments. That is 100 times the number of comments this agency has ever received before. Our staff has not had time to analyze all those comments, a project that will take at least another couple of weeks to complete. Yet, driven by the unrealistic schedule the Commission has set for itself, before the staff had read the comments or heard the testimony, they had already begun to draft the final rules. We are putting the cart way before the horse here. In any rational world, we would read the comments first and draft the rules second."

Of all the comments - she decided to recognize our efforts and stated,
"Finally, I would like to thank all of the commenters for expressing their views to the Commission. You have all made an extraordinary effort to alert the Commission to possible pitfalls of the proposed rules, from both a legal and a practical standpoint. It has unfortunately been impossible to read all of the comments before the hearing, but I did want to note that these were not just form letters. A lot of people took time and care to voice their concerns and offer the benefit of their common sense. We heard from teachers and students, social workers and mail carriers, not to mention Fat Mike (Burkett) of Punk Voter, “a coalition of punk bands, musicians and record labels, . . . which aims to educate and energize the nation’s youth about the political process, and inspire them to become involved in that process to change this society and shape the future of our nation."

[Shoot2Wound]

hey pandora, when you quote a source can you give them credit at the end/beginning?

would help me a bit.. thanks.

[pandora]

Sure sorry. Everything I quote is taken from www.punkvoter.com under the news section.