When is Free Speech Okay?

The article Victory for Peace Activist in T-Shirt Case discusses the journey Dan Frazier went on when he created a T-shirt that contained the slogan "Bush Lied...They Died." It also listed the names of all the fallen soldiers at the time, 1,600 names. The shirt was immediately a controversial issue and Dan was sued by the state of Arizona. They did not want to allow the sale of this shirt in the state. When this happened, Dan got help from ACLU and "prevailed in court against the state." One victory was established, but the shirt would continue to make people angry and even cause more law suits.

The family of one of the fallen soldiers sued Frazier for $40 billion and demanded he take the soldiers' names off the shirt. A federal judge tossed the case out claiming, "Exercising free speech in criticizing the government is not outrageous."

When is free speech not okay? When do people not have the right to say what they feel? Tricia Herzfeld, a staff attorney with the ACLU-Tennessee, said, "This case goes beyond this particular shirt to the larger issue of chilling protected political speech. We cannot let our emotions jeopardize the free speech rights of Mr. Frazier or others who want to speak out against the war.” Mr. Frazier speaking out against the war is just another example of how wonderful our rights are as Americans. We ARE allowed to criticize the government's actions and disagree publicly with events that are taking place. This is shown clearly in the example of Dan Frazier and his T-shirt.

A Breath of Fresh Air for China?

How can we help future generations? Improving our environment and taking all possible steps to reduce pollution and prevent further contamination. A clean and breathable future is the one we should keep in mind for our children and grandchildren. One of the simplest and most effective ways to accomplish this is by driving hybrid or electric cars instead of the many gas powered cars available today. The article China's Push for Hybrid and Electric Cars, But Will Anyone Buy? explains how the Chinese government is pushing for their population of over 1.3 billion to become more active in the hybrid and electric car market. I found this very interesting because it describes why electric or partially electric cars are less realistic and unaffordable for the Chinese people.

China has taken many steps to promote electric cars and make them more practical for everyday consumers. The article claimed the Chinese government had offered "discounts of $8,800 for electric vehicles, $7,350 for PHEVs, and up to $36,750 for fuel cell vehicles." This is definitely a step in the right direction but the cost of the fuel efficient vehicles is still much higher in China. Even with the appealing incentive, the price of the F3DM, a popular electric car in China, is about six thousand dollars more expensive than its competitor, the F3 which is completely gas powered.

Looking to become a bigger competitor in the electric car market, China hopes to "quickly improve quality via collaboration with foreign car makers that have spent decades competing in Western markets." It will take time for this to catch on though. Americans want to make sure these cars are not only green, but safe and reliable. China must start selling these cars widely in their own country before expanding to sell these cars in the U.S.