Tag: Politically Appointed Community Board

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Village of Ridgewood : How Hate Speech Laws Work In Practice

FREE SPEECH NOT

An instructive example out of Kenya (and a few from our own backyard).

Elizabeth Nolan Brown|Oct. 20, 2015 8:00 am

One of the most baffling things about the newfangled “liberal” push for laws against so-called hate speech is their inability to imagine these bans backfiring. In their zeal to punish those who spread sexist, racist, transphobic, or otherwise out-of-fashion speech, they seem to forget that history has a bad track record of using censorship to suppress religious, social, sexual, and political minorities. And that’s exactly what’s been happening in Kenya, according to Nairobi-based newspaper The Star.

“There is growing evidence that the government is using prosecution for hate speech as a tool to silence its opposition critics,” writes John Onyando. “The norm is incendiary speech by pro-government politicians and online activists going unchecked while law enforcement agencies enthusiastically pounce on the mildest expressions by critics.”

The agency tasked with prosecuting hate speech in Kenya is called the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC); it was formed in 2008 to address ethnic conflicts in the nation. Onyando asserts that NCIC has ignored the bulk of complaints it has received and acts “more like an arm of the ruling coalition” than an independent agency, honing in only on those who speak out against the Jubilee Alliance, a coalition established in 2013 to support the candidacy of current President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto.

https://reason.com/blog/2015/10/20/how-hate-speech-laws-work-in-practice

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Politically Appointed Community Board Now Regulating Free Speech in Ridgewood and Glen Rock ?

3 amigos in action Ridgewood NJ

file photo by Boyd Loving

“What Would Yogi Do? Guidelines for Athletes, Coaches and Parents”author John McCarthy will speak to the Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 7:30 P.M. in The Village of Ridgewood Municipal Building, 131 North Maple Ave. Ridgewood, NJ in the first floor Garden Room.

Professor John McCarthy provides specific strategies to get athletes, coaches and parents on the same page. Referring to the three entities of sports as co-dependent parties, McCarthy uses Yogi Berra’s career and his own life experiences to illustrate how sports done the right way can enhance everyone’s life.

John McCarthy is an adjunct Professor at Montclair State teaching, “Coaching Principles and Problems,” in addition to, “Sports Psychology,” and “Social Problems in Sports.” McCarthy is a former two-sport, first team, nonpublic All-State athlete.  He is co-founder of the Institute for Coaching.

The Advisory Board has been working to expand its, Respect, Give it to Get it Campaign by encouraging a community wide dialogue regarding civility.

All Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public and provide a safe environment for community members experiencing or witnessing bias-related crime to be heard.

 Individuals working or living within the Ridgewood Environs who have experienced bias intimidation, housing discrimination, racism, sexism, or an injustice based on their sexual orientation are urged to contact the board at crabnj@gmail.com.

The Community Relations Advisory Board, Appointed by the Mayors of Ridgewood and Glen Rock was created to overcome bias attitudes toward persons or groups based on their race, color, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or disability. The all-volunteer Board meets the third Wednesday of each month. Visit us on Facebook @ Community Relations Advisory Board of Ridgewood and Glen Rock.