Antarctic First Amendment

[admin]

I am looking for resources that provide something more than speculation about the civil liberties of those working in the United States Antarctic Program. The USAP is entirely tax-funded, and those at American stations are generally U.S. citizens. Much of the legal discussion concerning Antarctic law covers criminal jurisdiction, but very little covers the civil liberties of employees at the U.S. stations.

Most residents at each station are employees of the prime support contractor, a corporation which is contracted by the National Science Foundation, a government agency. Considering the unique living environment, where residents live in government-owned dorms and thus do not 'leave the workplace' when they 'leave work', and that all U.S. activity in the Antarctic is managed by a federal agency, might the residents at Antarctic stations have rights that extend beyond their work contracts?

One winter a Station Manager at McMurdo Station forbade a rock band from using the name "Monkey Box". In another instance, a Station Manager at South Pole Station told employees that anyone would be terminated who said "anything bad" about the prime support contractor. In yet another instance, a satirical newsletter published by a resident was confiscated in the mail. There are numerous similar incidents each year.

Is it within the rights of an employer to make such restrictions when there is no 'public' place and no 'off-hours'? Almost all materials, facilities, and services available to residents at the Antarctic stations are under federal or corporate management. Might this negate traditional U.S. civil liberties, such as Free Press? Even if this were not the case, would there be any legal grounds of protection to keep an employee from simply being fired or, more likely, not rehired for exercising such rights?

If anyone else is interested in these questions, I would appreciate your arguments on the matter.

[admin]

You must be one of those trouble makers that believe you can say and do whatever you want to regardless of how it may effect the comunity. Free speech must be disaplined by each individual to insure the well being of others. Not abused by disrupters whos only goal is to be noticed.