Special Coverage: Rights and Liberties

Theater of War: Portrait of a Homeland Security State [Photo Slideshow Included]

Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet. November 22, 2008.
A new book by the award-winning photojournalist Nina Berman probes how the U.S. homeland security apparatus stokes fantasies about war.

From the blogs

Maddow Fails to Question Huckabee On His Recent Anti-Gay Statements. Update: Maddow Responds

by Ali Frick, Think Progress

When contacted by ThinkProgress, Rachel Maddow explained her reasons for avoiding the subject of gay rights with Huckabee.

Update on H8: Supreme Court to Hear Challenges

by Melissa McEwan, Shakesville

The court will also determine whether the 18,000 marriages between same-sex couples will be rendered null by Prop 8.

Retired Military Brass Call for Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

by Christian Ehret, Jurist Legal News and Research

100 retired admirals and generals of the U.S military called Monday for a repeal of the discriminatory policy.

Lavender Flu Strikes: 'I Can’t Come Into Work Today, I Feel Really Gay …'

by Lisa Derrick, Firedoglake

National Day Without a Gay has been called for December 10, International Human Right Day.

Huckabee Claims Civil Rights of Gays Are Not Being Violated: They Aren’t Getting Their 'Skulls Cracked'

by Ali Frick, Think Progress

The dangerous violence threshold argument.

Why Eric Holder is an Alarming Pick for AG

by John Nichols, The Nation

For starters, he called for the firing of any "petty bureaucrat" who might dissent from the expansion of government powers after 9/11.

Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales Indicted By Grand Jury

by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress

A South Texas grand jury has returned multi-count indictments against Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Bush White House Flat Out Lies: 'We Did Not Torture'

by Ali Frick, Think Progress

Perino is trying to rewrite the sorry history of the Bush administration.

Eric Holder to Be Obama's New Sheriff?

by Staff, Huffington Post

Eric Holder, a Clinton-ite, is in place to be the first African-American attorney general, Newsweek reports.

Yes on 8 Spending Forces Layoffs at Focus on the Family

by Lisa Derrick, Firedoglake

James Dobson's Focus on the Family is poised to announce major layoffs.

Don't Give African-Americans a Pass for Homophobia

Clay Cane, The Advocate. November 22, 2008.
My great-great-grandmother was born a slave in Virginia. Should I not have the right to marry, just like my grandmother, simply because I am gay?

U.S. Government to U.S. Mercenaries: Say Goodbye to Immunity in Iraq

Middle East Online. November 21, 2008.
Under the Status of Forces Agreement awaiting passage, private military contractors would be subject to Iraqi criminal and civil law.

In Stunning Ruling, D.C. Judge Orders Release of Five Gitmo Prisoners

Center for Constitutional Rights. November 20, 2008.
In a courtroom out of the public eye, and with prisoners allowed only limited access to the proceedings, the judge still found no reason to hold them.

Memo to Obama: Closing Guantanamo Can't Wait

Andy Worthington, AlterNet. November 19, 2008.
If President-elect Barack Obama truly plans to make good on his promise to close the American gulag, he should start by heeding this advice.

Obama Victory Brings "Racist Rats Out of the Woodwork"

Hannah Strange, The Times of London UK. November 18, 2008.
A disturbing wave of post-election hate crimes across the country shows that the cancer of American racism is far from cured.

Why Prop 8 Passed in California: The Myth of the Black/Gay Divide

Sherry Wolf, CounterPunch. November 18, 2008.
Institutionalized homophobia in American society is definitely a white monopoly.

Is the "Turban Effect" the New Bradley Effect?

Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune.com. November 17, 2008.
Two recent studies conducted in two very different settings reveal a disturbing anti-Muslim bias among students.

Blackwater Busted? Six Guards May Be Charged in Iraq Massacre

Jeremy Scahill, TheNation.com. November 15, 2008.
Critics still fear reckless behavior by the 140,000 private corporate contractors in Iraq will continue.

Massive 'Homeland Defense' Joint Exercise Is Under Way

Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive. November 15, 2008.
Joint military exercise 'Vigilant Shield,' involving maritime, aerospace, ballistic missile defense is under way.

How I Spent Election Night in a Baltimore Jail

Michael M. Hughes, Baltimore City Paper. November 14, 2008.
On a night of historic celebration, Baltimore city police arrested revelers without cause or provocation.

"Justifiable Homicides" Are on the Rise: Have Self-Defense Laws Gone Too Far?

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. November 14, 2008.
With shoot first/ask questions later legislation passing across the country, are more Americans getting away with murder?

Could a Person of Color from an Immigrant Family Be Elected in Europe?

Sanjay Suri, IPS News. November 13, 2008.
Europe seems to offer neither popular nor political acceptability to members of its minority groups.

Could an Obama Presidency Dampen Enthusiasm for Jihad?

Bramantyo Prijosusilo, New America Media. November 12, 2008.
If Obama upholds democratic values abroad without double standards, jihadi ideologues will have a much harder time recruiting.

Let's Hope the Rumors About Jane Harman in an Obama Admin Aren't Serious

Linda Milazzo, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.
The idea that the author of the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act will work with Obama is a scary one.

Election Results Are Bittersweet for Gays

Deb Price, AlterNet. November 11, 2008.
In a reminder that time always sides with those fighting for equality, a majority of young people voted against the gay marriage ban in California.

Report: Closing Gitmo at Top of Obama's To-Do List

Leonard Doyle, Independent UK. November 11, 2008.
The president-elect has been a longtime critic of the U.S. gulag at Guantanamo Bay.

Sarah Palin Blamed by the US Secret Service Over Death Threats Against Barack Obama

Tim Shipman, The Telegraph (UK). November 11, 2008.
Palin's attacks on Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against him Secret Service agents say.

Why Obama Should Declare an End to the "War on Terror"

Jonathan Steele, The Guardian. November 10, 2008.
If Obama truly believes in diplomacy, he will use it to forge new, individual relationships with Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Top Ten Power Brokers of the Religious Right

Rob Boston, Church & State Magazine. November 10, 2008.
You might have heard of Pat Robertson and James Dobson, but they're just the tip of the iceberg.

Iraq Insurgents to Obama: "Withdraw Your Forces"

Middle East Online. November 9, 2008.
In a taped message yet to be verified, insurgents called "unjust" wars the "principal cause of the collapse of the economic giant."

Waiting to Die: The Cruel Phenomenon of "Death Row Syndrome"

Michael J. Carter, IPS News. November 7, 2008.
As prisoners across the country spend decades awaiting execution, the psychological effects are devastating.

Kurdistan Parliament Forbids Forced Marriages

Iraq Updates. November 7, 2008.
An sweeping amendment to a 1959 law will punish those who try to force marriage upon family members.

Why the Prop 8 Gay Marriage Ban Won

Richard Kim, The Nation. November 6, 2008.
The Christian right outmaneuvered gay rights activists when it came to reaching out to California's huge minority populations.

Gay Marriage Ban Looks to Have Passed in California, but Is It Legal?

Karen Ocamb, AlterNet. November 6, 2008.
Lawyers and marriage equality proponents are calling Proposition 8 illegal, and they may have good legal ground to stand on.

How Prop. 8 Could Dismantle My Marriage

Thanh Ngo, New America Media. November 5, 2008.
The passage of Prop 8 means my partner Andrew and I will be legal strangers once again. He will no longer be my husband.

Daring to Dream of a Black President

The Independent. November 4, 2008.
Some of America's leading black voices, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Spike Lee and Tiger Woods share what it means to them.

Racism Isn't Keeping Arab Americans from the Polls

Habib Battah, IPS News. November 3, 2008.
Despite discriminatory tactics attempting to derail their votes, huge numbers of Arab Americans will vote on Tuesday.

Surprising Last Minute Religious Rallies for Both Sides of CA's Proposition 8

Karen Ocamb, AlterNet. November 3, 2008.
The final push both for and against California's proposition 8 to terminate marriage rights for gay couples was made by various religious groups.

Census Ignores Same-Sex Couples

Deb Price, AlterNet. November 3, 2008.
Lawmakers need data that tell truthful stories about America's diverse households -- yet another reason DOMA needs to get wheeled to the curb.

Rep. Keith Ellison on the Ugly Attacks Obama Has Faced in the Election

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. November 2, 2008.
The first Muslim in Congress, no stranger to the prejudice and fearmongering leveled at Obama, explains why these attacks ultimately fail.

Marriage Equality Hangs in the Balance: Prop. 8 in a Dead Heat

Karen Ocamb, AlterNet. November 1, 2008.
This weekend's call to action from religious leaders to prevent the "destruction of Western civilization" could help push equality foes to victory.

California's Prop. 5 Could Change the Course of America's Drug War

Silja J.A. Talvi, AlterNet. November 1, 2008.
Californians have chance with the NORA initiative to reject decades of fear mongering and try alternatives to jail for drug abuse.

Why African Americans Should Oppose California's Proposition 8

Sikivu Hutchinson, AlterNet. October 31, 2008.
Voting for Prop 8 is a betrayal of civil rights principles and a hypocritical denial of some of the real crises that imperil black families.

CA's Prop 5: Treatment for Drug Addicts Works and Jail Time Doesn't -- Here Are the Stories to Prove It

Matthew Palevsky, AlterNet. October 30, 2008.
Treatment graduates ask CA voters to give others the opportunity they had, to get treatment and turn their lives around.

Wal-Mart Has Perfected the Art of Union-Busting

Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota. October 30, 2008.
'Wal-Mart is a case study of the abysmal workers' rights regime we have here in the United States.'

After Immigration Raid, a Pastor Tries to Calm the Chaos

Marcelo Ballve, New America Media. October 30, 2008.
Pastor Roberto Velez became a leader of an emerging Hispanic community in Mississippi after ICE arrested 595 workers at a local transformer plant.

Prop 5: California Has a Chance to Treat Young People Struggling with Drug Problems the Right Way

Marsha Rosenbaum, AlterNet. October 29, 2008.
The NORA initiative would invest $65 million annually into developingdrug treatment programs for at-risk California youth under 18.

Drilling and Killing: Landmark Trial Against Chevron Begins Over its Role in the Niger Delta

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. October 29, 2008.
In 1998, Nigerian protesters occupying a Chevron oil platform were jailed and murdered. Now, the case is in a U.S. court.

After Third Stay of Execution, Could Troy Davis Win a New Trial?

Jonathan Springston, IPS News. October 28, 2008.
The Georgia prisoner was scheduled to die, again, but a federal court has opened the door for a new round of appeals.

Why Straight People Need to Get into the Fight for Marriage Equality

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. October 28, 2008.
Pragmatism doesn't mean leaving your core principles at the door.

Immigration: Stop the Raids in the First 100 Days

David Bacon, TruthOut.org. October 28, 2008.
Something is clearly wrong with the priorities of immigration enforcement.

Muslim Meatpackers Demand Time for Ramadan; Backlash Follows

Tiffany Ten Eyck, Labor Notes. October 27, 2008.
When Muslim meat-packers got time off for Ramadan, other workers, largely Latino immigrants, charged that they were being favored by management.

With U.S. "Terror Trials " in Disarray, the Case Against Omar Khadr is Falling Apart

Andy Worthington, AlterNet. October 27, 2008.
The government's case against the Canadian child soldier, who was only 15 when he was imprisoned, is collapsing.

Families of the Victims Tortured by Chicago Detectives Rejoice at First Arrest

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. October 27, 2008.
A 25-year fight to bring Jon Burge and police who systematically tortured black men to justice makes a critical breakthrough.

California's Big Chance to Stop Locking up Harmless Drug Offenders

AlterNet. October 25, 2008.
Supporters of California's Prop 5 argue it would dramatically improve the way non-violent offenders are treated.

My Visit With Troy Davis, a Man Facing Death on October 27th

Federica Valabrega, American Observer. October 23, 2008.
Twice, Davis has said goodbye to loved ones but had his life spared. Now, he faces execution a third time.

Legal Immigrants Next Target of Anti-Immigration Hardliners

Tom Barry, Americas Policy Program. October 23, 2008.
If the restrictionists have their way, the drive against undocumented immigrants will be taken to legal immigrants in the near future.

Despite the Threat of Harsh Punishment, Soldier Says "No" to Deployment in Afghanistan

Sarah Lazare, AlterNet. October 23, 2008.
How 21-year-old soldier Blake Ivey came to see war as "flat-out murder."

Afghan Court Throws Out Death Sentence Against Student Journalist

Kim Sengupta, Independent UK. October 22, 2008.
Sayed Pervez Kambaksh was sentenced to death for downloading information on women's rights. He still faces 20 years in prison.

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