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Common Numbers The name of the 27th child killed was Ulysses Simons. In the inner city schools of Chicago, Ulysses' story along with the deaths of 26 other children is chillingly common. But to those who knew Ulysses he was more than just a number printed in the newspaper. His grandmother, when asked by reporters what characteristics stood out most about her son, responded, “ His smile—one of those smiles that grabs you.” Despite the problems facing the inner city schools of Chicago, there are numerous non-profit organizations that specialize in the development of children in inner city schools. Youth Outreach Services, a social service agency, is intent on helping youths in Chicago find safe homes, “stay in school, avoid substance abuse and gang involvement and make positive choices that strengthen themselves, their family and their community.” I strongly encourage all to go to their website yos.org and at the very least make a small donation, or maybe even volunteer as a tutor or a mentor for these children. read more and leave a comment »Abu Ghraib Detainees Sue US Contractors This afternooon, former Abu Ghraib detainees sued US contractors in U.S. District Court in four states alleging torture. Here is the AP news story:Senate FISA Vote Postponed Until After Recess(HAGERSTOWN, Md.) Former detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq are suing U.S. contractors in four states for alleged torture. The first complaint was filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Others are being filed in Detroit; Columbus, Ohio; and Greenbelt, Maryland. The complaints allege that innocent people who were arrested and taken to the prison were subjected to forced nudity, electrical shocks, mock executions and other inhumane treatment by employees of defense contractors CACI (KAK-ee) International and L-3 Communications, formerly Titan Corporation. The plaintiffs are represented by law firms in Philadelphia and Detroit and by the Center for Constitutional Rights.read more and leave a comment » According to McJoan of DailyKos, the good Senators Dodd and Feingold have gotten the FISA vote postponed until after the July 4th Recess. As she puts it:Incidentally...So here's a fantastic opportunity to talk to your Senators, when they're home for the most patriotic of all holidays, about what this bill means to you as a constitutent. If they're having town meetings, please attend and bring up the bill, or try to schedule individual meetings with them.read more and leave a comment » ACLU National's "Blog of Rights" is a good place to keep up to date on all things FISA related. Amanda Simon has had a good series of posts watching the Senate debates.FISA update Bad News: In an 80-15 vote, the Senate voted for cloture on the FISA debate. Clinton, McCain and Obama skipped this vote. That means there are now 30 hours for debate on the FISA measure. From Ian Welsh at Firedoglake:FISA: A New HopeThe FISA Cloture vote just passed. The Senate will now consider the motion to proceed with the bill, then they'll head to the bill itself (corrected procedural details, h/t and thanks to CBolt). Various motions will be put forward to strip immunity, odds are they will fail. Then a number of the 80 who voted to restrict debate will vote against FISA so they can say they were against the bill. However this was the real vote, and the rest is almost certainly nothing but kabuki for the rubes.read more and leave a comment » Up til now, the FISA reform "compromise" debacle has been rolling smoothly along - merrily whizzing out of the House in less than 24 hours. Our only chance to stop it lies in slowing it down, gumming up the works, making every procedural vote count and running out the clock. Protecting the Constitution has meant poking sticks in every wheel that comes by in the hopes that a few of them might work.In Memoriam: George Carlin George Carlin, legendary comic and first amendment advocate, died on Sunday at the age of 71. Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" monologue became part of legal history in the landmark case Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation, which found his routine, while not "obscene", to be "indecent" and subject to regulation when broadcast on the public airwaves.FISA Fight Moves to Senate The struggle to block the unconstitutional FISA reforms has moved to the Senate. Now is the time to call your senators and ask them to stand up to protect the Constitution and rule of law in the United States. You can send them a free fax from the ACLU website or you can call your Senator via the Capitol Hill Switchboard at (202)224-3121.House Votes in Favor of FISA Bill The FISA reform "compromise" granting immunity to telecom companies and signing off on warrantless wiretapping just passed the House. You can read the rollcall vote here.Bill of Rights Wordcloud After you've made your calls to Washington, enjoy this wordcloud of the Bill of Rights. Created using Wordle.Welcome! As a child that was born and raised just outside the city of Chicago, I have become well aware of the many challenges facing not just this country but this city as well. With the dubious ranking of being the fifth most segregated city in the country (http://www.censusscope.org/us/print_rank_dissimilarity_white_black.html), challenges of inequality in our school system, prisons and courts have plagued a city that prides itself on its greatness. While working as an intern I hope to shed some light on these growing tribulations. However, I do need some help. If you have a tip for me, or a civil liberties issue you would like see covered, please leave a comment! I look forward to hearing from you! read more and leave a comment »Meet our new Intern We are so pleased to announce that Alex Duwe will be joining the blog (and the ACLU of Illinois) this summer. He'll introduce himself in a bit, but be on the look out for his posts covering a range of... read more and leave a comment »FISA "Compromise": The Details Emerge Some folks are finally getting their hands on the language of the new FISA reform bill. The Act would require federal judges to dismiss the lawsuits against spying telecoms if the telecoms can demonstrate they received assurances that the wiretaps were authorized by the President and "determined to be lawful." Not, of course, actually lawful, because that would require a court order or warrant. But simply that the President told them that it was okay.FISA Vote May Happen Tonight Reports indicate that the vote on the new FISA reform "compromise" may happen as early as tonight.Contempt for the Rule of Law A "compromise" of sorts is emerging on updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. According to reports, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and GOP Senator Kit Bond have spearheaded an effort to cave-in to Bush Administration demands for authorization to wiretap Americans without a warrant, and to immunize telecom companies who broke the law by spying on their customers.Call Congress AGAIN: NO Warrantless Wiretapping and NO telecom immunity It appears, once again, that Congress is looking to "compromise" with the Bush Administration on FISA reforms - a compromise that would, in fact, compromise our basic privacy, the rule of law and the Constitution. Yet again, seeking to snatch defeat from the jaws odf victory, some Democrats are looking for a way to hand telecom companies retroactive immunity for spying on their customers and breaking the law.Disenfranchising the Elderly A 97 year old arizona woman's voter registration has been denied - because she was born before birth certificates were issued.Supreme Court Rules: Guantanamo Prisoners have the right to challenge their detentions The Supreme Court just handed down a 5-4 ruling, declaring that Guantanamo Prisoners have the right to challenge their detention in US Courts. According to the SCOTUSblog:Report from National Member Conference 2008In a stunning blow to the Bush Administration in its war-on-terrorism policies, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign nationals held at Guantanamo Bay have a right to pursue habeas challenges to their detention. The Court, dividing 5-4, ruled that Congress had not validly taken away habeas rights. If Congress wishes to suspend habeas, it must do so only as the Constitution allows - when the country faces rebellion or invasion.read more and leave a comment » Thanks to the efforts of the National ACLU staff, and the participation of well over 1000 enthusiastic ACLU members from around the country, the Member conference in DC was a great success. You can see highlights and listen to programs on the ACLU national site.Online Sign-Up for National Member Conference Ends June 2nd
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