Tuesday, November 4, 2008

FREEDOM OF OUR PRESS

Hi All,

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom...of the press."
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Although the First Amendment specifically mentions only the federal Congress, this provision now protects the press from all government, whether local, state or federal.
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The founders of the United States enacted the First Amendment to distinguish their new government from that of England, which had long censored the press and prosecuted persons who dared to criticize the British Crown.
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As Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart explained in a 1974 speech, the "primary purpose" of the First Amendment was "to create a fourth institution outside the government as an additional check on the three official branches" (the executive branch, the legislature and the judiciary).
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As difficult as it may be for UCO to understand this concept; the “Freedom of the Press” concept supersedes even the acquisitive power of the Officers of UCO and the Imperial autocracy of the UCO Reporter Editorial Board.

The only connection that the Officers of UCO should have with the UCO Reporter is the right to submit Articles and/or write Letters to the Editor;

specifically, they should have no connection to the Editorial Board, we the Unit Owners own the Reporter and we have the right to expect a free and independent Editorial Board free of undue influence.
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We do not need to read that which is in essence a filtered and smoothed UCO House organ!
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The UCO Reporter of November 2008, Volume 27, No. 11 contains writings of Messrs Loewenstein, Karpf, Blank and LaBonte which can only be described as childish travesties on the Body Politic.
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However; they have the right to their opinion, and all of those writings should have been published under the rubric of Opinion.
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The right to our opinion and the right to criticize our Elected Officials is a uniquely inherent fundamental American right. Clearly, the above mentioned persons arrogated unto themselves, by virtue of nothing but their positions proximate to the UCO Reporter, the consummate gall to publish their childish screeds.
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This very right they would now deny to all other Unit Owners to similarly have their inputs published.
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The restrictions announced on November 3, 2008 by President Loewenstein at the Executive Board meeting as regards publication in the UCO Reporter of critical articles must not be allowed to stand. It is a direct attack on the Democratic principles we hold so dear.

Dave Israel

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

BRAVO, DAVE, WELL SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bettie L

Mike said...

CV is looking more like Germany in the 30s. GL and the crew will have book burnings on BBQ Island next. Control of the press is the signature of a Fascist Regime .

Anonymous said...

The Reporter is not a UCO House Organ, it's a LEVY House Organ;

and therein lies the problem,

but folks !! Hear ye Hear YE !! SLAPP suits are now outlawed...We can finally criticize Levy and he can't sue us cause he's the developer.

ps. he doesn't own the land under your buildings and he has no claim on your firstborn.

pss. you don't have to pay Levy cause the Millinium Amendent is illegal cause UCO is illegal. (see 10 )

Anonymous said...

Trying to create HARMONY BY EDIT is the mark of an ignoramous. History tells us that all the tyrants who have tried this have gone the way of the dodo bird.  Harmony in this village can only grow and blossom if the following seeds are planted and nutured:

1. Follow the law; it will be the great equalizer ; it will eliminate the negativity and strife2. Behave with good manners towards your fellow man for it will make YOU feel good3. Respect the unit owner. This is their home! A person's home is his castle. Permanent or seasonal, it doesn't matter.4. Stop meddling in affairs that are none of your business.

ps. get a new editor, one who knows how to read the Constitution of the United States and believes in freedom of speech and not censorship.

Anonymous said...

Freedom of the press is a fundamental right written in our constitution. If this would be the Palm Beach Posat or Sun Sentinel or NY Times, I could not agree with you more. However, this is the UCO Reporter- basically a newsletter or bulletin for residents of CV, not sold to the public, and that being the case the editorial board does have a right to set guidelines as to what and what should not be in it. Let's not cry censorship before we see the bigger picture. I'd rather see a UCO reporter free of bashing and bickering rather than one where people try to outdo each other with their negativity.