Thank God for the ACLU

At least SOMEBODY still has some fight left in them:

“With one vote, Congress has strengthened the executive branch, weakened the judiciary and rendered itself irrelevant,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “This bill – soon to be law – is a constitutional nightmare. Americans should know that if this legislation is enacted and upheld, what they say on international phone calls or emails is no longer private. The government can listen in without having a specific reason to do so. Our rights as Americans have been curtailed and our privacy can no longer be assumed.”

In advance of the president’s signature, the ACLU announced its plan to challenge the new law in court.

“This fight is not over. We intend to challenge this bill as soon as President Bush signs it into law,” said Jameel Jaffer, Director of the ACLU National Security Project. “The bill allows the warrantless and dragnet surveillance of Americans’ international telephone and email communications. It plainly violates the Fourth Amendment.”

More here: www.aclu.org/fisa

The REAL ID Act

Are you younger than me (6-22-64)? I know. . .who ISN'T? Seriously though, if you were born after December 1, 1964, new rules put into place yesterday will require you to get a more secure driver's license in the next six years:

By 2014, anyone seeking to board an airplane or enter a federal building would have to present a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, with the notable exception of those more than 50 years old, Homeland Security officials said.

The over-50 exemption was created to give states more time to get everyone new licenses, and officials say the risk of someone in that age group being a terrorist, illegal immigrant or con artist is much less. By 2017, even those over 50 must have a REAL ID-compliant card to board a plane.

So far, 17 states have passed legislation or resolutions objecting to the REAL ID Act's provisions, many due to concerns it will cost them too much to comply. The 17, according to the ACLU, are: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Washington state.

The American Civil Liberties Union has fiercely objected to the effort, particularly the sharing of personal data among government agencies. The DHS and other officials say the only way to ensure an ID is safe is to check it against secure government data; critics such as the ACLU say that creates a system that is more likely to be infiltrated and have its personal data pilfered.

In its written objection to the law, the ACLU claims REAL ID amounts to the "first-ever national identity card system," which "would irreparably damage the fabric of American life."

“	May I see your papers, please?	”
— Stasi

Arch Angel Institute - A Rebuttal

Kevin Leininger's News Sentinel column yesterday focused on the Arch Angel Institute's conversion of this former Fort Wayne Women's Health Clinic into a "center for people who want to put God's laws first" (Read as "people who feel they have the right to make your personal decisions for you")

I am extremely tired of these religious fundamentalists who wish to impose their "faith" on others. They are no different than the Islamic jihadists who commit acts of aggression against others in the name of their faith. True followers of Christ, two of which I was raised by, follow his example and live by the principles that he taught to his followers - "Live by my example. Do not dictate how others should live their lives, spend your days sharing my message of compassion for your fellow man and helping him without judgement."

The Roe v Wade issue has been used as a wedge issue for far too long in our country. It's all a matter of how the conversation is framed - I honestly don't know anyone who is "pro-abortion", but I know alot of people who believe in a woman's right to make her own reproductive decisions. That is a VERY personal decision, her right as a woman and a U.S. citizen. Whether or not it follows YOUR personal views is irrelevant. Your rights and beliefs are just as important as mine, or anyone else's, and no individual or authority has the right to interfere with how you choose to live your life.

Bryan Brown, a former leader of Northeast Indiana Rescue and the founder of the Arch Angel Institute, envisions his organization as a counter-balance to the ACLU whom he claims is "anti-Christian". That ACLU's mission is to protect our civil liberties as American citizens. If anyone is trying to step on our rights, they will step in, regardless of your religion or lack thereof.

Mr.Brown apparently also believes that our courts and very society are biased against Christianity. After the fundamentalist far right's successful mission to elect George W. Bush TWICE, as well as appointing solid conservatives to the supreme court, all in the name of "faith and values", I really don't understand what that opinion is based upon. Is he worried about the repercussions from the new great silent majority that are slowly pulling our country back in the other direction?

Brown also erroneously claims that Congress is debating the reinstatement of the “fairness doctrine,”(They overwhelmingly blocked the FCC from reinstating this in July of this year) which he labels as a "response to the popularity of conservative talk radio and the utter commercial failure of liberal programming". The "popularity" of conservative talk is based solely on market share and ownership - Clear Channel owns nearly all of the radio stations in America, which gives them most of the market share. And they make the decision on what to air. To their credit (it pains me to say that), they are now actually running progressive talk in a number of markets, many of which have shown numbers where lefty talkers such as Randi Rhodes and Ed Schultz are beating out righty's such as Limbaugh and O'Reilly.

Mr.Brown would be well-served by researching his positions before undertaking another interview. There is a clear difference between "talking points" and the facts. . .