Rick Perry officials spark revolt after doctoring environment report

[Seedersandleechers]

Source: The Guardian

Officials in Rick Perry's home state of Texas have set off a scientists' revolt after purging mentions of climate change and sea-level rise from what was supposed to be a landmark environmental report. The scientists said they were disowning the report on the state of Galveston Bay because of political interference and censorship from Perry appointees at the state's environmental agency.

By academic standards, the protest amounts to the beginnings of a rebellion: every single scientist associated with the 200-page report has demanded their names be struck from the document. "None of us can be party to scientific censorship so we would all have our names removed," said Jim Lester, a co-author of the report and vice-president of the Houston Advanced Research Centre.

"To me it is simply a question of maintaining scientific credibility. This is simply antithetical to what a scientist does," Lester said. "We can't be censored." Scientists see Texas as at high risk because of climate change, from the increased exposure to hurricanes and extreme weather on its long coastline to this summer's season of wildfires and drought.

However, Perry, in his run for the Republican nomination, has elevated denial of science, from climate change to evolution, to an art form. He opposes any regulation of industry, and has repeatedly challenged the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/14/rick-perry-texas-censorship-environment-report

[krispos42]

1. Yeah, he's George Bush the Least.

God, what an asshole.

[FedUp_Queer]

81. BUT, as Molly Ivins used to say, he's got the best damn hair in the country.

[Kennah]

2. Dick, Head of Texas

[alp227]

3. this report should come back to haunt perry come 2012 n/t

[Enthusiast]

5. Oh, he's finished after the 16th Century thing anyway.

TPTB kept Bush from saying anything quite so fucking stupid even though he was just as dumb as Perry. Perry doesn't have the quality of "handlers" that Bush had. There was more at stake with Bush, they had an election to steal so they could stage 9/11.

[dotymed]

20. *1000000 n/t

[disndat]

60. Terrific!

So on target!

[lark]

67. But, they HAD to do that

how else could they become the party of permanent war and black budgets hiding all their chicanery and treason to the country?

[TheEuclideanOne]

9. Either that, or....

it will be a tremendous tool in helping him in the polls. For Democrats, this type of thing would be a deal breaker, much like having Nigger Rock right by your gate of your ranch. For Republicans, removing the science from a report on the environment and having Nigger Rock by your gate helps to gain support.

In a way, removing the scientific evidence from a report is a great metaphor for the ways in which they have made their arguments in general. If you get rid of those pesky facts, it is way easier to make your case.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Thor_MN]

28. He was refering to fact, he is not making a slur.

There was a rock at the entrance to the hunting land that Perry's family leased that had essentially what he said painted on it. It actually saod Head, not Rock. The term was used before it became unacceptable to refer to a rock such as that. While the phrase has become unacceptable, one should not have to completely dance around what the rock said. I have chosen not to repeat it simply because it doesn't need to be repeated. If someone is reading this far, they know what it said.

[oldhippydude]

44. growing up

i remember my fathers generation using the term n######R head. refereed to any large basaltic boulder.. this was the early 1950s, haven't heard the term in years..

actually in Rio Rancho NM. is a street called Cabeza Negra (black head), this is from circa 1960.. most of the property was originally sold to older folks retiring from Chicago, New York, and other eastern metro areas..

[Paladin]

47. And I Grew Up With Some Kids.......

...who, until they learned better, didn't know any other name for a Brazil Nut, other than a "N---er Toe." Some progress has been made.....

[Lasher]

63. By brother-in-law once held up a Brazil nut and asked what I called them when I was growing up.

A little uncomfortably I replied, "N---er toes." He then asked if I wanted to know what he and his family called them in those days. I said, "OK." He said, "N---er toes."

I am white and my brother-in-law is black.

[louis-t]

48. Negra is actually Spanish for black.

Not derogatory at all.

[Blacksheep214]

40. Remember what George Carlin said...

...they are only words. WE give these words power.

I find the "N-Word" reference more offensive because of the context than actually using the word, since now it is being said in a demeaning enlightment, most often as a news story.

A compliment to growth is that its been many years since I heard the word hurled in its most negative meaning. It usually is a comedian using it and even that is fading I think.

Evolution is slow, but it eventually gets it done.

[TheEuclideanOne]

56. I see from one of the other replies that it was pointed out

that I am not being a racist, just explaining a story that was in the news a few weeks. There was almost no objection whatsoever from the Republican candidates for POTUS. The leading candidate at the time was Perry. When it comes down to it, racism is built into the fabric of the Republican party.

In a nutshell, this word is so offensive to you that you would not want to even be in the same discussion board with somebody who uses it freely. Yet, the person who was leading the polls had that painted on a rock at the entrance to his ranch. He eventually painted over it, although I am not sure if he didn't simply darken the lettering. Still, it does not change who he is. For several months, the tea baggers held an uncomfortable large number of racist signs until they stopped bringing the signs with them. They may not be carrying all of the same signs today, but it doesn't change who they are.

Personally, I use the word Nigger freely when it comes to these types of conversations. If a person is a racist and says it or acts in a certain way, why tone it down? Take the whole Birth Certificate debate as an example. It was clearly an obvious case of thinly veiled racism. Most of the people who are saying "Obama is from Africa" mean one thing and one thing only. They mean "Obama is a Nigger", simple as that. Just because they use their very clever codeword does not take away from what they really mean.

[NewJeffCT]

17. It probably plays well with the GOP base, though

and, he can use the Fox/Rush media power to claim he took the politics out of the report.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

27. The Republican hate the environment and like executing

[alp227]

59. What about independents/moderates

who may actually RESPECT science?

[NewJeffCT]

61. To be honest

it's probably not a make-or-break issue for most Americans. The "climategate" scandal got a huge amount of media coverage here in the US, and the later findings that cleared the scientific data got no play outside of the liberal blogosphere.

[alp227]

70. I see, environmentalism isn't too hot outside the left

Republicans have so much influence in the political message that nonpartisan/decline to state/centrist voters often see the right-wing message as normal.

[NewJeffCT]

74. Protecting the environment is important to most people

even Republicans. However, changing your vote based on Rick Perry and his minions selectively editing a report on global warming isn't going to happen.

[alp227]

75. Republicans? You mean the oil-drilling apologists who ignore corporate pollution?

and who trot out oil industry-funded studies that are fixed to conclude global warming isn't man-made?

[NewJeffCT]

76. If you ask most Republicans

if they think protecting the environment is important, a majority would say "yes"

They may have different ways of getting there, however. And, Republicans in Washington DC are not exactly in the mainstream.

[tropicanarose]

31. yeah, but sadly many of those who would support him would take this as a positive sign.

[STEPHENSON]

54. carma

Rick Perry will have a massive amount of shady deals, coming back at him this is only one of thousands, the tip of the ice berg... and i am so glad he has made a national run, and for now; he has been exposed to the world as the ROTTEN CROOK he is..

[SpiralHawk]

87. Republicon fatcats luv them a reliable liar like Perry (R) & his minins

This lie will just earn Perry a pat on the back from the Family Values Republicons, since one of their values is to ignore or twist the truth.

[Enthusiast]

4. Bush did it. Why can't Perry?

Same F'n thing.

[Divernan]

7. Obama's EPA did it re: safety of eating shrimp from the Gulf.

BP, the Obama Administration, and the EPA are deceiving the public re safety of shrimp/other seafood from the Gulf.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsjYaLHTS4s

[Blacksheep214]

42. How many employees of the EPA

are loyal holdovers of the Bush administration.

You have to remember that Obama could not purge most of the loyalists from these agencies.

[CreekDog]

79. almost none, look at Opensecrets.org for example:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/search.php?cid=N00006424&name=%28all%29&employ=epa&state=%28all%29&zip=%28any+zip%29&submit=OK&amt=a&sort=A

[oldhippydude]

6. in an earlier time

when the news media had teeth, this would be an embarassment..as it is if it makes it any further than our pages, it will simply be a speed bump.. after all thats all the execution of an innocent man was..funny thing i have friends in Texas, i don't see how a guy like that would be re-elected.. but they gave us W also, that may explain it..

[icnorth]

18. Yep, now that they've had their teeth extracted

all they can do is try and gum em to death.

[99th_Monkey]

8. Trust me. This is precisely how many of most valuable and powerful OWS "actions" will happen.

"Ordinary people" doing what they do, with integrity & honor, let the chips fall wherever.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. Pastor Perry: Flat-earth & Rapture:

Dominionist ties to New Apolistic Reformation. Bad news!

[JJW]

11. Gov of Texas

Says it all. A real as*hole.

[madrchsod]

12. so he`s willing to let 10`s of thousands of texans suffer for his gain...

ya just got to love him ,don`t ya....


just think -he could be their candidate for president!

[GTurck]

13. Texas is a...

state that is changing rapidly from an old confederate society into a 21st century cosmopolitan society and there are too many who have not caught on to that fact yet; especially Rick Perry and his cohort. What they have done in Texas to control it they thought would work everywhere when even many many Texans haven't bought his brand of kool-aid. We have to struggle to be heard but we have found ways to do that and they seem to be starting to work.
The only reason they keep winning here is that that cohort of troglodytes have the money and connections to tilt the contest. They are not stupid but they are willing to seem so to get what they want. Use the image of a crocodile or alligator patiently (stupidly) waiting for prey.
I am ecstatic that these scientists have stood up to all of them and so publicly. Perry and his crowd work best in the dark and these souls have shone a light on one of the spaces some thought was safely contained in a corner of the deepest cellar in Texas.
(Texas homes mostly don't have cellars)LOL

[Paladin]

26. Nicely Put, GT. (n/t)

[oldhippydude]

45. well Texas

gave us Ann Richards, and Molly Ivans.. there is hope there

[happyslug]

85. Texas went for Humphrey over Nixon in 1968

Texas has been a base for the GOP ever since, mostly do to the old Guard Republicans (like George Bush sr) moving from the North East to Texas along with their money.

In many ways this is one of the side affects of FDR's New Deal. One part of the New Deal was legislative efforts to end the GOP stranglehold on the wealth of the US. What FDR did was to make finance of the US NATIONAL in Character instead of Regional. Prior to the New Deal, Finance was Regional, with the South and the West unable to access the wealth of New England and Wall Street. That Wealth had expanded into the Industrial Med West (Pittsburgh to Chicago) but not to the Rural areas of the Mid West, the West (Excluding San Francisco) and the South.

The Industrial Mid West, the coal fields of the Mid-West and the West connected by the National Railways held this all together with its Western Ends being San Francisco and Seattle. The South was excluded, farmers were excluded. It was impossible to get finance from Wall Street except for Stocks and bonds sold on Wall Street (and that excluded anything NOT tied in with the above).

This started to change around 1912, with discovery of Oil in Texas. This was the first major source of Wealth NOT controlled by Rockefeller (who was the leader of the Oil Sectors of the above). Democrats come to depend on this source of money from the 1910s to the 1950s (Truman's campaign of 1948 was several times saved by donations of Texas Millionaires who gave money to the Democratic party when it was needed in this period).

These Texas Millionaires wanted access to the wealth of Wall Street and supported the New Deal efforts to make borrowing money National in Nature instead of a New England/Wall Street function These Texas millionaires of the 1910-1960 period, did NOT have the connections to the people who ran (and continue to run) Wall Street (Which is dominated by Harvard, Yale and the rest of the Ivy League). These connections is how George Bush Sr, was able to get access to the money to enter the Texas oil business after WWII.

Anyway, Texas wanted access to that money, to borrow and make improvements to make more money and the New Deal, which included National insurance of deposits in any National Bank, created a National way to trade money between banks (In Theory existed since the 1870s, but do to changes done by FDR became national in fact) and expanded the Federal Reserve Board to permit movement of Money from one region of the US to another (And even Created the $100,000 bill to permit such transfers between branches of the Federal Reserve System, to expand such transfers, no bill higher then $100 has been printed since 1945, do to how successful the Democrats were in creating a national banking system instead of a series of regional banking systems that were connected at the National Level, a national banking systems does NOT need to transfer cash from one area of the US to another, a national system of interconnected regional systems does).

Before the Federal Reserve was founded in 1912 (and the National banking System expanded under the New Deal), Texas, like most of the South had no access to borrow money except from local resources (And those were poor sources of money). Thus Texas supported the adoption of the National Banking System so Texans could borrow money from National Sources, not just local sources.

The down side of such access, is the same people who controlled the Wealth of the US, also were able to transfer and access their wealth throughout the US, and thus after WWII went after the easy money of oil. Until the 1960s these Old Guard Republicans had power in Texas, but the older Progressive Democrats stayed in Control. Even at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Texas stayed Democratic and went for Kennedy, Johnson and Humphrey (In 1960, 1964 and 1968 Respectably). Thus race, while an important issue, did NOT turn Texas off supporting the Democratic Party. Neither did the progressive policies of LBJ and his "Great Society" program (Which came out of a Traditional Texas approach of people living in poverty, no increase in Welfare payments, but increase in any types of support that would make the lives of such people better, including medical coverage, increase transportation opportunities and improve housing, and access to such housing).

The Real Change started under Nixon and his large policy of catering to the racist attitude of sections of the Southern White Population (which included many Texans, through not a majority even of White Rural Texans). Nixon's attack on the Great Society Programs. Nixon's use of the Vietnam War (and the anti-War protesters) to get many working class Texans (and other such working class people throughout the US) to vote GOP to show their support for the troops fighting in Vietnam (Even the issue of POWs was a Nixon ploy to keep such people voting for him and the GOP afterward). Abortion blew up as a religious issue when the Supreme Court ruled laws against Abortion were unconstitutional, this turn many religious Texans to the GOP and its claim to be fighting to reverse that ruling (Something many religious people of the US supported, until the GOP controlled the Presidency, the House and the Senate, and yet no Anti-abortion law was passed, these religious right wingers basically abandoned the GOP in 2006 when it was clear the GOP did NOT really support any change in the laws on Abortion, thus the Democratic Party won the House and Senate in 2006 and the Presidency in 2008, the GOP response was the Tea Party, trying to revive what the Religious Right had done for the GOP since the 1970s, but it has failed to get the same level of support the religious right had for the GOP does NOT really want to change the laws as to Abortion).

My point is your statement that Texas has been "changing rapidly from an old confederate society into a 21st century cosmopolitan society" is NOT supported by the Historical record. Yes, Texas had been part of the Old Confederacy, but had left that behind with the discovery of oil around 1912. Texas had been a racist rural society before WWII, but racism was more clearly seen in Urban areas then in Rural area (do to the need for labor during Planting and Harvest). With the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Texas did a much better movement away from such Racism then the Cotton Belt States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Oil had a huge part of this, but the increase investment from Wall Street do to the Financial Reforms of 1912 and the New Deal had an even greater effect.

In many ways modern Texas politics is how does the old money elite from New England (who had used the Financial reforms of 1912 and the New Deal to slowly take over Texas wealth) keep its hold on that wealth by using hot button social issues to keep working class Texans voting GOP. The Tea Party was one attempt, given the collapse of the Religious Right (do to the GOP failure to do anything as to abortion when the GOP controlled the National Government) to keep such people voting GOP. What such working Class Texans want, the GOP can not provide. If the Democrats could address the concern of such social conservative, but working class progressives, Texas can return to being a bastion of the Democratic Party. With such a return to the Democratic Party, the National GOP will cease to have a say on the National Level and either die out or change.

Side Note: Besides Oil, the other big post WWII change in Texas was the building of several large US Military bases. These bases were built in Texas, do to land being cheaper in Texas then in the Mid West in the 1940s, but also Rural Texas was Democratic and thus the bases was an award to such Loyal Rural Democratic Voters. Nixon and Reagan both made efforts to keep these bases and to get the people who work on them and near them to turn GOP (Thus painting the Democratic Party "soft" of Defense for wanting to close many of these bases). Thus these same people tend to be solid GOP voters today (as loyal to the GOP in 2010, as their grandparents had been loyal to the Democratic Party of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s). This is a Tea Party weakness, the Tea Party wants to Cut Federal Spending, but not defense, yet, Defense is the single biggest thing in the Federal Budget. Texans on and near these bases who are Tea Party members, thus are calling for their base (and their Job) to be closed while saying to keep the base (and their job) open. It is a open conflict and will lead to the destruction of the Tea Party for the Tea Party wants both the bases kept open and closed down (The only real way to cut the Federal Budget is to cut Defense).

In Contrasts, the people occupying Wall Street are seeing similar conflicts (Gay Rights, Environmental vs Jobs etc) and are addressing them by saying these are all side issues to economic reforms (i.e. why fight over the right of a married gay couple to live in a ditch, when that is all a gay couple or a non-gay couple can afford, address the economic problems first and the social disputes will be addressed when both gay and non-gay couples can afford to live in a house instead of a ditch).

The Tea Party is trying to ignore and cover ups its internal disputes, which means it can self-destruct on any of them at any time. The Occupiers of Wall Street people are addressing similar internal conflicts and accepting those conflict and addressing them, thus when they come up it will NOT lead to their self-destruction. In many ways the Financial elite sees this and fears it and I am waiting for violence aimed at the Occupiers of Wall Street with blame on the Occupiers being made for the violence.

GOP Texans has many of the same conflicts as the Tea Party and can self-destruct at any time. The Democrats in Texas has to maintain a clear alternative for such voters when such self-destruction occurs. Texas is more like the rest of the US then the Cotton Belt (the real heart of the old Confederacy) and will vote democratic well before the Cotton Belt states return to the Democratic Party.

[GTurck]

86. Precisely...

Texas is more like the rest of the country in population...that is cosmopolitan. I mean that as a mix of so many different groups (and is now majority minority) that in no way reflects what it was 40-50 years ago. It is now safe to be Catholic or Jewish here; where once these religions had to operate quietly and sub-rosa. Perry and his cohort speak of a Texas that only exists in their heads.

[libinnyandia]

14. The GOP and Facts

Since when have rightwingers paid attention to the facts. I believe it was a Reagan Sec of the Interior who said pollution, etc didn't matter because the world was coming to an end soon anyway.

[libinnyandia]

15. The GOP and Facts

Since when have rightwingers paid attention to the facts. I believe it was a Reagan Sec of the Interior who said pollution, etc didn't matter because the world was coming to an end soon anyway.

[Enthusiast]

21. You are right, of course. James Watt, secretary of the Interior

under Reagan said something very much like that. Not only did this alarm concerned environmentalists but it also alarmed those of us that want to preserve the constitutional mandate of separation of church and state. Reagan was the start of the nation's long downhill slide. Much of the trouble we face right now as a nation was a direct result of policies started under Reagan.

[tropicanarose]

30. ha! Yeah and Reagan himself said that trees cause pollution

[mwb970]

16. But Perry won't censor the Mormon-hating pastor.

That would be wrong.

[Doctor_J]

19. I continue to be surprised at how amoral Republicans are

we would seriously be better off with a bunch of serial killers running things than the current GOP.

[The Backlash Cometh]

23. You go, scientists!

[fascisthunter]

24. what a corrupt scumbags he and the rest of the GOP are

[jpak]

25. Confederate dumbass douchebaggery strikes agin

yup

[BootinUp]

29. I remember when we had a pResident that did that shit.

These m*ther f*cker politicians think they can just do whatever the f*ck they want.

[existentialist]

32. "Reality has a well known liberal bias." (Stephen Colbert)

[No Elephants]

35. Which is why media and politicians work so hard to keep reality out of our consciousness.

[goforit]

33. New world order hand picking their puppets election after election

[defendandprotect]

34. Mentioning of Global Warming and Sea Level rise taken out --- !!!

Americans have awakened to the nightmare of capitalism and the end of the New Deal --

to government under the control of corporations/fascists -- but they haven't quite

awakened yet to the reality of Global Warming or understanding its true threat to us all --

NOW.

[Seedersandleechers]

58. And yet they believe in something that doesn't exists.

God.

[polichick]

36. Republican corporate whores are shameless and stupid. k&r

[SammyWinstonJack]

37. I have got to get out of this state. This summer's brutal heat was too much for me.

I dread next summer. It's still warm here, in the upper 80's lower 90's. x(

[Auntie Bush]

46. Come to Vermont...It's LIBERAL!

Winters are cold but you can always bundle up till hearts content. You can even go back to Texas and visit relatives and friends. Summer, fall and spring are beautiful here in VT.

[antigone382]

82. I was just there, and I loved it so much, but I have some deep fears for your state.

I don't know much about Vermont's climate--except that winter is cold, and summer is graced by some of the most gorgeous swimming holes I have ever seen firsthand. But before and after my time there, there were horrible, damaging floods that my intuition tells me are related to climate change. It broke my heart to see photos of roads I had driven down, houses I had passed, restaurants I had visited totally wiped out by flooding...I know that that kind of flooding is not completely unprecedented, but from friends that live there, it is becoming more frequent, and more frequently severe.

I don't want Vermont to lose what it has to the mistakes of a society that refuses to see what the people of Vermont see so clearly. It is one of the best places I have ever been.

[CBHagman]

38. I want the U.S. press to pick up on this.

Don't get me wrong. I bookmark the Guardian myself. But we can't guarantee most of our fellow citizens are following the story unless it turns up on TV news and on other news sites on the Internets.

[indepat]

39. Geez, think how much damage such a fu*ktard could do if president

:patriot:

[randr]

41. Perry needs to be made the poster child for Intelligence Denial

[xxqqqzme]

43. Why is this link to the Guardian and

not a newspaper in Texas?

[SteveM]

51. Texas newspapers are very establishmentarian, conservative...

make Florida newspapers look like bomb-throwing leftists.

[progressoid]

52. That's a rhetorical question right?

[SteveM]

49. Standard punkin' around by Perry. nt

[SoapBox]

50. You can LIE, but you cannot hide, Ricky.

...just more lies and crazy from a GOPBagger.

[Gregorian]

53. Now imagine a Perry America.

Holy shit. Bibles in every classroom wouldn't be too far fetched.

[Harmony Blue]

55. I loathe Perry

he represents everything that is wrong with our country. The hatred for science in general, and public education teachers too.

[onethatcares]

57. It would be absurd to think the citizens of Texas would

not see what is happening in their own back yard with the fires and drought and how scientist have warned that this is the new reality for that state.

Of course the politicos and corporations will contiue to deny anything that cuts into the profits of those that contribute so handsomely to the campaigns of bought legislators.

After having to kill their herds and watching their lakes dry up,I would think the people are a lot smarter than rickperry.

[and-justice-for-all]

62. See ya perry, fucking loser...nt

[blackspade]

64. Rick Perry, The man that made GWB look smart.

Scientists FTW!

[ThoughtCriminal]

65. Do we have to find out about this in the UK press?

Any significant mention by any major U.S. press?

[yardwork]

66. No, but Mother Jones has an article on it. See link here.

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/perry-officials-censored-climate-report

[Beartracks]

68. "It would be irresponsible to take whatever is sent to us and publish it."

Wow. They get more like Baghdad Bob every day, don't they?

===========================

[yardwork]

78. I noticed that section too. And her comment about how their findings "violated department policy."

Scientific findings of fact violated Rick Perry's policy, so it had to be censored.

[Beartracks]

80. Perry (and GOP) policy: Facts must not be believed! n/t

[deacon]

69. He's run ended weeks ago, he's the only one that doesn't know it. n/t

[SoutherDem]

71. The Republican Way

You don't like the facts, take them out, change them, or simply lie. :banghead:

[canuckledragger]

72. K & R

[OwnedByFerrets]

73. Must be nice to be a repug and NOT need air to breath or water to drink

I guess they can drink the sweat off the backs of the poor souls they work to death in their shops.

[wordpix]

83. or untainted food to eat--- also, they only need wildlife to hunt & kill for sport

so who needs the damn regulations, anyway? :crazy:

[Hubert Flottz]

77. Ricky can't handle the truth...

in any way, shape or form. He might even be a bigger liar than W...

[ShadowLiberal]

84. Why can't one of the scientists just publish an uncensored copy of the original?

Seriously, surely the report was written in Microsoft Word, so what's to stop someone from emailing it to themselves, or putting it on a USB stick, and then publishing it on the Internet & sending it to as many science & news sites as possible?

What's the worst that Perry's cronies/political appointees could do, fire the scientist? Obviously it's not worth working under Perry's appointee in the first place if they have to publicly protest it like this.

And if it violated some stupid law like stealing classified documents & disclosing them to the public Perry would just turn it into an even bigger scandal by prosecuting them. Plus I'd be willing to bet that enough citizens would be willing to refuse to return a guilty verdict for the crime of standing up to political censorship.