Today’s Links: March 5, 2012

OPINION

ERIN GLORIA RYAN: “Unbelievably Stupid Law Would Declare Single Parenthood Child Abuse
“Senate Bill 507 is sponsored by Republican Senator Glenn Grothman of West Bend. If passed into law, SB507 would formally consider single parenthood a contributing factor to child abuse.”

AMY CHUA: “Four Female Tycoons in China
“China now has more self-made female billionaires than any other country in the world. This is not only because China has more females than any other nation. Many of these extraordinary women rose from nothing, despite living in a traditionally patriarchal society. They are a beguiling advertisement for the New China—bold, entrepreneurial, and tradition-breaking.”

STEVE CHAPMAN: “Cigarettes and Compulsion
“The legendary Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said the most important element of the Constitution ‘is the principle of free thought—not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.’ The other day, a federal judge decided to test our attachment to that principle. He ruled that the government had violated the free-speech rights of tobacco companies. Talk about hated: Their reputation puts them somewhere above Adolf Hitler but below Al Capone.”

NEWS

SMOKING – Costa Rica Attempts to Go Smoke-Free
“Some 14.2 percent of Costa Ricans smoke, most between ages 20 and 39, according to the Costa Rican Social Security System. Casual smokers proliferate in the country’s nightlife. But that could change soon. Lawmakers last week passed a bill that will ban smoking in all public spaces, including bus and taxi stops, public buildings, restaurants and bars.”

PRIVACY – Frenchman Sues Google for Posting Peeing Picture
“A Frenchman claiming that a Google Maps’ Street View picture of him peeing in his front yard has made him a “laughingstock” is suing the tech giant for 10,000 euros. ”

GENDER – EU Eyes Quotas for Women on Company Boards
“The European Union is moving closer to introducing mandatory quotas for the number of women on company boards after businesses failed to make sufficient progress in gender equality over the past year.”