Prometheus 6   

Editorial run

Free Speech for Firms Too

It's tough enough now to pull meaningful answers from corporate executives about anything even remotely controversial. But that information could slow even more unless California courts rule swiftly on the reach of free-speech protections for corporations.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in one of its final rulings of the year, declined to deal with a case concerning a suit against Nike Inc., instead sending the matter back to a San Francisco courtroom. A lot is hanging on the outcome, for Nike, the news media and the public.

…Microsoft Corp., Tribune Co. (which owns The Times), the AFL-CIO and the Public Relations Society of America, among others, were disappointed last week when the U.S. Supreme Court unexpectedly dismissed the case on procedural grounds. No matter what jurors in San Francisco decide about Nike's labor practices, the courts must reaffirm the distinction between commercial speech and constitutionally protected free speech.

[p6: I am soooo feeling this case, and Nike needs to be pimp-slapped. Corporations only got these free-speech "rights" by perverting the 14th amendment at a time the courts SHOULDA been covering Black people's azzes wif it. Fuk Nike. I don't even by they shoes…]

Trials for 'Enemies of All Mankind'? Count the U.S. Out
By Reed Brody
The extradition of the notorious Ricardo Miguel Cavallo from Mexico to Spain last week has given comfort to victims of Argentina's "dirty war." It's a comfort the United States would deny.

[p6: USofA don't wanna be held accountable. Hey, Bush. Listen to Ashcroft, man… if you ain't done nothing wrong, you ain't got nothing to fear, right?]

Cartoons
Yo, Boondocks is so right, they ain't right.
Ben Sargent's kickin shit correct about broke-ass state governments.
And Steve Benson is crackin' on the Federal Reserve. Heh.

posted by Prometheus 6 at 7/3/2003 09:33:31 AM |