Good News, Bad News | New Trommetter Times

This week, the ACLU got some good news and some bad news. First the bad news (from the ACLU’s perspective.)

UNC-Chapel Hill Suffers Major Defeat

In July of 2004, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) wrote to UNC-Chapel Hill, explaining for the second time in less than two years that constitutionally protected freedom of association is meaningless if a group cannot exclude people who do not share the beliefs of the group. This is both basic common sense and clearly established law. The College Democrats can exclude Republicans, the college environmental club can exclude students who hate environmentalism, and the college chess club can exclude members who hate the game and wish to see it abolished. In other words, if you form a group in order to express commonly held ideas or ideals, of course you can exclude those who disagree.

Now the good news (from the ACLU’s perspective.)

Muslim student, ACLU fight graduation prayer

A federal judge in Louisville, Kentucky, granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting a prayer from being said during graduation ceremonies at an area high school after a Muslim student on the planning committee objected and garnered the help of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Of course, what’s good news for the ACLU is bad news for America.

Net neutrality makes for strange allies

File this under the old adage, “Politics makes strange bedfellows.” The current net neutrality debate in the U.S. Congress has the Christian Coalition of America allied with rock stars Moby and R.E.M. The Christian Coalition, in a news release, said it is concerned that large broadband providers will block content that they don’t agree with. Some providers could block antiabortion Web sites, said Roberta Combs, the group’s president. Without a net neutrality provision, “there is nothing to stop the cable and phone companies from not allowing consumers to have access to speech that they don’t support,” she said in a statement.