Democracy Now! reports that anti-free speech legislation that Ron Wyden spearheaded in support of Israel and against the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement, is heading to the US Supreme Court for judicial review.
The American Civil Liberties Union has taken the case of an Arkansas newspaper publisher that is suing the State of Arkansas over the paper’s free speech right. A state law that compels one to be silent about the Israel boycott may be overturned.
“One of the casualties of the anti-BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction [Israel]) movement that Ron Wyden has fervently supported, is free speech. Wyden is stuck between his support for Israel and the moral and political problem of the Palestinian people being subject to a form of apartheid rule under the Israeli occupation,” said Dan Pulju, Pacific Green Party Candidate for US Senate. “Wyden supports legislation that helps Israel sustain the occupation but this violates the US Constitution.”
The Boycott is a form of political speech that goes back to the famous Greek tale of women withholding sex to make the men accept peace. Most recently, it was used to great effect by the Civil Rights leaders fighting against Jim Crow segregation in the South. But speaking in favor of Boycotts is being criminalized against the BDS movement and Ron Wyden isn’t disavowing his support for the consequences of the anti-boycott legislation.
Ron Wyden is on the wrong side of history when he supports limiting free speech. By denying the freedom to speak on boycotts, Widen denies the freedom of the Palestinian people to have self-determination. Moreover, denial of speech regarding the anti-Israel Boycott can be extended to denial of speech on other topics such as boycotting Big Oil, or Big Chemical.
Vote for Dan Pulju and put Oregon in the lead on defending Palestinian sovereignty and the right of free speech.
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For a lengthier report on this topic: https://www.greenperspectives.net/us_senator_ron_wyden_supports_law_that_criminalizes_free_speech
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