Few
things in this world are as universally despised as
traffic cameras. After his wife received a ticket for
tripping a red-light camera, Oregon resident Mats
Järlström openly criticized the Orwellian devices and the
mathematical formulas these cameras use. It seems Big
Brother doesn't take too kindly to dissenters, as according to
the Institute for Justice Järlström was fined $500
for violating a law that prohibits mathematical criticism
without a license.
Free speech is a term that's often misconstrued. It's not
some blanket to hide behind while spouting ridicule and
hate to anyone and everyone. In the US, what free speech
does protect is the right of a person to openly criticize
the government, as Järlström was doing when he argued that
the equation which governs the traffic light timers
was out of date. After being fined, Järlström filed a
lawsuit against the ban on mathematical debate.
The Institute for Justice says the actual fine was for
Järlström calling himself a "professional engineer." The
thing is, Järlström does have a degree in electrical
engineering, though he doesn't carry a state license. In
Oregon's eyes, that doesn't make him a real engineer.
Järlström's initial issue was that the green-yellow-red
progression was too short for lights with a left or right
turn. Using his engineering expertise, he began to
criticize the math equation that governs this timing,
hence the fine.
Järlström and the Institute for Justice claim these
licensing boards violate free speech by fining those who
criticize both the boards and the government agencies
behind things like traffic cameras. A lawyer for the
Institute for Justice makes the point that you don't need
to be a licensed lawyer to write an article disagreeing
with a Supreme Court decision. Free speech, whether used
to challenge Supreme Court decisions or traffic cameras,
is a fundamental freedom granted by US Constitution.
And it's also no stretch to say that using mathematics is
a fundamental human right - part of what actually makes us
human. No law can take away our math.