Julia Henshaw, West Michigan Administrative Assistant Lately, I've been hearing a lot of talk here in Western Michigan about the mysterious Elliott Larsen.
Who's Elliott Larsen? Searching for Equality in Michigan
Julia Henshaw, West Michigan Administrative Assistant Lately, I've been hearing a lot of talk here in Western Michigan about the mysterious Elliott Larsen.
No Picture? You Don’t Count: Fighting Voter Suppression
Alexander Werney, ACLU of Michigan InternVoting is the fundamental right that our Republic is based on: the imbuement of individuals with the power to rule over others (within fixed time limits, of course).
That essential right hit a pot-hole yesterday, when the Michigan Senate approved a bill that would require photo ID for voter registration. The Detroit News reports the bill passed along close-to-party lines, with all Democrats voting in opposition with the exception of Sen. Bert Johnson (D-Detroit.
The ACLU has opposed similar legislation throughout the years. Along with Sen. Coleman Young (D-Detroit), the ACLU of Michigan joins such groups as the AARP and the Michigan League of Women Voters in opposing this bill, as it will discourage certain groups from voting.
Your Weekly Rights Review | February 10, 2012
The singing ghost of Benjamin Franklin can protect you from police brutality, now that actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the Gregory Brothers (creators of the awesome Auto-Tune the News) have teamed up with the ACLU.In this week's Rights Review, read more about how Michigan's legislature is driving away some of the brightest and best, why some laws need a good copyeditor, and how you can help protect your right to photograph and record the police in public.
Legislative Update: Misguided "Parental Rights" Amendment Endangers Children
This week, the House Committee on Families, Children and Seniors heard testimony relating to a piece of legislation that would empower parents and protect children...or would it endanger children and regulate family relationships? A Valentine's Day Gift: Same Sex Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jay Kaplan, LGBT Project staff attorneyJust in time for Valentine's Day, a historic gift to all who value equality, dignity and love. Better than a box of chocolates or a dozen roses!
Today, a federal appeals court in California ruled that the state's notorious ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. This ruling overturns Proposition 8, a ballot initiative passed in 2008 that disappointed many.
After the passage of Prop. 8, the ACLU, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights signed on to friend-of-the-court briefs in support of a legal challenge of the discriminatory ban.
Google & Your Privacy: Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you've heard about how search engines like Google collect information on us and sell it to third parties. However, next month, Google is taking its privacy-threatening practices to new heights. As of March 1st, Google will begin to link the information it collects when you search on Google, email friends on Gmail, or like a YouTube video without your okay.
Whether or not you want these accounts to be linked for others to see, almost every Google service you use will be combined to create a virtual profile. Chances of remaining anonymous fall to virtually zero.
Your Weekly Rights Review | February 2, 2012
No matter how many lawyers we throw at some issues, it's the activism of our members and supporters that creates positive change both locally and nationwide.In this week's Rights Review, read more about how public outcry is driving change on ending school bullying, defying censorship in Plymouth-Canton, and fighting the discriminatory ban on domestic partnership benefits for some public employers.
Your Weekly Rights Review | January 27, 2012
After a long hiatus, your Weekly Rights Review is back online, keeping you updated on the fight for your civil liberties. We are keeping our ear to the ground and our nose to the grindstone to ensure that you stay informed about the current issues concerning your rights, both in Michigan and your country.
Michigan News
- Drug Testing for Benefits Recipients? How About Legislators?
Drugs are everywhere in our society, from the streets to the penthouse. That’s why requiring mandatory drug testing in order to qualify for welfare benefits is simple discrimination.
Back in 2000, we successfully fought against a mandatory drug testing program imposed by the state, arguing that it unconstitutionally victimized poor people (read more about the case). However, now the Department of Health Services is trying to revive applicant drug testing for those “suspected of drug use.”
Perhaps we should drug test everyone who receives any government money, like our legislators? Since drug use is common across all socio-economic backgrounds, relying on negative stereotypes of the poor only vilifies those who need aid.
Our Executive Director Kary Moss wrote an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press, detailing why this practice is not only unconstitutional, but impractical (via the Free Press). - Schooling the Police on the Law?
Walk downtown with a mask on, and you might end up teaching a lesson to Howell’s finest.
Two high school students wore Guy Fawkes masks standing on a street corner to protest online piracy legislation SOPA and PIPA.
Police demanded that they remove the masks. After the students asked for proof that this was the law, the offending officer did some research, found himself to be in error, and apologized to the peaceful protesters.
We know what he was thinking of: we challenged earlier legislation restricting the wearing of masks to educational, religious, historical, or entertainment purposes back in 2000 (via the Livingston Daily).
- Who Says the Constitution is Outdated?
Despite the changes in technology and society, the Bill of Rights is still as relevant today as it was over 200 years ago. This week, the Supreme Court illustrated the continued importance of its ideals and ruled that the use of GPS trackers without a warrant violated the 4th Amendment.
The progress of technology can sometimes leave the regulatory spectrum looking like the Wild West, but this is never an excuse for ignoring the basic principles upon which this country was founded.
You can help reclaim your 4th Amendment rights in this technological age by showing support for the GPS Act, which would regulate how your GPS information is used by law enforcement and businesses.
In an era where technology progresses exponentially and power is abused by government entities, our fundamental rights require an even more vigilant defense. (via the Blog of Rights).
Fighting Back Against Indefinite Detention
Reuben Metreger, ACLU of Michigan Metro Detroit Branch MemberIt is hard to believe that ten years after the first "enemy combatants" were brought to the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, our civil liberties are still under attack.
Though President Obama promised to close the detention center on his second day of office, we are still waiting for him to keep his promise. Our search for accountability for those who interrogated detainees through torture seems further away than ever.
Guantanamo: 10 Years of Detention
Ten years have passed since the first prisoner arrived in Guantánamo Bay. Today, 171 men remain detained there, plucked away from their lives and isolated without due process.Back in 2002, civil liberties supporters spoke up and warned that policies being put in place would result in a decade memorable for torture, indefinite detention and massively increased political surveillance and religious discrimination. Those cautions turned out to be perfectly accurate.
Please join us on January 20 for a discussion of the current status of the detention center and how to fight back against the extreme national security measures putting our rights at risk.
