Alliance of White Anti-Racists Everywhere – Los Angeles
Uncategorized
And Now, To The Senate!
011 months ago
If you can’t get the two-thirds vote necessary to pass controversial legislation, do you a) scrap the bill and go back to the drawing board; b) provide time for debate and good-faith amendments to the bill; or c) lower the vote threshold so that the bill passes despite the doubts of your colleagues?
Well, House leadership chose c), and thus the House caved. I’m not sure if it’s a consolation that the House leadership had to change the rules of the game to make it happen. On Feb. 8, House leadership brought up a Patriot Act extension on suspension, and, thanks in large part to your activism, it failed to get the two-thirds vote necessary to pass. So, today, after perfunctory debate and no opportunities for amendment (save the obligatory Motion to Recommit afforded the minority party), House leadership brought up the extension for a simple majority vote. And thus, the Patriot extension through December 8, 2011 passed the House. You can see how your member of Congress voted here. Be sure to tell your representative how you feel about his/her vote. (You can reach him/her through the Capitol Switchboard – (202) 224-3121.)
So, now we’re onward and upward (or possibly downward?) to the Senate. It will likely come as no surprise to you that the Senate’s options are not bad, worse, worst, and House: The first bill pending in the Senate would reauthorize the expiring provisions until 2013 with some minimal improvements; the second would simply extend the current provisions until 2013; and the worst would make the expiring provisions permanent – of course, the Senate could also take up the House bill. A little birdie has told us that the Senate will hotline (aka attempt to pass the through the unanimous consent of all Senators) option number worse (extension until 2013 with no changes) this week. Well, that’s your cue. We held up Patriot Act reauthorization in the House. Now we need to tell the Senate that none of its options are viable, that it needs to go back to the drawing board and bring us some legislation that provides sensible safeguards to protect the rights of everyday people who have nothing to do with terrorism. Go to our Action Center to take action now!
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Twitter WikiLeaks Hearing Tomorrow
011 months ago
The ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will be in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia for a hearing in a legal battle over the government’s demands for the records of several Twitter users in connection with an investigation related to WikiLeaks.
The ACLU and EFF represent Birgitta Jonsdottir, an Icelandic parliamentarian and one of the Twitter users whose records were sought by the government. They have asked the court to unseal the still-secret court records of the government’s attempts to collect private records from Twitter, Inc., as well as other companies who may have received demands for information from the government. The groups have also asked the court to overturn the December 14 court order requiring Twitter to provide information about its users.
Get more information: Visit our Twitter Wikileaks Court Order topic page.
And get involved by thanking Twitter for standing up for their customers’ rights!
Learn more about privacy and free speech: Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and friend us on Facebook.
In Court Today In South Carolina – Holding Officials Accountable For Torture
011 months ago
We’re in federal court in Charleston to argue that a lawsuit against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other government officials for their role in the unlawful detention and torture of a U.S. citizen go forward. The defendants filed a motion in 2008 to have it thrown out. The ACLU has recently joined the lawsuit on Padilla’s behalf.
Jose Padilla was seized from a U.S. jail in 2002, declared an “enemy combatant” and secretly transported to a military brig in South Carolina. He was imprisoned for nearly four years, during which he was subjected to extreme abuse and unable to communicate with his lawyers or family for two years. Lawyers for Padilla filed a lawsuit in February 2007 in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina against Rumsfeld and others for their role in Padilla’s unlawful detention and abuse.
We can’t sweep these abuses under the rug. Accountability for torture is a legal, political, and moral imperative.
Learn more about accountability for torture: Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
Yemeni Forces Use Tasers, Batons, Knives and Rifles to Quash Anti-Government Protests
011 months ago
by Democracy Now!
in Uncategorized
The popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt have raised questions about the stability of several other governments in the region. Over the weekend, thousands of peaceful demonstrators in Yemen clashed with police and pro-government supporters. Tasers, batons, knives, sticks and assault rifles were directed at people in the rallies. We speak to Iona Craig, an editor at the Yemen Times, and Sarah Leah Whitson, the director of the Middle East and North Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. [includes rush transcript]
“There is a Pre-History to this Revolt”: As Egypt’s Military Bans Labor Strikes, Mona El-Ghobashy Examines How Egyptian Labor and Social Movements Laid the Foundation for Revolution
011 months ago
by Democracy Now!
in Uncategorized
Just days after the Egyptian labor movement joined the popular uprising that ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the ruling military council has called on labor leaders to halt strikes and protests. “Egyptian politics didn’t begin on January 25th,” says Barnard College Professor Mona El-Ghobashy, who has written extensively on politics and social movements in the Middle East and North Africa, “There is a pre-history to this revolt… For us to be able to really understand the significance of what’s happening today, we have to link it to the fabric of Egyptian politics starting in 2000.” [includes rush transcript]
After the Revolution: Mubarak is Gone After 30 Years in Power, But Questions Remain as to How Transition Will Proceed
011 months ago
by Democracy Now!
in Uncategorized
While the Egyptian military has agreed to some of the protesters’ demands, the military has refused to lift the emergency law or to release the thousands of political prisoners jailed by the Mubarak regime. Democracy Now! senior producer Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Issandr El Amrani, blogger at Arabist.net, join us from Cairo. Barnard College political science professor Mona El-Ghobashy joins us in our studio. [includes rush transcript]
“This is a Dream Come True”: Egyptians Celebrate in Cairo After Mubarak Resigns
011 months ago
by Democracy Now!
in Uncategorized
Democracy Now! correspondent Anjali Kamat was in the streets of Cairo as Egyptians erupted with joy after learning President Hosni Mubarak had stepped down following 18 days of street protests that began on January 25. In this video report, Kamat takes us to Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where people are not only cleaning up the streets but are also maintaining their rights to public political expression and involvement in Egypt’s uncertain future. [includes rush transcript]
Headlines for February 14, 2011
011 months ago
by Democracy Now!
in Uncategorized
- Egypt Celebrates Mubarak’s Resignation, Military Imposes Martial Law
- Egyptian Military Takes Temporary Control, Bans Labor Union Meetings
- Bahrain: Protesters Clash with Police
- Yemeni Forces Use Tasers on Peaceful Protesters
- Hundreds Arrested in Algerian Protests
- Iran Places Opposition Leader Mousavi under House Arrest
- Palestinian Prime Minister Disbands Cabinet
- Obama Slashes Assistance for Working Poor and Needy in New Budget
- Wisconsin Governor Threatens to Use National Guard Against State Workers
- U.S. Considers Dissolving Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac
- Italy: Hundreds of Thousands of Women Protest Prime Minister
- Arrest Warrant Issued for Musharraf in Connection with Bhutto Assassination
- U.S. Delays Talks with Pakistan Amid Diplomatic Dispute
- Ron Paul Wins Straw Poll at Conservative Conference
- Former Tom DeLay Aide Sentenced to 20 Months in Jail
- Puerto Rican University President Resigns in Wake of Student Protests
- Opponents of Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Occupy Kentucky Governor’s Office
This Week In Civil Liberties
011 months ago
Wow! What a week. The House failed to get enough votes to extend the Patriot Act, the court unsealed three motions from the Twitter Wikileaks case — plus we had a big win for privacy!
You did it! We told you that the House of Representatives would be voting on the Patriot Act. We asked you to get angry, to show Congress that you care about this nearly-10-year-old law, and to tell your representatives that you want the Patriot reformed so that the government can no longer use it to violate the rights of everyday people who have nothing to do with terrorism. Well, Congress heard you loud and clear. The House did not extend the Patriot Act until Dec. 8, 2011. See how your representative voted here.
TAKE ACTION: Use our Facebook application to end the Patriot Act!
Defending the Dignity of Migrant Workers
Tuesday marked the 146th Anniversary of National Freedom Day, the day President Abraham Lincoln signed the joint congressional resolution that outlawed slavery and became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In remarks this week to the president’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated that "modern slavery, often hidden and unrecognized, persists today on every continent and, most tragically, right here in the United States, despite being prohibited by both domestic legislation and international law." Learn more >>
Hearing Next Week in Twitter Wikileaks Case
Late this week, a court unsealed three motions filed by the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) last month on behalf of Birgitta Jonsdottir, the Icelandic parliamentarian whose Twitter account records were targeted by the government in connection with its investigation related to WikiLeaks. Check out the Topic Hub page — http://www.aclu.org/twitter-wikileaks-court-order-news-and-background
TAKE ACTION: Thank Twitter for standing up for their customers’ rights!
Victory! North Carolina Settles ACLU/Amazon Privacy Case [dotRights]
We’re thrilled to announce a win for privacy! The North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) has agreed to stop asking for personally identifiable customer information in combination with details about customers’ purchases from Internet retailers. The agreement came in the settlement of a lawsuit originally brought by Amazon.com to stop NCDOR from collecting such information. The ACLU and its affiliates in North Carolina and Washington state (where Amazon is headquartered) intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of several Amazon customers whose private information was at stake.
This is your week in civil liberties. Let us know if this is useful or if you prefer a different format. Share your thoughts: ideas@aclu.org
Learn more about and take action on the issues that you care about: Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and friend us on Facebook.
Senator Webb Gives Shout Out to ACLU’s Work in Support of the National Criminal Justice Commission Act
011 months ago
When Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced S. 306, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2011 (NCJCA) this past Tuesday, he took the time to give a shout out to the ACLU’s work in support this important piece of legislation. This bill will create a bipartisan commission to study the United States’ broken and dysfunctional criminal justice system and offer concrete recommendations to alleviate imbalances and injustices. The NCJCA is currently supported by 20 senators, including Judiciary Committee members Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Al Franken (D-MN), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
The ACLU supported the National Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2010 during the 111th Congress, which successfully passed the House of Representatives. The bill was also approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee but was never brought to the Senate Floor.
Passing the NCJCA remains a priority for the ACLU in the 112th Congress, and – as always – we will continue advocating for the need to review and reform our badly broken criminal justice system. Today, there are over 2.3 million men and women in prisons throughout the US, which incarcerates a higher share of its population than any other country in the world. Despite this astronomical rate of incarceration, more than half of all people released from prison re-enter the system within three years. In other words, the current system over-incarcerates without increasing public safety and has a devastating impact on the individuals, families, and communities that find themselves entangled in our justice system (and disproportionately impacts communities of color and the poor).
Reform of the criminal justice system isn’t something that only those on the political left support – even prominent conservatives are coming around to the fact that something’s gotta give, and the NCJCA provides the ideal opportunity to begin doing so in a bipartisan manner. We’ll be working with both the House and Senate to pass this important piece of legislation, which will help ensure that our criminal justice system keeps communities safe, operates fairly, and is cost effective.