Lawsuit Threatens Blogger’s Right to Free Speech

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I came across this article a few days ago at The Commercial Appeal highlighting a case involving a blogger and Memphis Police Director Larry Godwin.

According to the report, Godwin and the city of Memphis have filed a lawsuit to learn the identity of a blogger that has been critical of Godwin and the Memphis Police Department.

The suit asks Internet Service Provider AOL to provide all information related to the web site MPD Enforcer 2.0, a blog that has become popular with Memphis police officers.

Learning of the suit filed against them, the author of the site responded with the following.

“In what could be a landmark case of privacy and the 1st Amendment,” the anonymous bloggers write on the site, “Godwin has illegally used his position and the City of Memphis as a ram to ruin the Constitution of the United States.

“Some members of the Enforcer 2.0 have contacted their attorneys and we are in the process of filing a lawsuit against Larry and the City of Memphis. What’s wrong Larry? The truth hurt?”

It has been suggested that the suit was filed over concerns sensitive or confidential information pertaining to Memphis Police Department operations would be revealed on the web site. That’s absurd.

While no statements have been made by Godwin or city officials with regard to the lawsuit, the suit’s main intention is clearly an effort to silence an individual from making critical statements regarding a public official.

To read more of the response to this issue, you can visit MPD Enforcer 2.0.

I fully support every American’s right to free speech. Web site owners, bloggers, journalists and anyone else posting articles, anonymously or otherwise, should be very concerned with the action taken by Godwin and the city of Memphis.

Anyone reading this blog with regularity knows I engage in the occasional rant against our government and the idiots in Washington, D.C.

I do so without fear of retribution and neither should anyone who makes critical statements against those serving in any form of government. Moreover, I see this lawsuit as an attack against all Americans who choose to voice or write their concerns regarding public officials.

Our democracy was founded upon the basic right of free speech, and that’s why it was the First Amendment. In order for a democracy to function, every American, with reasonable limitations, must freely avail themselves of that right which is afforded us by the Constitution.