Last but not least: Governor Merciless defends freedom of speech

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, is cracking down on violations of freedom of speech: The former Terminator signed a bill that criminalizes the theft of free newspapers. The theft of free newspapers will no longer be tolerated in the Sunshine State. From January 2007, anyone who takes more than 25 copies of a free newspaper will face a fine of 500 dollars or ten days in prison. The governor's statement to this effect revealed the background to the new law: the free newspaper thieves represented a threat to freedom of expression. And when it comes to such fundamental values - freedom of speech is enshrined in the constitution - Americans are known not to take a joke. A free newspaper thief, the statement continued, violated the right of others to express and publicly disseminate their opinions. Outrageous acts had prompted the former action star to take this step. A politician, for example, who in November 2002 stole more than a thousand copies of a free newspaper that did not support his candidacy. But now, thanks to the Tyrolean rock, freedom of expression will soon be safe again.