10 Reasons the U.S. Is No Longer the Land of the Free
edward, January 17, 2012 - 6:04pmIn Sunday's Washington Post, Jonathan Turley highlights ten sobering reasons why the United States is not the "land of the free".
Turley cites the following expanded powers that have dangerously eroded individual rights and liberties post 9/11: | continue reading
Turley cites the following expanded powers that have dangerously eroded individual rights and liberties post 9/11: | continue reading
Private Prison Bill A Good Riddance
edward, January 9, 2012 - 6:02pmToday, LD 1095, a bill that would allow a privately run prison in Maine, was unanimously killed in committee. This is very good news for three reasons:
- Private prisons need high incarceration rates to make money. Quite simply, the more Draconian the sentencing, the better for business. So while mandatory sentencing and three strikes laws keep the prison full to capacity, they do little to make our society safer.
"Stop and Frisk" Firsthand
edward, December 19, 2011 - 7:41pmThe New York Times Sunday Review features a harrowing first hand account by Nicholas Peart relating his experiences as a target of the NYPD's "stop-and-frisk" policy.
In 2009, the NYPD stopped and frisked 576,394 people. Over the 3 1/2 years leading up to 2009, the NYPD initiated over 1.6 million stops of New Yorkers.
| continue reading
In 2009, the NYPD stopped and frisked 576,394 people. Over the 3 1/2 years leading up to 2009, the NYPD initiated over 1.6 million stops of New Yorkers.
| continue reading
“We Told Our Kids You Can’t Create Change If You Don’t Get Involved’’
edward, December 12, 2011 - 5:42pmYesterday, The Boston Globe published a remarkable feature story on the Maines family.
In October, the ACLU of Maine was very proud to honor Wayne, Kelly, Jonas and Nicole with our Roger Baldwin Award for their truly exceptional advocacy for transgender rights.
In October, the ACLU of Maine was very proud to honor Wayne, Kelly, Jonas and Nicole with our Roger Baldwin Award for their truly exceptional advocacy for transgender rights.
Principles to Maintain Civil Liberties for U.S.-Canadian Border Policy
edward, December 5, 2011 - 7:30pmThe ACLU today released a set of “Core Legal Principles” that we believe should govern U.S. border policies – specifically, a “North American Security Perimeter” plan that the United States and Canada are expected to announce this week.
| continue reading
| continue reading
Indefinite Detention Coming Home to Roost?
edward, November 28, 2011 - 2:11pmWe're not talking about combatants captured on a battlefield half a world away anymore. We're talking about giving the president the authority to imprison--indefinitely--any American on the suspicion of terrorism. There would be no charges, no trial, no proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
| continue reading
| continue reading
Questionable Terror Plots
edward, November 21, 2011 - 1:04pmPaul Harris reports in The Guardian that FBI tactics are raising disturbing questions of 'entrapment':
Civil liberties groups are also concerned, seeing some FBI tactics as using terrorism to justify more power. "We are still seeing an expansion of these tools. It is a terrible prospect," said Mike German, an expert at the American Civil Liberties Union and a former FBI agent who has worked in counter-terrorism.
| continue readingSign the Petition: Respect the Privacy of Cell Phone Customers
edward, November 14, 2011 - 12:28pmLast week, the ACLU wrote to the CEOs of the nation’s major cell phone providers asking that they stop routinely collecting and storing data on their customers’ daily movements.
Our cell phone companies know more about where we are throughout the day than our closest friends. One of the byproducts of the way cell phones work – staying in constant touch with the nearest cell tower – is that our carriers can tell roughly where we are. | continue reading
Our cell phone companies know more about where we are throughout the day than our closest friends. One of the byproducts of the way cell phones work – staying in constant touch with the nearest cell tower – is that our carriers can tell roughly where we are. | continue reading