Special Coverage: Rights and Liberties

'Prayer Warriors' Battle to Pass Gay Marriage Bans

John Ireland, In These Times. October 10, 2008.
And they have more money and support than you think.

From the blogs

Connecticut Legalizes Gay Marriage

by AlterNet Staff, AlterNet

The state's Supreme Court ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage denied gays and lesbians rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

Anti-War Nuns Branded as 'Terrorists'

by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress

"There is no way that we ever want to be identified as terrorists. We are nonviolent. We are faith-based,”

NSA 'Routinely' Listened in on Americans' Phone Calls, Passed Around 'Salacious' Bits

by Ali Frick, Think Progress

Making a sexy phone call overseas? Despite Bush's insistence otherwise, it seems the spooks were listening in.

Gender Auditors: Will California Ban Same-Sex Marriage?

by ZP Heller, Brave New Films

Courage Campaign's satirical take on a major ballot initiative.

U.S. Security Firm Indicted for Fraud in Afghanistan

by Bernard Hibbitts, Jurist Legal News and Research

The company, called U.S. Protection and Investigation, is accused of getting paid "inflated" amounts for its work on behalf of USAID.

Conservatives Attack Google for Opposing Gay Marriage Ban

by Amanda Terkel

Randy Thomasson of the right-wing group Campaign for Children and Families (CCF) has called for a boycott of Google for its opposition to Prop 8.

DNC Police T-Shirt:'We Get Up Early to Beat the Crowds'

by Lindsay Beyerstein, Firedoglake

Talk about bad taste.

Muslim Children Gassed at Mosque After 'Obsession' DVD Hits Ohio

by Chris Rodda, Daily Kos

What a pointless tragedy.

Iraqi LGBT Leader Gunned Down in Baghdad

by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress

A terrible end for a heroic organizer.

"Taxi to the Dark Side" on HBO Tonight; What Have We Learned Since its Release?

by Alex Gibney, Huffington Post

For starters, Condi Rice admitted last week that the Bush administration knew about "harsh interrogations" as early as 2002.

Why Are Convicted Felons in Battleground States Being Told They Can't Vote?

Christopher Moraff, The Philadelphia Tribune. October 9, 2008.
In states like Pennsylvania, misinformation by public officials could lead thousands of eligible voters to stay home on November 4th.

Is Posse Comitatus Dead?

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. October 8, 2008.
Why are there active duty soldiers stationed on U.S. streets?

As More Troops Refuse to Deploy, Getting Conscientious Objector Status is an Uphill Battle

Sarah Lazare, AlterNet. October 8, 2008.
Soldiers who decide to become conscientious objectors face a major struggle, but it can also be "the most liberating thing ever."

Revealed: "Secret" Executions Being Carried Out in Saddam's Old Intelligence Headquarters

Robert Fisk, Independent UK. October 8, 2008.
Hundreds of "insurgents" have been executed since 2003, victims of the same summary justice they mete out to their own captives.

Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control"

Naomi Wolf, AlterNet. October 8, 2008.
Members of Congress were told they could face martial law if they didn't pass the bailout bill. This will not be the last time.

New Evidence Shows Bush Had No Plan to Catch bin Laden After 9/11

Gareth Porter, IPS News. October 7, 2008.
Mere weeks after 9/11, the Bush administration was too busy planning to invade Iraq to follow through on its mission in Afghanistan.

In Historic Move, Court Orders Release of 17 Innocent Gitmo Prisoners Into U.S.

Center for Constitutional Rights. October 7, 2008.
The prisoners are all Uigur men who would face persecution -- even death -- if returned to their native China.

Arab "Registry" Upheld; Policy About Immigration, Not Counter-Terrorism

Edward Alden, New America Media. October 7, 2008.
A New York court says the program is legitimate.

Months After Boumediene, Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied

Aziz Huq, The Nation. October 7, 2008.
Months after it granted habeas rights to Gitmo prisoners, the Supreme Court's decision has yet to translate into concrete results.

Our Next President Will Transform the Supreme Court

Ellen Goodman, Washington Post Writers Group. October 6, 2008.
John McCain has promised the court to the right wing, and Roe v. Wade is first up on the chopping block.

Robert Fisk: For the Muslim World, It Will Make No Difference Who Wins the Election

Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now!. October 6, 2008.
"We use phrases like 'victory.' We should be using phrases like 'justice for the people of the Middle East.'"

The Ultimate 9/11 'Truth' Showdown: David Ray Griffin vs. Matt Taibbi

Matt Taibbi, David Ray Griffin, AlterNet. October 6, 2008.
The two writers lock horns over the accuracy of Griffin's recent book, 9/11 Contradictions.

Chomsky: "If the U.S. Carries Out Terrorism, It Did Not Happen"

Subrata Ghoshroy, AlterNet. October 4, 2008.
In an exclusive interview, Noam Chomksy weighs in on the financial collapse, the election and the power of U.S. propaganda.

Women Who Took On the Taliban -- and Lost

Kim Sengupta, Independent UK. October 3, 2008.
Of five prominent Afghani women interviewed three years ago by The Independent, three are dead and a fourth has had to flee.

"Even the President Got Involved": Sordid New Revelations About the U.S. Attorney Firings

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. October 2, 2008.
As a new special prosecutor is assigned to probe the firings, stunning details emerge -- including Alberto Gonzales's fake notes.

On the Murder of Afghanistan's Most Famous Policewoman

Nushin Arbabzadah, Comment Is Free. October 1, 2008.
The Afghan policewoman Malalai Kakar was a crusading defender of women and a model of Afghan womanhood far older than the Taliban.

Shake-Up at Gitmo: A Prosecutor Resigns, Citing 'Ethical Qualms' Over Suppressed Evidence

Andy Worthington, AlterNet. October 1, 2008.
A day after the controversial Gen. Thomas Hartmann is relocated, Lt. Col. Darell Vandeveld resigns, citing "slipshod" prosecutions.

Will Wall Street's Meltdown Turn America Into a Police State?

Scott Thill, AlterNet. September 30, 2008.
Failing banks? Endless war? Call Homeland Security.

Revisiting the Wasilla Rape Kit Story

Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet. September 29, 2008.
News that Wasilla charged rape victims for forensic work has hit the mainstream. But the practice is more common than we think.

Bush's Economic 9/11 and the Rise of Big Brother Banking

Roberto Lovato, New America Media. September 29, 2008.
The government may be preparing for another conflict -- a domestic war on the poor and middle class.

Sarah Palin, 21st Century Theocrat

Michelle Goldberg, The Nation. September 29, 2008.
The religious right can be confident that they'd have a fundamentalist in the White House with Sarah Palin.

The Costs of Migration Hit Women Hardest

Diana Mendoza, IPS News. September 28, 2008.
There's strength in numbers, and women migrant workers are organizing themselves and strengthening their networks.

Will the New President Give Back the Powers Bush Has Grabbed?

David Cole, Mother Jones. September 26, 2008.
Support Barack Obama all you want, but don't assume a Democratic president will relinquish the sweeping authority imbued by the Bush administration.

Seven Years After the Start of the So-Called "War on Terror," Terror Attacks Are Up

M. A. Muqtedar Khan, Iraq Updates. September 26, 2008.
This surge in terrorism is a direct response to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Protesters Take Their Outrage to Wall Street

Steven Wishnia, AlterNet. September 26, 2008.
Enraged by the prospect of $700 billion of their taxes going to speculators, hundreds of protesters hit Wall Street on Thursday.

Could Today's Senate Hearings on Torture Lead to Charges Against the Bush Administration?

Jeffrey S. Kaye, Invictus. September 25, 2008.
They could, if the right questions were asked.

Troy Davis Deserves a New Trial

Amy Goodman, King Features Syndicate. September 25, 2008.
The Supreme Court will decide Monday whether it will take Davis' case. If it doesn't, he likely will be executed, despite evidence of his innocence.

ICE Creates Climate of Fear in Rhode Island

Rachael Scarborough King, Dollars and Sense. September 24, 2008.
Activists have been scrambling to inform immigrants in the state about their rights.

Has Sarah Palin Been Picked as the Titular Head of the Coming Police State?

Naomi Wolf, Huffington Post. September 24, 2008.
Palin will help to establish a true and irreversible 'fear society' in this once free once proud nation.

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