News & Commentary

Recently, a school in Wood County, West Virginia agreed to abolish for two years its single-sex education practice in which boys and girls were segregated to separate classrooms. This was after legal action was levied by the ACLU on behalf of a Wood County family who believed the program was sexist. This recent occurrence brings an interesting and little discussed topic to light: single-sex education. If you are from the Northeast and not West Virginia, perhaps the phrase evokes scenes of prim girls in skirts learning needlepoint or dour faced Choate boys before the Rosemary Hall addition.

Today, a federal judge ruled that the New York Police Department’s stop-and-frisk practices are unconstitutional. The ACLU’s affiliate in New York has been on top of this issue for years, and the data they’ve compiled clearly shows that this is not just a minor problem. Innocent New Yorkers have been subjected to police stops and street interrogations more than 4 million times since 2002, and nearly nine out of 10 who were stopped-and-frisked were completely innocent.

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation. 

There are not many other issues that raise the hackles of perfectly polite, open-minded Americans like the ongoing debate on Abortion Access in the United States. It seems as though it has become a discussion centralized on morals, religious practices and the polarized mentalities of the different regions of this nation. But what we polite, open-minded folk often forget is that the core of this dispute, as it pertains to the national stage, is really about freedom. It is not necessary (nor even remotely possible) for every member of the Senate or the House to personally agree with abortion. But what is absolutely dire is that our nation's government recalls and acts according to its fundamental oath to protect the 'life and liberty' of its citizens.

The federal government classifies marijuana as a "Schedule 1" narcotic--high potential for abuse; no currently accepted medical use; and dangerous--and for decades the government has asserted that there is sound scientific basis for this classification. It is not true.  Medical research in countries that make it easier for such research to take place without fear of prosecution have shown that cannabis has enormous potential as a treatment for a wide range of debilitating conditions, including seizure disorders (families in this country are desperate for that research, but marijuana's legal status makes it nearly impossible).

According to a report from today's New York Times, the National Security Agency is collecting and monitoring virtually all text-based electronic communication into and out of the United States.  This means every e-mail and text message is intercepted, copied, systematically searched, and retained by the government--without a warrant.  It is precisely this type of government intrusion that the 4th Amendment is designed to protect us from.

On Tuesday, many Lewiston residents attended their city's version of the annual National Night Out.  The idea behind National Night Out is to provide a fun environment for Law Enforcement to connect with people in the communities that they serve.  The intent is to help to create a sense of community and show people that police are people too and they are there to help.  This year, Lewiston residents got a little surprise... or rather, quite a big surprise. A thirteen and a half ton war machine to be specific.  On Tuesday at National Night Out, the Lewiston police unveiled their new tank: a 1981 M113 Armored Personnel Carrier.  The M113 APC first saw action blasting through the jungles in Vietnam, and now may be seen thundering through the streets of Lewiston, Maine. Describing the tank's first public demonstration in Lewiston, the Sun Journal claimed that "[its] tracks on the pavement caused bones and teeth to rattle."  While Lewiston may not have a reputation as the safest city around, I feel the question must be asked: "Is a tank really necessary?!"

In this week’s New Yorker, an article titled Taken focuses on civil asset forfeiture laws utilized by law enforcement. Under federal law and in 42 states, civil-forfeiture laws allow police agencies to confiscate cash or property that they have reason to believe was obtained through “illicit means.” In most circumstances this money is then funneled back into law enforcement or state budgets.  

Hello everybody - as you may have noticed if you are reading this post, we recently relaunched the ACLU of Maine website with a new look and feel! We are so excited to share it with you - we think it not only looks great, but does a better job of bringing important information to users.