July | 2013 | Always Question Authority

The House Rules Committee passed on an amendment that would have stopped the military from filtering news websites on its bases.

Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., added the change to the Defense Appropriations Bill last week after reading about the Army’s restriction of The Guardian news site at the Presidio of Monterey and other installations.

“This was a decision by the Republican leadership, and the Republican leadership alone,” Grayson said by email Wednesday. “I think it’s unfortunate that the Republican leadership thinks that we need to keep our own soldiers in the dark, and prevent them from reading what every other American can learn about.”

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CENSORSHIP: “The Guardian news website blocked at Presidio of Monterey, California” / Phillip Molnar (alwaysquestionauthority.com)
CENSORSHIP: “Restricted Web access to The Guardian is Army wide, officials say” / Phillip Molnar (alwaysquestionauthority.com)
US army, what a fucking joke it is (niqnaq.wordpress.com)
Restricted web access to The Guardian is Armywide, officials say – Monterey County Herald (montereyherald.com)
The Guardian news website blocked at Presidio of Monterey after NSA leaks (mercurynews.com)

RUSSIA’S president, Vladimir V. Putin, has declared war on homosexuals. So far, the world has mostly been silent.

On July 3, Mr. Putin signed a law banning the adoption of Russian-born children not only to gay couples but also to any couple or single parent living in any country where marriage equality exists in any form.

A few days earlier, just six months before Russia hosts the 2014 Winter Games, Mr. Putin signed a law allowing police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Contrary to what the International Olympic Committee says, the law could mean that any Olympic athlete, trainer, reporter, family member or fan who is gay — or suspected of being gay, or just accused of being gay — can go to jail.

Earlier in June, Mr. Putin signed yet another antigay bill, classifying “homosexual propaganda” as pornography. The law is broad and vague, so that any teacher who tells students that homosexuality is not evil, any parents who tell their child that homosexuality is normal, or anyone who makes pro-gay statements deemed accessible to someone underage is now subject to arrest and fines. Even a judge, lawyer or lawmaker cannot publicly argue for tolerance without the threat of punishment.

Finally, it is rumored that Mr. Putin is about to sign an edict that would remove children from their own families if the parents are either gay or lesbian or suspected of being gay or lesbian. The police would have the authority to remove children from adoptive homes as well as from their own biological parents.

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