Special Coverage: Rights and Liberties

From the blogs

NY Governor Extends Protections to Transgender State Employees

by Cara , Feministe

While New York is now ahead of many states, it's also really behind many others.

Alleged Police Cover-Up Adds Shocking Angle to the Racist Murder of Luis Ramirez

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

Justice may yet come for Luis Ramirez.

Lunatic Phoenix Sheriff Joe Arpaio Issues New Order Forcing Inmates to Listen to Christmas Carols

by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress

His unconventional tactics are often unusually cruel and sometimes outright racist.

Glenn Beck Defends Founding Fathers' Decision to Count African-Americans as Three-Fifths of a Person

by Alex Seitz-Wald, Think Progress

Just when you thought he couldn't reach a new low...

Why the National Review Is Wrong to Whine About Moving Prisoners to Thomson Correctional Center

by Byard Duncan, AlterNet

The NR editors are calling for the continuation of grotesque U.S. exceptionalism -- and tripping over their own logic in the process.

Honduran Gay Activist Walter Trochez Assassinated

by Doug Ireland, Direland

The best-known LGBT activist in Honduras was assassinated on Sunday after speaking out against homophobic crimes and killings by the forces behind the coup there.

Obama Team One Step Closer to Closing Gitmo

by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly

An administration official said today that dozens of terrorism suspects from Guantanamo will be moved to Thomson Correctional Facility.

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Gitmo Torture Case Claiming Detainees Are Not "Persons"

by , Center for Constitutional Rights

Defense attorney: "Future prospective torturers can now draw comfort from this decision."

"The Foolish Symbols of Christianity": Israel's Religious Right Discovers the War on Hanukkah

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

Eat your heart out, Bill-O.

The ACLU Needs Your Help

by Suzanne Ito, Blog of Rights

Tough financial times that have befallen us here at the ACLU. Here's what you can do.

Politicians Are Portraying 'Gitmo North' as a Terrific Local Jobs Program -- Don't Count On It

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. December 17, 2009.
Politicians' claim that moving detainees to Illinois will create 3,000 jobs is a distraction from an ugly reality; Gitmo is not being closed, it is being moved onto U.S. soil.

Game On for Immigration Reform

Seth Hoy, Immigration Impact. December 16, 2009.
A new comprehensive immigration reform bill hit the House this week.

The Brutal Dark Side of Obama's "Softer" Immigration Enforcement

David Bacon, The Progressive. December 16, 2009.
'Sanctions pretend to punish employers but in reality, they punish workers.'

Meet the FBI Operative Who Threatened My Life, and the Gov.-Elect Who May Have Helped Him

Max Blumenthal, AlterNet. December 16, 2009.
Did NJ Republican Chris Christie grant legal protection to neo-nazi radio host Hal Turner for his undercover role in a federal program to "flush out" violent far-right plots?

Why Serious Immigration Reform Is Inevitable

Mary Giovagnoli, Immigration Impact. December 15, 2009.
Hot-button issues like health reform and economic recovery will come and go. That U.S. immigration policy is fundamentally broken guarantees its eventual place in the conversation.

Former Police Chief Norm Stamper: 'Let's Not Stop at Marijuana Legalization'

Norm Stamper, AlterNet. December 14, 2009.
A new poll shows that most Americans are ready to legalize marijuana, but not drugs like cocaine or heroin. A 34-year police vet says it's time to legalize them all.

Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman's Invictus Film Release Kicks Off New Campaign For Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Linda Milazzo, AlterNet. December 14, 2009.
The launch of Invictus will hopefully set of a wave of renewed interest in a proposal to recognize and protect the rights of humanity.

"How Does Somebody Have a Baby in Jail Without Anybody Noticing?" The Awful Plight of Pregnant Prisoners

Rachel Roth, The Nation. December 14, 2009.
The lack of common sense and compassion with which imprisoned pregnant women are treated is chilling.

Fighting a Community's Fear with Hard Information

Valeria Fernandez, New America Media. December 14, 2009.
A new Arizona law is causing fear and confusion among immigrant communities.

25 Days In Federal Prison For Littering? Border Patrol Cracking Down on Human Rights Activists

Jessica Weisberg, AlterNet. December 14, 2009.
Walt Staton was dropping off water jugs for people who attempt the often deadly trek into Arizona from Mexico when the Feds ticketed him for "knowingly littering."

Medical Marijuana Apartheid: Different Rules Apply for Rich and Poor Pot Smokers

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. December 13, 2009.
A California hipster can hit the vaporizer without fear of harassment, but a lower-class person smoking a blunt may not be so lucky.

The Religious Right's Potty Paranoia

Stephanie Mencimer, Mother Jones Online. December 12, 2009.
Public restrooms: The final frontier of the right's war on queer folk?

Zinn's 'People's History' Masterwork Hits the History Channel

Dave Zirin, AlterNet. December 11, 2009.
Don't miss Howard Zinn's 'Voices of a People's History' debut on the History Channel on December 13th.

Supreme Court's Ruling Would Allow Bin Laden to Donate to Sarah Palin's Presidential Campaign

Greg Palast, AlterNet. December 11, 2009.
I'm biting my nails waiting for the Supreme Court's ruling in 'Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission' -- here's why you should be too.

Rachel Maddow Demolishes Therapist Who Claims He Can Make Her Straight

AlterNet. December 10, 2009.
Richard Cohen claims his therapy can turn gay people straight -- an absurd theory debunked by all national psychological associations.

The Swiss Minaret Ban: What Are They Really Trying to Outlaw?

Laila Lalami, The Nation. December 9, 2009.
A voter referendum prohibiting the construction of minarets in Switzerland is part of a disturbing, anti-Muslim trend that's been working its way through Europe for years.

Homeland Security Embarks on Big Brother Programs to Read Our Minds and Emotions

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. December 9, 2009.
Half-baked Homeland Security is spending millions to develop sensors capable of detecting a person's level of 'malintent' as a counterterrorism tool.

Iraq-WMD Claim Came from ... a Cab Driver?

John Byrne, Raw Story. December 9, 2009.
News in the UK: Iraqi cab driver was source of an infamous claim made by Prime Minister Tony Blair that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

Studies Show Latinos Are Climbing the Socio-Economic Ladder of Success

Walter Ewing, Immigration Impact. December 8, 2009.
Understanding poverty as a racial issue, as some anti-immigration advocates do, is to ignore a host of other problems (and successes).

Four Men Leave Guantanamo; Two Face Ill-Defined Trials in Italy

Andy Worthington, AlterNet. December 7, 2009.
Last week, the Obama administration announced that it had transferred four prisoners from Gitmo: one to France, one to Hungary, and two to Italy.

We're Doing a Heckuva Job Helping Those Devastated by the Economic Meltdown

Karen Dolan, Diana Pearce, AlterNet. December 7, 2009.
Like the levees in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the safety net is failing Americans battered by the 'Great Recession' of 2008-2009.

Purple Hearts On Death Row: War Damaged Vets Should Not Be Executed By the State

Karl R. Keys, Bill Pelke, AlterNet. December 4, 2009.
Soldiers are coming home traumatized by the carnage they've seen. As veterans, we believe those who commit crimes due to severe mental problems should be treated, not killed.

Prop. 8 Challenge Puts Homosexuality on Trial

Gabriel Arana, The American Prospect. December 4, 2009.
Much more than marriage is at stake in the federal legal challenge to Prop. 8. Like Brown v. Board of Education,it can change American life. But it can also go very wrong.

What the FBI's Murder of a Black Panther Can Teach Us 40 Years Later

Jeffrey Haas, The Nation. December 2, 2009.
The legacy of Fred Hampton, who was assassinated under COINTELPRO in 1969, should be our demand that U.S. officials be held accountable when they break the law.

Why Is the Department of Homeland Security Incarcerating Refugees Across the U.S.?

Emily Creighton, Immigration Impact. December 1, 2009.
The DHS should re-consider its policy of jailing "unadjusted" refugees.

Why Fanaticism Can Be a Good Thing

Rebecca Solnit, Comment Is Free. December 1, 2009.
It's popular to think the world gets changed by delightful people, but agents of change are often obsessive, intransigent, unreasonable, and demanding.

Amy Goodman Detained at Canadian Border; Guards Demand Notes For Speaking Event

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!. November 30, 2009.
Border guards held Goodman and her colleagues for an hour and a half, searching their belongings and telling them they could only stay in the country for two days.

Why Is the Media So Obsessed With Horrifying Images of African-American Mothers?

Melissa Harris-Lacewell, The Nation. November 30, 2009.
With Michelle Obama in the White House, I expected a resurgence of the Claire Huxtable stereotype. Instead, hideous depictions of abusive, irresponsible black moms are everywhere.

How One Journalist Learned About Modern Union-Busting the Hard Way

Seth Sandronsky, AlterNet. November 28, 2009.
Sara Steffens thought that labor negotiations were civilized affairs ... until her newsroom became a battlefield.

Republican Playbook on Immigration Debate Long on Emotions, Short on Facts

Mary Giovagnoli, Immigration Impact. November 27, 2009.
Senate Republicans have “thoughtfully’ provided immigration advocates with their strategy for opposing immigration reform in 2010.

Whatever Happened to the CIA Black Sites?

David Corn, Mother Jones. November 26, 2009.
The CIA ordered its secret prisons closed, but lawyers for terrorism suspects want them preserved as possible evidence -- and the CIA won't say what's going on.

Sex, Beer, Heroin and Cocaine: How Prosecutors Pay Off Criminal Snitches

Ryan Blitstein, Miller-McCune.com. November 26, 2009.
All too often, prosecutors aid and abet the crimes of their informants. And that's just one disheartening outcome of American law enforcement's bungled dealings with snitches.

Citing "National Defense Needs," Obama Administration Says it Won't Sign Ban on Land Mines

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. November 26, 2009.
Stephen Goose, director of Human Rights Watch's arms division, called the decision to keep the Bush-era policy "an appalling decision."

Murder at Guantanamo? The Mysterious, Unsolved Death of Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi

Jeffrey S. Kaye, TruthOut.org. November 25, 2009.
Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi was found dead inside a psych ward at Guantanamo. It was ruled a suicide. But disturbing evidence suggest the truth may be far uglier.

What Nidal Hasan, Timothy McVeigh, and the Beltway Sniper Have in Common: All Were Scarred by Pointless U.S. Wars

Nora Eisenberg, AlterNet. November 25, 2009.
Some of the most notorious massacres of the past 15 years have been committed by veterans whose brains have been severely damaged from trauma or exposure to toxic chemicals.

Black Teacher May Get 15 Years in Prison for Cutting in Line at Wal-Mart

Devona Walker, The Loop. November 25, 2009.
This is not how our criminal justice system is supposed to operate.

Hate Group, FAIR, Is Looking for "Ethnically Ambiguous" Actors to Amplify Its Racism

Adam Luna, America's Voice. November 24, 2009.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform is holding auditions to promote hate. Here's how you can get the part!

Obama Quietly Backs Renewing Patriot Act Surveillance Provisions

Willam Fisher, IPS News. November 24, 2009.
Three contentious provisions are scheduled to expire next month; opponents of these sections have been pushing to roll them back. But Obama seems ready to renew them.

Feeling Nervous? 3,000 Behavior Detection Officers Will Be Watching You at the Airport This Thanksgiving

Liliana Segura, AlterNet. November 24, 2009.
Nearly 100,000 passengers were pulled aside by TSA behavior watchers last year, and it remains to be proven whether you can spot terrorists by the looks on their faces.

The Memory Scrub About Why Ft. Hood Happened Is Almost Complete ... If It Weren't for Archives

Mark Ames, AlterNet. November 23, 2009.
That Maj. Hasan tried to get a military discharge before the massacre is largely being erased -- we're supposed to keep focusing on the Muslim part.

Army Sends Mom to Afghanistan, Infant to Protective Services

Dahr Jamail, AlterNet. November 21, 2009.
"This would do irreparable harm to her child. I think they are doing this to punish her."

Dobbs' Resignation Was Long Overdue

Janet Murguía, AlterNet. November 21, 2009.
My problems with Dobbs surfaced more than two years ago, during the debate over the last version of immigration reform.

New Right-Wing Craze: Using Bible Quote to Pray That Obama’s 'Days Be Few'

Amanda Terkel, Think Progress. November 20, 2009.
A new slogan is making its way onto t-shirts and even teddy bears: 'Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8,' which reads, 'Let his days be few; and let another take his office.”

Maddow: Anti-Muslim 'McCarthyism' Making Us Less Safe

David Edwards, Raw Story. November 20, 2009.
Wave of prejudice among Republican politicians may actually be frustrating anti-terrorism efforts Maddow says.

Economic Crisis Is Getting Bloody -- Violent Deaths Are Now Following Evictions, Foreclosures and Job Losses

Nick Turse, AlterNet. November 20, 2009.
Despite ever rosier economic predictions and a surging stock market, the body count from the economic crisis is destined only to grow in the weeks and months ahead.

Why Is Congress Demonizing an Investigation of Israel's War Crimes in Gaza?

Bill Moyers, Bill Moyers Journal. November 20, 2009.
Recognition of human rights expert Richard Goldston's investigation is essential to the peace process in Israel and Palestine -- and the Congress is trying to demonize it.

Organizers Fire up Grassroots for Immigration Reform Fight Ahead

Marcelo Ballve, New America Media. November 19, 2009.
Organizers are putting together a series of “house parties” after the White House said it was preparing to push Congress on immigration reform early in 2010.

Rachel Maddow Interview with Former Evangelist Frank Schaeffer: Christian Right Is 'Trolling for Assassins'

AlterNet. November 19, 2009.
Schaeffer: "There is a crazy fringe [receiving] messages that have been pouring out of FOX News ... talking about doing away with Obama, asking God to kill him."

Is House Health Care Bill a Threat to Our Constitution?

Barry W. Lynn, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. November 18, 2009.
The House health-care bill isn't just a threat to women's rights; with the Stupak amendment, it's a breach of the Constitution.

U.S. Christian Right Activists Pushing Death Penalty for Homosexuals in Poor African State

Christi van der Westhuizen, IPS News. November 18, 2009.
Some believe a slew of new, homophobic laws are an attempt to preserve Uganda's shaky patriarchy.

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The death penalty is racist, punishes the poor, condemns innocent people to die, and is not a deterrent to violent crime. Join the Campaign to End the Death Penalty today.

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