Today is a day where bloggers across the world are uniting to write about a common theme, human rights. For centuries people have been penalized in one form or another in the fight for Freedom of Expression. There are countries where people are jailed or executed for daring to say anything that is perceived as a threat to their government. The United States is one of the most liberal of countries in allowing Freedom of Expression. Please take a moment to think about those who have lost everything they own, their freedom, and, in some cases, their lives in order to stand up for their rights. From the time of
Socrates up to now, the fight for Freedom of Expression continues around the world. A concise review of the legal history of Freedom of Speech is available online at
Legal History of Free Speech.
Wikipedia offers a good resource list on the rights and responsibilities pertaining to Freedom of Speech. To learn more about what you can do to help those who live in countries that do not have the level of Freedom of Expression that we have in the United States check out this site at
Amnesty International. Some of the stories there depict horrific abuse of individuals who are currently imprisoned for the simple act of saying what they think. It makes me more appreciative of the rights and responsibilities we have in the United States. It also makes me want to see those same rights and responsibilities become a worldwide reality.
Many thanks to the Town of Christiansburg Planning Department, specifically Mr. Randy Wingfield for providing an electronic copy of the Town's Comprehensive Plan. That document is now available on the
website as are the Public Meeting documents for the first 6 months of 2007.