The Daily Newarker

Update!: There’s “some contention over at Newark Speaks”:http://www.newarkspeaks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=26696#post26696 over the owner of the site and how the administrator was subpoenaed for information in this case. The administrator contends that the ??Newark Star Ledger?? got their information wrong, but that they did supply information that led to the identiy and dismissal of the two officers. While Newark Speaks insists that they support the officers’ First Amendment rights, many regulars at the board are accusing that the administrators of selling out their users. Dishy.

??Newark Star Ledger??: “Newark police fire two for Web criticisms”:http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/11526847464680.xml&coll=1. In a story that’s near and dear to our heart, two Newark police officers have been fired over posts on an internet message board, namely: “Newark Speaks”:http://newarkspeaks.com/forum.

The department learned the officers’ names with the help of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, which issued grand jury subpoenas to Newark Speaks, cable companies and others to obtain the information, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.

Rubin Sinins, the attorney hired by the police union to represent all four officers, said the actions against them violate their constitutional right to free speech.

Sinins said he is appealing the two dismissals to the state Merit System Board and has asked to meet with the new acting police chief, Anthony Campos. He said he would urge Campos to rescind the dismissals and drop the pending charges against the other officers.

“I don’t believe that public employees lose their First Amendment rights as citizens, particularly when the speech pertains to matters of public concern,” Sinins said.

“The reaction over at Newark Speaks”:http://www.newarkspeaks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=26681#post26681 has been critical of a police administration that has its priorities misplaced. ??5Reasons?? sums up the reaction well:

It figures that Newark Speaks would be at the center of free speech/thought police controversy. After all, this machine has had a good run with nearly unchecked powers for multiple decades. Lord knows there have been a lot of dirt done during this timeframe. And Lord knows what they have to hide at this point. Whenever any dictator can’t control information, and whenever any dictator sees that their propaganda frame is no longer the dominant reference point, they invariably act to shut down the promulgators. (That would be us)

You would think with all the indiscretions this administration and Council have done over the years that they would leave quietly. Think again. This is one last act to scare the masses because as we’ve all learned these last few months, the Internet is mightier than the sword. If you cannot suppress the ideas, suppress the idea-makers.

Shame on the Fox Ledger for finally getting the words “Newark Speaks” into a daily edition. Yeah, we’ve been cited by online journals by the New York Times and Ledger, but the relevancy of this website really warranted an article a very long time ago.

Let’s hope the Ledger at least follows up on this story and the broader implications of this case. Where does free speech begin and end? How much hegemony should the political class have over the social construction of reality?