Great Moments in Censorship

Today's top three affronts to freedom of expression from around the world:

1. A court in Yemen sentenced newspaper editor Kamal al-Aalafi to a year in prison for reprinting Danish cartoons depicting Mohammed.
2. In China, Chen Guangcheng was sentenced, following a closed-door hearing, to four years in prison in what critics call "retribution" for exposing forced sterilizations and late-term abortions in the name of China's one child policy.
3. Finally, in the United States, the very brave activists Dixie Chicks were disappointed to learn that "Shut Up and Sing," the documentary playing in 71 theaters and blowing the lid off the plot to silence them for their political views, has so far grossed only $640,000 after a month in theaters. Filmgoers may recognize the image of the Chicks on the movie poster from the front cover of Entertainment Weekly, which previously had run a cover story and feature interview detailing how the Chicks had been silenced by the media. U.S. citizens can expect to hear much more from the Chicks in the future about their ongoing fight against censorship.