Posts Tagged ‘civil liberties’

Sunshine Review

Radley Balko joins #FOIAchat this Friday!

by Sunshine Review
radley balkoThe Radley Balko is joining #FOIAchat this week to answer questions and share his experience attaining public records, especially on police militarization, forensics, and the criminal justice system.  His investigations led to the termination of a Mississippi medical examiner named Steven Hayne, whose testimonies led to four wrongful convictions.
He is currently an investigative reporter for the Huffington Post, and previously was a senior editor for Reason Magazine.  His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Economist,  and the Showtime program Penn & Teller’s Bullshit!.
His 2009 investigative report on expert witness fraud in a Louisiana death penalty case won the Western Publication Association’s “Maggie Award.” In 2011 the L.A. Press Club named him “Journalist of the Year,” and The Week named Balko a finalist for “Opinion Columnist of the Year.”
Reason TV

Con Air 2010 (TSA Remix)

by Reason TV

Cameron Poe is back, and he’s getting an enhanced pat down (just like you).

This holiday travel season, we’re all convicts.

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Bret Jacobson

Your Neighbor May [Heart] Socialism, Progressive Trumps Capitalism

by Bret Jacobson

Pew has some new, eye-opening numbers. There are some positives — family values, civil rights, civil liberties, states’ rights all test well — and some negatives, with socialism getting high marks among 44 percent of Democrats.

The incongruity is truly striking. That people can proclaim support for civil rights and civil liberties while holding a relatively low opinion for libertarianism or while offering support for recent measures that threaten the civil rights and civil liberties of U.S. citizens suggests the power of bumper-sticker politics trumps serious introspection.

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Zach Lahn

AZ Immigration Facts and the Left’s New Hate of Affirmative Action

by Zach Lahn

One pen stroke from Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has given her state a no-nonsense immigration policy and given America yet another opportunity to see the full face of leftist hypocrisy.

2010-04-26-MSNBC-Brewer

First some key points of the policy-

As shown in the picture above (featuring MSNBC’s poster child of intelligence, Contessa Brewer) this bill essentially says illegal means illegal.  If you are in the state of Arizona illegally you are guilty of trespassing (page 2 line 44), and if you are caught trespassing you will be transferred immediately to the custody of the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).  I will address the profiling allegations later.

This bill has teeth, and it puts the screws to employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants (page 6 line 7).  The burden of proof of work eligibility is now on the employer since this bill officially makes it illegal for an undocumented alien to “apply for work, solicit work in a public place, or perform work as an employee or independent contractor in this state.”

Complaints can now be filed with the Attorney General of Arizona or with a county attorney when a business is suspected of employing illegal aliens.  After an investigation, if a business is found to be employing illegal workers charges are brought upon the business, and expedited court status is given to the case.

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SusanAnne Hiller

Obama Signs Patriot Act Extension: MSM and the Left Silent

by SusanAnne Hiller

President Obama signed the renewal of the Patriot Act in the quiet of a slow-news Saturday–the Act was set to expire Sunday, February 28–as reported by The Hill.

Photo Credit: AP Photo

Photo Credit: AP Photo

The reauthorization did NOT include any reforms to the current Patriot Act–an odd display of agreement and submission to Bush-era policy–even though the Democrats had the numbers to reform the Act. The continuance of the current Patriot Act signals that Democrats are fearful of further controversary in light of American’s distrust and poor approval ratings of the Democrat-controlled Congress. From the Hill:

The House approved the bill 315-97 on Thursday, a day after the extension passed the Senate.

The provisions, including roving wiretaps, records access and tracking terror suspects not affiliated with any group, were set to expire on Sunday. Democrats opposing the extension were unable to add desired civil-liberties protections.

The Patriot Act was first passed by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as a defense mechanism against terrorists.

The House and the Senate, behind the scenes of the healthcare fervor, quietly passed this bill with little oppostion and outrage. Democrats could have modified the Patriot Act, but didn’t.

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Laurie Essig

Counterpoint: Borat of the Right Releases Fantasy of ACORN Prostitution Ring

by Laurie Essig

In the “gee, I made this not very smart person look really stupid” genre of film making- the sort of “ask stupid questions and play ridiculous characters and edit to make funny” made most famous by Sacha Baron Cohen- comes “Baltimore Acorn Workers support prostitution.”

Acorn is a community organizing network that works on a variety of issues, from voter registration to fighting predatory lending practices. In other words, it is just the sort of organization for poor people that the Right loves to hate.

borat okeefe

According to the news stories, the video may show two (Black and seemingly not terribly educated) Acorn employees trying to help two (white and seemingly educated) young people figure out how to start a brothel with girls from El Salvador (who, not coincidentally, are here illegally).

ACORN workers caught on tape allegedly advising on prostitution – CNN.com.

Within this fantasy is every fear and desire of the far right: evil Black women activists, poor people, illegal immigrants, and sex. (more…)