Barry has a decidedly pro-free speech perspective — he's the president of the board of directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee — but his book does make for timely reading. Read the book, but before you do that, read the mini review at www.paemploymentlawblog.com/2007/09/articles/
discrimination/freedom-of-speech-in-the-workplace-think-again. Also check out Chris McKinney's blog entry "Limits of Free Speech in the Workplace" and "Freedom of Speech in the Workplace: Think Again" by Michael A. Moore (the lawyer, not the filmmaker).
Heads up; those of you who missed it can still read the spring 2007 issue of the ABA's Human Rights Magazine dealing this time with that ever-contentious issue of the death penalty. Here's an unsavory morsel: guess which five countries executed the most prisoners in 2006? China (in the lead by thousands), Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, and Sudan. Number six is the good ol' USA, which missed the fifth spot it held the year prior by just eight executions. Ponder it all at www.abanet.org/irr/hr/spring07/home.html.
That's right — forget the kids, the spouse, that lover you're having a tumultuous affair with — all you need is a high-speed Internet connection and boom! Adios humanity. What hath happened to you, America?
Another crazy finding: most Americans are willing (yes, willing) to have chips implanted in children under 13 years of age to track them if they are lost, abducted, or simply truant. Big Brother's antlers are growing as I write this, and surely Orwell must be tossing in his grave. Looks like the days of ditching gym class and going to the mall are coming to an end. Read the terrifying results at 463.blogs.com/the_463/2007/10/hi-there-im-the.html.
