"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
-- George Orwell

"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword." -- Julius Caesar

"There is no 'slippery slope' toward loss of liberty, only a long staircase where each step down must first be tolerated by the American people and their leaders."
-- Alan K. Simpson

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes which were, for the moment, unpopular."
--Edward R. Murrow

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." -- Mark Twain

"In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up because I was a protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me." -- Reverend Martin Niemoeller

News

• Technology & Civil Liberties News Roundup - April 8th, 2010.   by Hari O'Connell   2010-04-08
   
• Death Penalty Sentencing In Decline Across U.S..   As the United States moves away from death sentences to permanent imprisonment, California—particularly Los Angeles County—lags behind, according to a new report on the death penalty by the ACLU of Northern California (ACLU-NC). In 2009, the number of new death sentences nationwide reached the lowest level since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The Golden State, however, sent more people to death row last year than in the seven preceding years. At the close of 2009, California's death row was the largest and most costly in the United States. Take action! Call or email your District Attorney today>   2010-03-30
   
• Broad Coalition Urges Congress To Oppose Thomson Prison If Used For Indefinite Or Military Commission Detention.   A broad coalition of human rights, religious and civil liberties groups sent a memorandum to the House and Senate today urging members to oppose legislation authorizing, or appropriating federal funds for, the purchase of the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Illinois unless Congress specifically bans indefinite detention at the facility.   2010-04-08
   
• Obama Administration Reportedly Authorizes Targeted Killing Of U.S. Citizen.   According to news reports today, the Obama administration has approved the targeted killing of Anwar al-Alwaki, a United States citizen who is believed to be located in Yemen, far from any active hostilities. The American Civil Liberties Union called on the government to make more details about the targeted killing program available to the public.   2010-04-07
   
• Court Limits FCC's Ability To Stop Broadband Providers From Discriminating Against Internet Content.   A federal appeals court today ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) cannot require broadband service providers to treat all lawful Internet content equally. The decision rendered the FCC unable to enforce "network neutrality," the principle that Internet users have the right to use applications and access and transmit data of their choice free of discrimination by network providers.   2010-04-06
   
• Federal Judge Approves ACLU Settlement Forcing Sweeping Improvements In Conditions At Baltimore City Jail.   A federal judge today gave final approval to a settlement agreement that paves the way for sweeping improvements to conditions at the Baltimore City Jail. The approval comes after the American Civil Liberties Union and the Baltimore-based Public Justice Center came to an agreement last year with Maryland state officials that will lead to dramatic improvements in the quality of medical and mental health care provided to detainees at the facility and effectively settles major portions of a longstanding class action lawsuit.   2010-04-06
   
• Wisconsin Federal Court Says Transgender People Must Be Allowed Medical Treatment In Prison.   The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Wednesday struck down a law that barred transgender people from receiving medical care while they are incarcerated. The American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal challenged the law in January 2006 on behalf of transgender prisoners, some of whom had been receiving hormones in Wisconsin prisons for years prior to the passage of the law.   2010-04-06
   
• DHS Report Confirms Serious Civil Rights Problems With Local Immigration Enforcement Program.   A report from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) reveals several critical problems surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 287(g) program, which allows certain state and local law enforcement agencies to engage in federal immigration enforcement activities.   2010-04-02
   
• DHS Announces Changes To Airline Screening Program.   The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced changes to its international airline passenger screening process, discontinuing its heavy reliance on racial profiling to focus more on intelligence-based screening. In the wake of an attempted attack last Christmas, the government had announced intensified airport screening of the citizens of 14 nations flying to the United States. Today's announcement makes clear that DHS will continue to use terrorism watch lists which, in their current form, have created numerous false positives, wasted resources and hidden the real threats to aviation security, while targeting innocent people.   2010-04-02
   
• ACLU Urges Department Of Justice To Object To Changes In County Board Elections In South Carolina.   In a letter sent today to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the American Civil Liberties Union urged the DOJ to object to changes to board elections for the Fairfield County School District in South Carolina because the changes would dilute the voting strength of minorities in Fairfield County. Because of its history of discrimination against minority voters, South Carolina is required under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act to preclear changes to election procedures before they may be implemented.   2010-04-01
   
• Newly Released Documents Reveal Details Of Civilian Casualty Claims In Afghanistan And Iraq.   The American Civil Liberties Union today made public more than 13,000 pages of documents regarding reports of civilians killed or injured by Coalition Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The documents include more than 800 claims for damages by the family members of those killed, including many that were denied, and reveal new details about the flaws in the system for compensating victims' families. The ACLU received the records in response to its September 2007 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, which is part of an effort to make more details about the ongoing wars available to the public.   2010-04-01
   
• Controversial Memo On Immigration Detention Quotas Raises Doubts About ICE Leadership.   In response to reports of a controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo advocating for immigration detention quotas, the American Civil Liberties Union today called on leaders in Congress and in ICE to establish transparent immigration enforcement and detention policies that respect the rule of law and constitutional values. The memo, written by the director of ICE's Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) and disclosed by the Washington Post, directed DRO officers nationwide to boost deportation numbers, make maximum use of detention and detain more people suspected only of unauthorized status. These enforcement priorities are in direct contradiction with those set forth by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton who have both repeatedly testified, for much of the past year, that ICE’s priority is the deportation of dangerous criminal offenders.   2010-03-30