Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
Posted July 12th, 2008 by Anonymous
The Coober Pedy Times reports an extraordinary story of a small town being silenced by its own Progress Association.
The News site, Copley Community News, was unplugged without notice causing a stink in the region which is attracting a lot of attention and questions.
So far no explanation has been provided for the blackout but lively debate about free speech and the right of an association to act in this way.
If you are concerned about your own rights to speak then check out the site and have your say:
http://news.copley.org.au/
Go with freedom of expression, international BOHR
I went to the link, expecting to find the reason the plug was pulled, No clue there ? I tried to enlarge the image to something I could read, no luck there. I have endured restrictions on my freedom of expression with the Corrupt Gosford City Council restricting the size of placards which can be held up in Council Chambers during meetings to A3. Can you post the reason why, on Indy media. So I and others can understand why these pompus progress people pulled plug?
Edward James, Umina CBD
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
At least you get to have meetings, Edward.
Copley resident.
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
The link was restored on that page and the Coober Pedy paper is getting stuck into the Progress...Im still reading the site. (anonymous...can you post a bigger image as I cant read that either...this is the link anyway:
http://copley.rhapsodica.com/?p=164
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
Im not sure whether this story is a hoax or for real...ive wanted to visit the outback for years but now not sure. If this story is not true Indymedia should pull it...if its true it should be on channel 7 News.
The Progress lady says:
“I received numerous comments about the blog before it had the plug
pulled on it, & they were all along the lines of “for God’s sake,
why do you put up with this crap from them!” It’s not a matter of us
not liking alternative types, it’s more a matter of the people who have
lived here for many years not liking to be told how they need to change
the town by relative newcomers.”
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
This is for real, let me assure you. Please don't see it as a reflection on what most people are like out here. The outback is the most wonderful place, it is my chosen destination to make a home. Unfortunately, just asking questions has been the reasoning behind this blocking of freedom of the media chosen by the community.
I am the editor of the local newsletter and have been under constant pressure to stop printing a small monthly newsletter full of workshops, art, gymkhanas, recipes, jokes, some mineral information, gardening and community projects. As we are surrounded by mining, the people wanted to know about the health risks. So I researched those and printed it for them.
I was instrumental in blocking a development proposal to stockpile zinc ore along the railway siding within 150 meters of the residential part of town. Maybe this is the real issue. I have highlighted water issues and assisted the Arkaroola Wilderness fight to stop uranium mining at Mt Gee by writing editorials and helping to get that information to the people in the community. It may also be that I am keeping photographic records of mining expansion just 2 kilometers from the town. Or maybe it is the fact that we protested the train load of zinc being transported from the rail siding which runs through the middle of our town.
The newsletter was first put on the copley.org site in February. The pressure to stop the newsletter has increased since then. The community news site has opened up debate in the community which seems to be a problem for some of the Progress Association committee members. Heaven forbid that we ask questions (which, unfortunately have been taken as criticisms). All any of us want to do is plant trees, work in our gardens, do our art, have fairs and fun. We want to create a colourful beautiful place highlighting our diversity and the freedom to do all those positive things within the community.
Maybe I am just naive, or a radical ideallist, but I have great expectations for positive outcomes when we can all work together.
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
below is the link to the Coober Pedy Regional Times online if you would like to read it for yourselves.
www.cooberpedyregionaltimes.net
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
Thats a great news site and you people should be commended. Ask for government assistance to protect your rights. Mining companies need to be reported and this council is out of line and should be checked out properly.
Re: Small Outback Town fights for Freedom of Speech
since my last post, there have been death threats made on several of the people who are trying to keep the channels of communication open.
This has become a serious issue and the Australian Federal Police are taking it seriously. There are issues behind all this push by the Progress Association to silence and discredit the news editors, both of the newsletter and the community news on the blog. We are teasing those issues out right now, in the public domain on the community news site. The Coober Pedy Times editor has asked some very pertinent questions and has provided the community with links to information regarding the mining issues and the water issues which have surfaced as pivottal in this debate. The question is... are death threats the way to silence a group of people from searching out the truth?
The next issue of the Copley newsletter is to have a name change to Copley Pheonix, for we are rising up out of the ashes.
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