#civilliberties — Public Fediverse posts

Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay before her death this week - "When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role is to remind us how far we have come." https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Flife-and-letters%2Fgloria-steinems-final-essay= #civilliberties #women #girls #law #civilrights #justice #equality #publichealth #choice #privacy #freedom #voting #democracy

Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay before her death this week - "When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role is to remind us how far we have come." https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Flife-and-letters%2Fgloria-steinems-final-essay= #civilliberties #women #girls #law #civilrights #justice #equality #publichealth #choice #privacy #freedom #voting #democracy

Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay before her death this week - "When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role is to remind us how far we have come." https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Flife-and-letters%2Fgloria-steinems-final-essay= #civilliberties #women #girls #law #civilrights #justice #equality #publichealth #choice #privacy #freedom #voting #democracy

Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay before her death this week - "When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role is to remind us how far we have come." https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Flife-and-letters%2Fgloria-steinems-final-essay= #civilliberties #women #girls #law #civilrights #justice #equality #publichealth #choice #privacy #freedom #voting #democracy

Gloria Steinem’s Final Essay before her death this week - "When you’re lucky enough to have lived a long life, as I have done, your role is to remind us how far we have come." https://periscope.corsfix.com/?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fculture%2Flife-and-letters%2Fgloria-steinems-final-essay= #civilliberties #women #girls #law #civilrights #justice #equality #publichealth #choice #privacy #freedom #voting #democracy

this.weekinsecurity:
"
Vigilantism comes for Flock
"
"More Americans than ever are destroying Flock license plate cameras amid rising backlash against the company. Is the tide turning on intrusive U.S. mass surveillance, and where does the privacy fight go next?"

https://this.weekinsecurity.com/vigilantism-comes-for-flock/

4.9.2026

#BigBrother #CivilLiberties #Flock #Freiheitsrechte #Kennzeichenscanner #LicensePlateCamera #LicensePlateTracking #Massenüberwachung #MassSurveillance #Privacy #Surveillance #Überwachung

Texas: Faith, Freedom, and Mind Your Damn Business

By Cliff Potts, CSO
Editor-in-Chief, WPS News

Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — September 4, 2026, 9:15 p.m. PHT

Texas talks about faith constantly and practices freedom inconsistently. Religion is waved like a banner while personal liberty is quietly narrowed, regulated, or punished when it doesn’t line up with political fashion. This contradiction has become so normal that many Texans barely notice it anymore.

Faith is not the problem. Power is.

Faith Is Personal, Not Administrative

Texas is home to churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, meeting houses, and people who believe quietly or not at all. That pluralism is not a flaw. It is a fact. Faith has always been part of Texas life, but it has never belonged to the state.

When government begins enforcing one version of belief, it stops protecting faith and starts weaponizing it. That does not strengthen religion. It cheapens it. Faith that requires government backing is not faith—it is insecurity dressed up as authority.

People believe deeply without being coerced. The state does not need to supervise that.

Freedom Means Leaving People Alone

Texas politicians love to invoke freedom while inserting themselves into private decisions about bodies, families, education, and belief. That is not freedom. It is control wrapped in familiar language.

True freedom is not loud. It is boring. It is the quiet confidence that your neighbor’s life choices are none of your business unless they cause real harm. A free society tolerates disagreement without demanding conformity.

If a belief system is strong, it does not need the force of law to survive.

Religion in Schools Without Indoctrination

Teaching about religion is not the same thing as preaching it. Students benefit from understanding the beliefs that shape history, culture, and global affairs. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Indigenous traditions, and secular ethics all belong in a serious education.

Teaching one belief as truth while excluding others is not education. It is indoctrination. Texas should be confident enough to teach broadly without fear.

Knowledge does not weaken faith. It strengthens discernment.

The Myth of Moral Decline

Texas politics often leans on claims of moral collapse to justify intrusion into private life. These claims rarely hold up under scrutiny. Crime trends, family structures, and social behavior are influenced far more by economics, education, and stability than by religious enforcement.

Blaming social problems on belief differences avoids addressing harder causes like poverty, healthcare access, housing, and education. Moral panic is easier than policy work.

A serious state solves problems instead of sermonizing about them.

Faith Communities Do Real Work

Faith-based organizations are often the first to respond when communities struggle. They feed people, shelter families, provide counseling, and show up quietly without demanding credit. That work matters. It deserves respect and support.

What it does not require is political dominance. Faith communities are strongest when they act voluntarily, not when they are fused to state power.

Service speaks louder than slogans.

Freedom of Conscience Cuts Both Ways

Freedom of religion includes the freedom not to believe. It includes the freedom to change beliefs. It includes the freedom to practice quietly without public approval. Protecting conscience means accepting outcomes you may personally dislike.

That is the price of liberty. It is also its strength.

Texas cannot claim to honor freedom while punishing people for living differently.

When Government Picks Winners

History offers no shortage of warnings about governments that decide which beliefs are acceptable. Even when intentions begin as sincere, outcomes tend toward exclusion, resentment, and abuse. Texas is not immune to that pattern.

Keeping church and state separate does not weaken either. It protects both from corruption.

Personal Faith, Public Restraint

Leaders are allowed their faith. They are allowed to be guided by conscience. What they are not allowed to do is impose that conscience as law when it infringes on the rights of others.

Restraint is not betrayal. It is maturity.

What a Confident Texas Would Do

A confident Texas would protect freedom of worship for everyone and freedom from coercion for everyone else. It would teach religion academically, not devotionally. It would trust families and individuals to handle belief without supervision.

Most of all, it would stop confusing moral authority with legal power.

Why This Matters Going Forward

Faith will continue to shape Texas culture. That is not in question. The question is whether it will be used to inspire service and compassion—or to justify intrusion and control.

Freedom survives only when people mind their own damn business.

Texas is strong enough to do that.

This essay will be archived as part of the ongoing WPS News Monthly Brief Series available through Amazon.

References (APA)
Pew Research Center. (2025). Religious diversity and belief in the United States.
First Amendment Center. (2025). Religion, government, and constitutional boundaries.
National Council of State Legislatures. (2025). Religious freedom and public policy analysis.
Gallup. (2025). Public attitudes toward religion and government.
American Academy of Religion. (2025). Teaching religion in public education.

Investigations| Jul 30 2026

Canadian universities set up a secret network to crack down on student Palestine demonstrators

Universities in Canada coordinated to spy on and violently clear student encampments. Then, they deleted the evidence

by Euan Thomson & David Slater

#Canada #cdnpoli #FreePalestine #encampments #civilliberties

https://breachmedia.ca/canadian-universities-set-up-a-secret-network-to-crack-down-on-student-palestine-demonstrators/

Trump Is Manufacturing an Election Crisis to Justify Military and ICE Power

Trump is manufacturing claims of foreign interference and noncitizen voting to discredit future election losses and prepare Americans for authoritarian federal action.

AI Bans Are Here. I Told You So. Now Let’s Talk About Why This Is Bad.

https://theinterfaithintrepidart.com/2026/06/13/ai-bans-are-here-i-told-you-so-now-lets-talk-about-why-this-is-bad/

NOW ON VERDANT SQUARE RADIO ==

NOW PLAYING == American Democracy Minute Episode 1020: #California #VoterID Ballot Question Now Qualified for the Nov. 3 Ballot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEk7yT07RhA #news #civics #uspol #education #activism #elections #votingrights #WeThPeople #civilliberties #democracy #GetBusy #LearnSomething #vsn #radio #DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft #SupportIndependentMedia #PacificaRadio

https://mastodon.social/@VerdantSquareRadio/116477608256674593

#news

NOW ON VERDANT SQUARE RADIO ==

NOW PLAYING == American Democracy Minute Episode 1007: NH’s #GOP Governor Signs Bill Eliminating Student IDs as #voterid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlz9F1fwtjA#news #civics #uspol #education #activism #elections #votingrights #WeThPeople #civilliberties #democracy #GetBusy #LearnSomething #vsn #radio #DiverseSpectrumOfTheLeft #SupportIndependentMedia #PacificaRadio

https://mastodon.social/@VerdantSquareRadio/116372622291224534

#news #arts

How tight is the #RightToProtest?

From 418 arrests in 1977 to fresh clashes in Sydney: Debate over #Australia’s right to protest continues

"What many may not realise is that the right to protest in Australia is not protected by one simple law. It’s implied in the constitution under freedom of political communication and exists under international human rights law, which Australia has agreed to uphold. Only #Queensland, #Victoria and the #ACT explicitly protect the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of association and freedom of expression. And laws protecting the right to peaceful protest in Australia can be limited."

By Rhiannon Stevens
Sat 14 Feb, 2026

" 'The day of the political street march is over,' Joh Bjelke-Petersen declared. 'Don’t bother to apply for a permit. You won’t get one. That’s government policy now.'

"A few weeks later, thousands of people defied then-Queensland premier Bjelke-Petersen’s proclamation and gathered in Brisbane for an #AntiUranium march.

"Ian Curr remembers an intense, unrelenting heat on that day nearly 50 years ago. It was 'boiling hot', the long-time #AntiNuclear activist says. So hot that when protesters sat on the road, arms linked in passive defiance, it was 'not very pleasant' because the tarmac was scorching. Other memories emerge from the haze: lines of police, three and four deep, surrounding protesters; a woman with tears streaming down her face who had just heard her partner was arrested.

"Fear swirled up spines and into the air. These were the years after the #Springbok tour #AntiApartheid protests had been violently suppressed.

"That afternoon in October 1977, 418 people were arrested and Queensland’s 'RightToMarch' movement quickly entered a new era. #CivilLiberties demonstrations continued until the ban — originally enacted to curb a growing anti-nuclear movement — was lifted two years later.

"Ross Gwyther was exhilarated seeing some 5,000 anti-nuclear marchers turn out that day. But the sensation was tempered by an 'intense fear because there’d already been many cases of #PoliceBrutality'.

"These were extraordinary times, as the Fitzgerald Inquiry would later attest. For Gwyther and many of the #ratbags, #activists and #CivilLibertarians of Queensland it was a defining moment. That era in Brisbane radicalised a lot of people, Gwyther says, who embarked on a lifetime of 'political activism, both through parliamentary politics or by grassroots politics'.

"These moments mark you, Curr says, turning to the events in Sydney this week. 'The people who saw that violence in Sydney, in 40 or 50 years, they will not forget it. In the same way I do not forget police brandishing batons and punching and throwing people into paddy wagons. It’s something you do not forget.'

"In the aftermath of last Monday’s protest against Israeli President #IsaacHerzog’s visit in #Sydney, shaky, chaotic videos began to emerge online. A man lies on tram tracks, restrained by officers who punch him 18 times. #Protesters are pushed, they struggle to their feet, crowds stumble around them. Men bowed in prayer are wrenched from their worship by police. A grandmother is in hospital with a spinal injury. She says she feared being suffocated in a stampede as she lay on the ground in agony. She alleges she was pushed over by police."

Read more:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-15/right-to-protest-fragile-police-powers-gaza-herzog/106331356

#ACAB #AustraliaPol #AusPol #CriminalizingProtest #Australia #AntiProtestLaws #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #UraniumMines #WorldPol #IsraeliWarCrimes

EFFecting Change: Get the #Flock Out of Our City

Flock contracts have quietly spread to cities across the country. But Flock #ALPR erode #civilLiberties from the moment they're installed. While officials claim these #cameras keep neighborhoods safe, evidence tells a diff story. The data reveals how Flock has enabled #surveillance of people seeking #abortions , #protesters exercising #FirstAmendment #rights , & communities targeted by #discriminatory policing
#privacy

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/02/effecting-change-get-flock-out-our-city

On November 14, two #Montreal #police officers assaulted Dimitri Lascaris when he attempted to enter the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, where #Canadian #PrimeMinister #MarkCarney was giving a speech.

This is by no means that first time that he's been assaulted by the #cops in Montreal. These experiences have become a regular occurrence whenever he tries to attend speeches by Ministers in the #CanadianGovernment.

This time, however, he managed to capture the assault on video.

As he explains in his report from outside the hotel, it is now obvious that Lascaris has been placed on a government #blacklist. Although he's a #lawyer in good standing and a card-carrying member of the press - facts about which Canada's government is undoubtedly aware - it’s clear that the Liberal government has instructed Montreal police and the #RCMP to prevent Lascaris from entering any building where a Minister of the Canadian government is speaking - and to use force, if necessary, to exclude him.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fgIP-GjsEt0

#CDNpoli #Quebec #QCpoli #MontrealPD #PoliceViolence #CopCrimes #RemoveQualifiedImmunity #ACAB #DefundPolice #CivilLiberties #AntiFascist #Censorship #PressFreedom #Journalists #CanadianMedia #journalism #Media #Neoliberalism

Shortly before 7:00 am Friday morning, #FBI and #MontgomeryCounty #police were seen at Bethesda home of #John Bolton, who served as #nationalsecurity advisor for part of #DonaldTrump first term. Montgomery County police sealed off the street on which Bolton lives while an unmarked black #SUV parked in front of Bolton’s house. Montgomery County police confirmed that they were on site in support of the FBI. #autocracy #arresting #enemies Using FBI #police as private #army #despot #civilliberties

#Texas just gutted #FreeSpeech on #college #campuses. Is your state next?

New laws in the Lone Star State will silence dissent and undermine #faculty authority.

By Laura Benitez and Jonathan Friedman
July 14, 2025

"As thousands of students return to college campuses this fall, they will find themselves stepping into an environment reshaped by political and ideological mandates. Across the country, state legislators have been racing to exert new influence over free expression in higher education. Now, Texas has surged to the forefront, closing its 2025 legislative session by passing two alarming laws that take effect Sept. 1.

"Signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in June, the new laws amount to a stunningly aggressive legislative crackdown on campus protest (#SB2972) and academic shared governance (#SB37) at public colleges and universities. The laws will not just silence dissent and undermine faculty authority in Texas; they provide a blueprint for how to dismantle academic freedom and chill speech on campus state by state.

"Only a few years ago, conservative lawmakers railed against college 'free-speech zones,' arguing that liberal administrators were muzzling students on the rest of campus. In 2019, Texas legislators joined other states in taking action by declaring all outdoor spaces on public campuses open for protest and speech by students, employees and the general public.

"Now, some of the same legislators have done an about-face. The campus protest law actually directs public colleges and universities to implement a version of free-speech zones and adopt sweeping limitations on protests. #Encampments? Banned. #Megaphones or #speakers during 'class hours'? Forbidden — if anyone claims your 'expressive activity' is one that 'intimidates others' or 'interferes' with an employee’s duties. Even wearing a mask during a protest — something many do for safety — could land a student or employee a disciplinary hearing resulting in 'sanctions.' And any expressive activity between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. is off-limits altogether."

Read more:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/07/14/texas-campus-free-speech/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/2LuBD

#TexasProtestLaws #ProtestLaws #ProtestLawsTexas #Project2025 #AntiProtestLaws #Authoritarianism #SilencingFreeSpeech #Censorship #AcademicFreedom #AntiMaskLaws #Fascism #USPol #CivilLiberties #Texas

I haven't done a #FollowFriday list in a while. Here are some of my favorite #HumanRights accounts (in alphabetical order):

@404mediaco
404 Media is a journalist-founded digital media company exploring the ways technology is shaping–and is shaped by–our world. We're focused on investigative reports, longform features, blogs, and scoops about topics including: hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sex, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, surveillance, privacy, and the democratization of the internet.

@AIF_Massachusetts
American Iron Front in Massachusetts: standing against Nazis, the alt-right, and fascists of all stripes in Massachusetts and the greater New England area.

@BLKNewsNow
News blog covering stories for Black America, the Black diaspora, and allies from all backgrounds.

@CrimethInc
CrimethInc. is a rebel alliance—a decentralized network pledged to anonymous collective action—a breakout from the prisons of our age. We strive to reinvent our lives and our world according to the principles of self-determination and mutual aid.

@DemocracyNow_Headlines_rss
Automated toots from Democracy Now's Headlines RSS feed. This account is not affiliated with #DemocracyNow.

@EndIsraeliApartheid
The UN report, entitled "Anatomy of a #Genocide", says Israel has violated three of the five acts listed in the UN Genocide Convention. The UN’s international court of justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories “as rapidly as possible”.

@Freedom_Press
An independent, radical co-op controlled by its volunteers, Freedom runs Britain’s oldest anarchist press and its largest bookshop.

@humanrightswatch
This is the international organization #HumanRightsWatch.

@igd_news
In search of new forms of life. A digital community center and media platform featuring news, opinion, podcasts, and reporting on autonomous social movements and revolt across so-called North America from an #anarchist perspective.

@indybay
San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center • Anti-Oppression Anti-Capitalist Open Publishing Since 2000 Make media • Make trouble!

@MikeDunnAuthor
Working Class Historical Fiction from the not so gilded age. Labor History. Social justice. An injury to one is an injury to all!

@mondoweiss
We cover the movements, activists and policymakers who affect the struggle for freedom in #Palestine. We are now on Peertube! Watch our videos in the fediverse and follow us there for updated video content: https://video.mondoweiss.net

@MusiqueNow
#Music #Musique #Musica #Musik #pouetradio #WeAreTheRadio and #news. #SolidarityWithPalestineRadio
#TransAndNonBinaryrRightsAreHumanRights #QueersBashBACK #NEVERAGAINforANYONE

@PoliceStateUK
Tracking politics, policing and #CivilLiberties in the UK.

@RadicalGraffiti
Just sharing pics of #AntiCapitalist, Anti-#authoritarian and #AntiColonial graffiti, stickers and street art seen around the world.

@Resister
MSW, RSW • She/Her • Settler • #Activist • #Vegan • Critical Consciousness Raiser •
Creator of - https://radicalsocial.work/about

@rmblaber1956
I am a retired academic, with an MA & PhD in Social Policy & Administration from the Universities of York & Kent respectively. I am disabled, & am deeply concerned about human, gay and disability rights, the climate emergency and the biodiversity crisis. I was politically homeless, but am increasingly favouring the Green Party. I like films, classical music, jazz & reading.

@Sherifazuhur
Research prof. (UCLA PhD - MIT, American Univ. In Cairo, CSU, UCB, SSI-US Army War College, Fulbright scholar, Syria) #MiddleEastNorthAfrican #history, #politics, #defense, #IslamicStudies, #arts, #thought, #education Toots on MENA current news.

@ThailandWatch
Posts about human rights and conflict related to Thailand. Posts by @peacemakers_ca

@UnicornRiot
Independent media amplifying stories from the frontlines of social and environmental struggles. Bookmark our website: https://unicornriot.ninja/

@USAJusticeWatch
Focus on the USA with emphasis on human rights and conflict. Please send a direct message for information about the curator of this account, who watches the US from another country. Messages deleted from time to time.

@YourAnonNews
We are Anonymous, we are legion, we do not forgive, we do not forget. Expect us. Prepared to go forward w/it. Here live. Not a cat. #Anonymous #HackThePlanet

#FridayFollows #FollowFridays #HumanRightsDefenders #HumanRightsNews #HumanRightsList

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQJQ5XQeESg

#DemocracyDocket #DefendingDemocracy

The #Lawyers Fighting #Trump's #ExecutiveOrders

#USAFascistShitShow #FuckTrump #CivilLiberties

#DemocracyForward

#ExecutiveOrderLegalResponseCenter
https://www.democracy2025.org/

Harnessing #Religious Arguments for The Benefit of #Trans Advocacy: A New Approach

#Harvard #CivilRights - #CivilLiberties #Law Review, Vol. 58, pp. 395 (2023)
20 Pages Posted: 18 Jul 2024
Nitsan Plitman
@Harvard - #HarvardLawSchool

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4895000

#Gaza in Context: A Collaborative Project

#Students Rising: Dismantling Reprression, Imagining Futures Part 4

A Conversation with Students & Activists on the Front Lines

1) https://youtu.be/a4ZIPjEhVTw
2) https://youtu.be/8w9U9TySY60
#Palestine #PalestineSolidarity #GazaSolidarity #GazaSolidarityEncampments #StudentActivism #StudentProtests #CampusActivism #PalestineActivism #USpol #USpolitics #FreeSpeech #StateRepression #PoliceViolence #CivilLiberties #Jadaliyya @palestine

@palestine

#Gaza in Context: A Collaborative Project

#Students Rising: Dismantling Repression, Imagining Futures Part 2

#StudentEncampment Representatives in conversation w/ #LisaWedeen & #BassamHaddad

https://youtu.be/UZgPbU8bMXY
#Palestine #PalestineSolidarity #GazaSolidarity #GazaSolidarityEncampments #StudentActivism #StudentProtests #CampusActivism #PalestineActivism #USpol #USpolitics #FreeSpeech #StateRepression #PoliceViolence #CivilLiberties #Jadaliyya

#Gaza in Context: A Collaborative Project

#Students Rising: Dismantling Repression, Imagining Futures Part 1 | A Conversation with #StudentEncampment Representatives

Students from DC/MD/VA/NY+ in conversation with #BassamHaddad

https://youtu.be/5j1_I3lL_jg

#Palestine #PalestineSolidarity #GazaSolidarity #GazaSolidarityEncampments #StudentActivism #StudentProtests #CampusActivism #PalestineActivism #USpol #USpolitics #StateRepression #FreeSpeech #CivilLiberties #Jadaliyya

@palestine

#Columbia and Beyond: The Surge in #ActivismForPalestine, the Instrumentalizing of “Safety,” and the Attack on Education by the #FarRight

guests: Hamza El Boudali, Natasha Lennard, Nicole Erin Morse

https://speakingoutofplace.com/2024/04/21/columbia-and-beyond-the-surge-in-activism-for-palestine-the-instrumentalizing-of-safety-and-the-attack-on-education-by-the-far-right/

#PalestineSolidarity #Palestine #Gaza #StudentActivism #USPol #USPolitics #CampusActivism #FreeSpeech #AcademicFreedom #StateRepression #CivilLiberties #ColumbiaU #ColumbiaUniversity #GazaSolidarityEncampment

@palestine

@GreenFire

#USPol #CultureWars
(1/2)
Thanks for sharing

These are such devisive times:

#NoClimateChange vs. #ClimateCrisis and #MassExtinctions

#ProLife vs. #Abortion

#GreatReplacementTheory and #Racism vs. #MyBodyMyChoice, #BirthControl, #CivilLiberties

#2Sexes vs. #LGBTIA+
#heterosexual vs. #homosexual, #pansexual, etc.

#MomsForLiberty and #BookBurnings vs. #UniversalEducation

#AbsoluteFreeSpeech and #Bothsidesism vs. #Responsibility and #Decency

#2A and #OpenCarry vs. #GunControl
...