That Good Night - Civil Rights

Study: Half of Americans Total Jerks

Sun, 19 Dec 2004 14:02:58 -0800

My parents don't subscribe to the L.A. Times like the rest of our civilized metropolis, but rather to the Daily News, which is a more "fair and balanced" newspaper, if you catch my meaning. As such, I usually try to avoid reading the paper while I'm home, but some mornings when I sit down at the table with my Apple Jacks™, I really need something to look at.

This morning I read that a Cornell University study showed that 44% of "Americans" favor curbing the civil rights of all Muslim Americans. I couldn't find the article on the Daily News website (which seems to be on par with the physical paper in terms of quality), but it's an AP piece, so here it is on USAToday.

The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious.

Boston-Bound Buses Searched

Wed, 07 Jul 2004 11:24:09 -0700

The Boston Globe has a story about how Police are beginning searches of buses leaving the Londonderry, NH Concord Trailways station. If my understanding (based on the article) of this situation is correct, I have no problem with it whatsoever although I still object to the "random" searches on Boston's MBTA trains and buses.

First of all, Concord Trailways is a private company which runs a transportation service on private property (buses). Based on this article, it seems that the company is voluntarily complying with a police wish the search buses. Passengers who refuse to be searched are refused a seat. Since we're talking about a private company, I have no problem with that.

'Rule of Law' Defeats George W. Bush

Mon, 28 Jun 2004 19:48:00 -0700

In what is at least a partial victory for the rule of law and decency against George W. Bush, the Supreme Court ruled today that the Bush administration cannot deny terrorism suspects access to the legal system by labling them "enemy combatants" (ABCNews).

This is good news for the detainees in Cuba, as I don't doubt that many are innocent, but also good news for U.S. citizens, whom the Bush administration wants to trample:

The administration also must take extra precautions when it apprehends U.S. citizens and accuses them of being combatants. Those citizens are entitled to some rights like traditional criminal suspects.

So far, I have been too lazy to read the ruling in its entirety, but I would hope that this would mean that it is no longer legal for the government to secretly kidnap U.S. citizens without charging them or informing anyone of their whereabouts.

Which, you know, sounds like a step forward to me.

Lawsuit Over MBTA's Totalitarian Practices

Mon, 28 Jun 2004 08:29:17 -0700

Boston civil rights groups are planning to file a lawsuit to stop the "T" from instituting a policy that would require riders to be subject to searches (Boston Globe).

"Public transportation is a community resource that should be available to everybody without requiring people to sacrifice their constitutional rights in order to use it," said Michael Avery, president of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.

I am wholeheartedly against the search policy that the MBTA wants to implement. For a while, I have been thinking about how I would deal with it if they tried to search me. I realize that I'm a young, clean-looking white person, and the odds that I would be searched (MBTA claims it's random -- I don't believe that it can be) approach zero. But just because it probably won't affect me, doesn't mean that I can let it happen.

Dangerous Erosion of Democracy

Tue, 22 Jun 2004 22:54:58 -0700

I've written a lot about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the past few weeks. There are a thousand reasons why it's worthy of interest, study and thought, but my reasons are very specific.

Looking at both Israeli and American politics, I see a real potential for the erosion of democracy and individual liberties. Indeed, it has already begun. For sure, there are many countries across the globe that are much worse. They are ruled by dictators and oppress their people. This is indeed horrible. I choose to focus on Israel and America because both countries are backward-sliding democracies. In a previous post today, I mentioned that a poll done in Israel showed that almost half of respondents thought that Israeli Arabs should be denied voting rights. In America, we don't have to look beyond the USA PATRIOT act to see individual liberties and constitutionally guaranteed freedoms being diminished.

America's Mortal Danger

Wed, 26 May 2004 21:35:12 -0700

Part I

On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany. Over the following six and one-half years, Hitler pursued an agenda that allowed him to gain complete dictatorial control over the country. It was done slowly -- the stripping of rights from citizens and Hitler's accumulation of personal power. Everyone knows the outcome of these events. Beginning on September 1, 1939 with the invasion of Poland, Hitler began an immense war of aggression and was responsible -- directly and indirectly -- for the deaths of about 50 million people including millions of Jewish, Roma, homosexual and handicapped civilians who were murdered with brutal industrial efficiency.

Stop The Insanity!

Mon, 17 May 2004 21:36:18 -0700

Is there anything more ridiculous than George Bush praising the Brown vs. Board of education ruling today, on its 50th anniverary?

Had Bush been the President when that ruling was issued, he would have complained about "activist judges" and registered his strong support for a constitutional amendment requiring school segregation.

You know it's true. Bush has a very predictable "policy." Whatever progress is, do the exact opposite.

Congratulations Are In Order

Sun, 16 May 2004 21:46:37 -0700

In a few short hours, Cambridge, Massachusetts will become the very first municipality in the country to grant a fully state-sanctioned marriage license to a gay or lesbian couple. I offer my congratulations to all of the couples who will be among the first to be married tomorrow. I also offer my congratulations to those congregations and communities who choose to support and celebrate with their gay and lesbian members. It's a bigoted world, and those who bravely stand up for that which is right deserve commendation and recognition.

But we as a country deserve a pat on the back as well. We are living in one of the least democratic, least free and least inclusive periods of time in America's history. Yet the system still finds a way to work from time to time. I used the following quote very recently, but I think it's precient and wise enough to deserve reuse. These are remarks given by the President of the Israeli Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, at Brandeis University's commencement last May, when I was a graduating senior:

Devil's Advocate: Is Marriage a Civil Right?

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 12:05:01 -0700

At the Massachusetts constitutional convention, debate began today about the possibility of an amendment to the Massachusetts state constitution that would ban gay marriage. My previous entry went on at length blasting such an amendment, but I realized that my entire argument hinges on the assumption that marriage is a civil right.

I am a reflexive devil's advocate so in this entry I'll attempt to construct an argument for the other side. In order to make that argument, it is necessary to discard the assumption that marriage is a civil right and so I will do so.

Click below to continue reading.

Gay Marriage: Why the SJC ruling is Right but Wrong

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 12:05:24 -0700

Amending a constitution to create restrictions is never a good idea. Take prohibition for example, that didn't work to well did it? The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently handed down its advisory opinion that Vermont-style civil unions will not satisfy the state constitution and that the only way to do so is to provide gay and lesbian couples the right to full legal marriage.

At face value, after stripping away the emotion and homophobia from the issue, this ruling is, of course, RIGHT. It's a clear civil rights issue and no reasonably intelligent person can make any kind of argument against it. However, even though I believe that the decision is fundamentally and morally right, it is still the wrong decision.

Click "more" to read on.