speech and respect - College of Social Sciences and International ...

The Poverty of Civil Libertarianism
from gay and lesbian groups both were replaced. Los Angeles Times A3
(May 22, 1992), A28 (May 23, 1992).
33 New York Times B2 (December 16, 1991), B3 (December 19,1991), A13
(January 22, 1992).
34 New York Times A17 (December 9, 1991); Los Angeles Times A1 (March
21, 1992).
After a campaign of criticism in which the Metropolitan News-Enterprise
called Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Ricardo A. Torres
a "despotic twit," a "petty and spiteful autocrat," and "the Queeg of Hill
Street," Torres ordered his subordinates to limit county-paid subscriptions
to one legal newspaper. 332 of them dropped the MNE, whose circulation
had been only 2000. The publisher then wrote a mock memo from
Torres to all Superior Court judges condemning the MNE for demeaning
the "august status" of a judicial officer and declaring that "possession of
that publication. . .shall not be tolerated." Three MNE employees were
found distributing the memo in the courthouse and forcibly brought
before the judge, who allegedly held them in contempt and refused to let
them see a lawyer. Later that day there was a further hearing in which
Torres disqualified himself in the contempt proceeding and offered to
drop it if the paper apologised. The paper and the three employees are
now suing Torres for $285,000 for false imprisonment and violation of
civil rights. Los Angeles Times B3 (October 3, 1992).
35 A federal court finally lifted the injunction, but Rev. Wildman still is
seeking contract damages. New York Times A12 (September 10, 1992),
A14 (September 23, 1992).
After Edward J. Rollins quit as Ross Perot's campaign manager and
ridiculed the candidate, Perot required deputy manager Charlie Leonard
to sign a contract agreeing to "refrain from making any disparaging
remarks or negative comments, either publicly or privately, directly or
indirectly, regarding Ross Perot" and then fired him. New York Times
A19 (October 2, 1992).
36 Trump (1992); New York Times A14 (February 18, 1992), 10 (March 21,
1992), 13 (April 18,1992), A12 (September 10,1992); Los Angeles Times
F1 (November 16, 1990), F1 (January 2, 191).
37 New York Times s.1 p. 12 (April 14, 1991), s.1 p. 15 (November 24,
1991), A8 (March 10,1992); Los Angeles Times A15 (April 17, 1991), A7
(February 16, 1992).
38 Ravitch (1974); Arons (1983); Kirp (1991); DelFattore (1992). For Canadian
examples see 9(1-2) Fuse 7-8 (Summer 1985).
When the New York City School Board adopted a first-grade curriculum
urging teachers to "include references to lesbians/gay people" "as
real people to be respected and appreciated," a district in Queens voted
unanimously to resist because it undercut their moral code. New York
Times B3 (April 24, 1992). The Chancellor of the New York City school
system, Mayor, and Borough Presidents of Manhattan and the Bronx
denounced the decision by the city-wide board to recall a video and
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