Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Free Country Datum IV: Arrested, Held, Without Charges — For Biking on the Street

Posted on September 1, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

arrest | Toneland describes an arrest — allegedly without any charges — for biking (in a very large group) on a public street. The arrest was followed by moderately unkind treatment that could be explained perhaps as cops coping with the expected chaos of the Republican convention, or could be seen as a punitive measure to 'send a message' to demonstrators.

Of course, this first person narrative is just one side of the story. Here's CNN's account, in which the police say the bikes were blocking traffic (by moving in traffic?). I thought you got a ticket for that, not 16 hours in a holding pen followed by a trip to the Tombs.

Interestingly, there's no suggestion the arrests were for demonstrating without a permit. In any case, the issue here isn't just the charge, or lack of a charge, but also how the bikers were treated.

One hears much worse stories about other countries, and indeed about this one. But we still can do much better than this.

Posted in Civil Liberties | 3 Comments

A Very Exclusive Club

Posted on September 1, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

My distinguished, articulate, and wry colleague Susan Haack, who holds a joint appointment in Philosophy and Law has been honored with inclusion in a book profiling One Hundred Philosophers : The Life and Work of the World's Greatest Thinkers.

Update: For those who do not follow the link, I should perhaps make clear that this does not appear to be a peer-reviewed production, but rather a well-illustrated list of the 100 greatest philosophers of all time — and not just Western ones. There's a page or so on each philosopher, nice graphics, and some potted outlines of major schools of philosophy. So according to Dr. Peter J., King, Ph.D. Susan is up there with Plato, Aristotle and K'ung-fu-tzu (Confucius). And Peter Singer.

Also, I've changed the link so that if you buy the book, a small commission goes to ICANNWatch.org.

Posted in U.Miami | 2 Comments

Hurricane Frances Latest

Posted on September 1, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

At this moment, the latest predictions show about at 15% chance we'll be hit, with the biggest chance, 11%, for Thursday night to Friday morning. These are not such awful odds. But we all know that hurricane landfall is a very inexact science. The current track gets near enough to the track of Charlie that the poor folks on the west coast may be getting hit twice in a fortnight.

Hurricane Frances is already category four, which is pretty nasty, and they have tended to get stronger as they run toward land. Unless the prediciton changes radically, I guess I'll be putting up shutters tomorrow morining.

Meanwhile, on campus, the Associate Dean says:

To: Students
From: Stephen J. Schnably, Associate Dean

The University is currently monitoring the progress of Hurricane Frances. All classes remain on regular schedule.

a. When will we be notified of any decision to close the University?

We expect that the University central administration will make a decision tomorrow whether (and when) to close the University, including the Law School. The University is currently putting up some shutters, but that is only a precautionary measure necessitated by the large number of shutters the University has. No decision to close the University has been made at this time.

b. How will faculty, staff, and students know if a decision is made to close the University?

The Dean of Students Office number will serve as the Law School's hotline (305-284-4551). In addition, if the University announces a closing, we will —

* send an e-mail to students
* post it on the information monitors in Subway, the library, and the student lounge.
* post it on the law school web page
* post it on signs around the Law School campus.
The University has a hotline at 305-284-5151. You can also check this number, but information specific to the Law School will be at the Dean of Students number, 305-284-4551.

c. What do I need to do now?

The University does not provide shelter for non-resident students in a hurricane. Double-check your own personal preparedness plan for a hurricane. Useful sources of information include:

  • The National Hurricane Center website, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov
  • The Miami-Dade Emergency Management Office — http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/oem/hurricane/home.asp
  • The University's Hurricane Preparedness Website — http://www.miami.edu/prepare/. This page has many helpful links (check http://www.miami.edu/UMH/CDA/UMH_Main/1,1770,19025-1;20070-3,00.html), including the Broward County emergency management office.

cc: Faculty, Administration, and Staff

On the home front, my older child's school announced at a special assembly that it will be closing for Thursday and Friday. The students duly cheered. Update: All the K-12 schools in town are going to be closed Thursday and Friday. Sort of like Florida's answer to snow days, I guess.

But my committee meeting for tomorrow remains stubbornly uncanceled. If it goes, I may cheer too.

Posted in Miami | 1 Comment

Historians’ Committee for Fairness Calls Malkin Book “Biased”

Posted on September 1, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

The Historians' Committee for Fairness has issued a very strong letter condeming Michelle Malkin's latest book and those media outlets that promote it without at least giving some time for a contrary view. Which is what Fox wannabes do.

Posted in National Security | 2 Comments

You Rarely See Media Bias this Blatant

Posted on August 31, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Via Atrios, the unbelievable bias of the “question of the day” on the MSNBC TV Front Page. Incredible.

Update: They edited it. But you can see the original reproduced here.

Posted in Politics: US | 5 Comments

Comments, We Get Comments

Posted on August 31, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Discourse.net gets interesting comments. This morning, someone purporting to be Sgt. Lee Buttrill from the great Moveon.org advert, posted this comment:

I just wanted to say that I am the same Marine who was on ABC and if I had the ability to travel back in time knowing what I know now, I would not have sounded so positive on ABC. I saw the happy people of Iraq that day and I shared their joy, but I was misguided as they were. There was no plan for their future and no justification for us to be there other than the lies I uncovered in the following monthes. I hope everyone can understand that my statements at the time were based only on the information I had and not he bigger picture I have come to grasp.
Seargent Buttrill, USMC.

I'd like to believe it's really him…Discourse.net is the second Google listing for “Sgt. Lee Buttrill”…but if it were him, would he spell as badly as I do?

Incidentally, whether or not this comment is really by the real Buttrill, isn't the genuine Buttrill doing something as courageous as what Lt. Kerry did when he came home and spoke out against Vietnam?

Posted in Discourse.net | 2 Comments