ACLU

One Nation Under God reports ACLU activity that threatens our religious liberty by engaging in a religious cleansing of American society.

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer at public meetings under attack...again

Christian legal experts are responding to efforts by "secularist" groups to stop invocations at public meetings in both Ohio and Wisconsin.

The American Civil Liberties Union is demanding that the Greenfield, Ohio, City Council stop opening its meetings with prayer. The Wisconsin State Legislature has received a similar demand from the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
 
Mike Johnson is senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), which has written both government entities to assure them of the legality of opening prayers. "Prayer before public meetings is one of our oldest and most cherished American traditions," Johnson explains. "And it's truly sad that some radical, secularist groups are trying to eliminate the practice." read more OneNewsNow 6.30

 

ACLU urges Naval Academy to end lunchtime prayer

At the request of nine midshipmen, the American Civil Liberties Union is urging the Naval Academy to abolish lunchtime prayer, renewing a debate about religion's place at the Annapolis military college.

The ACLU and its Maryland chapter said today they have written a letter to academy leaders on behalf of a group of students urging an end to a practice in which chaplains say grace before mandatory lunch for the academy's 4,200 midshipmen.

"The government should not be in the business of compelling religious observance, particularly in military academies, where students can feel coerced by senior students and officials and risk the loss of leadership opportunities for following their conscience," Deborah A. Jeon, legal director for the ACLU of Maryland, wrote in the letter, sent May 2 to Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler, the academy's superintendent.

A spokesman for the academy said prayer or devotional thought has taken place at meals for midshipmen since the academy's founding in 1845 and that there are no plans to end the practice. Prayers are nondenominational and have been rotated among representatives of different faiths. read more BaltSun 6.25

ACLU Joins Fight for Man Who Flew Flag Upside-down

 

ACLU and Planned Parenthood Declare War on Abstinence

The Los Angeles Unified School District doesn’t want Karen Kropf talking to its students. District leaders fear that what she says isn’t “balanced” and that she’s not a certified “expert” in the field. Really, though, they just don’t like her message about teenage sexual self-control and the limited protection of condoms. That, and they’re worried about what the ACLU might say, especially given California’s law against “abstinence-only” education.

...The motivations for the campaign are probably legion. Planned Parenthood and their allies stand to make millions of dollars: The federal funding that goes to abstinence education is funding that they would like to be receiving. But the financial interests are secondary. The war on abstinence is the latest battleground in the culture wars. Arguing that it is “one of the religious right’s greatest challenges to the nation’s sexual health,” Planned Parenthood insists that abstinence is “only one tactic in a broader, more long-term strategy” in the conservative arsenal. And Planned Parenthood sees itself as the great opponent to this supposed assault on sexual freedom.

It’s not alone in the fight. Federally funded comprehensive sex-ed is, apparently, a civil liberty, and the ACLU wants to make sure that every teenager receives it. The group’s website urges visitors: “Stop the Abstinence-Only Charade! Federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are ineffective, medically inaccurate, and some may even use taxpayer dollars to promote religion. The ACLU is calling for an end to federal funding.” read more FirstThings

 

ACLU Hosts Weeklong Online Symposium On LGBT Pride

In celebration of LGBT Pride, several of the nation's top lesbian gay bisexual transgender writers, leaders and supporters will participate in an online symposium beginning today on the ACLU Blog of Rights (http://blog.aclu.org) and on the Get Busy, Get Equal blog (www.aclu.org/getequal) featured on the ACLU's LGBT activist toolkit. Participants will be discussing a wide range of issues affecting the LGBT community ranging from the first marriages of lesbian and gay couples in California to the need for a federal law barring workplace discrimination based gender identity and sexual orientation to censorship of LGBT students in the nation's schools. read more ACLU

 

Court upholds ACLU-challenged ban on sex offenders in parks

Town government was within its rights to ban registered sex offenders from Woodfin public parks, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a case that could encourage other cities and towns to adopt similar rules.

Justice Edward Thomas Brady wrote in Thursday’s decision that it is reasonable for the town to keep offenders out of parks, and that the town ordinance does not violate any fundamental liberty of the plaintiff in the case.

Joe Ferikes, an Asheville attorney who represented Woodfin in the case, said the suit appears to be the first challenge to such an ordinance in the country.

Mayor Jerry VeHaun said several other counties and municipalities have asked for copies of the ordinance with an eye toward passing a similar measures.

“I can foresee a lot of other places adopting something like this,” he said. “Some have been waiting to see how this case came out, and some have gone ahead and adopted something.”

Town resident David Standley, twice convicted of sex offenses and now disabled, sued the town with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union. His suit said in part that the ordinance violated his right to travel. read more CitizensTimes

 

ACLU Announces $335 Million Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Fundraising Campaign to target conservative states

The American Civil Liberties Union announced by far the largest fundraising campaign in its 88-year history Monday, eying a dramatic expansion of its work on social justice issues in relatively conservative states such as Texas and Florida.

The campaign’s goal is $335 million, with $258 million already raised through behind-the-scenes solicitations over the past year, ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said.

Major donors include billionaire financier George Soros, who gave $12 million through his Open Society Institute . . .

In the press release the ACLU reports:

...The campaign has already raised more than $258 million - over $102 million in cash and pledges and $156 million in planned gifts - highlighted by 21 contributions of $1 million or more from the ACLU's staunchest supporters and several of the world's most noted philanthropists. These include two gifts of $12 million, one from George Soros, through his Open Society Institute, and one from the Sandler Foundation. Other leadership contributors include the Leon Levy Foundation, which donated $5 million, and Delaney and her husband, Wayne Jordan, who donated $4 million.

The ACLU has taken its affirmative agenda to the state and local levels by, among other causes, championing marriage equality in California and gay rights in Tennessee, working to restore voting rights for ex-offenders in Florida, advocating for migrant workers' rights in New Mexico, fighting the introduction of "intelligent design" curricula in Pennsylvania, defeating the use of national identity cards in Montana, overturning abortion bans in Mississippi, and ending profiling of Iraqis and other Arabs by law enforcement in Michigan.

read more ACLU 6.9

 

South Carolina's "I Believe" Faith Plate Under Fire From ACLU

ACLU launches new web site for LGBT folk

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a new web site geared toward LGBT activists seeking equal rights and equal treatment under the law. It's called "Get Busy, Get Equal." The new web site has loads of information, is written from more of a legal than a social standpoint, and offers up tons of content to help both get the inexperienced LGBT activist up, organized, and running, as well as providing the experienced LGBT activist with a wealth of information and resources. read more Gather 6.2

 

Judge's Courtroom Poster of Ten Commandments Draws Fire From ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday called for a judge to face charges for keeping a poster of the Ten Commandments in his courtroom.

In June 2005, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati ordered Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge James DeWeese to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom.

On Thursday, the commandments could still be found in DeWeese's courtroom, but in another version, 10TV's John Fortney reported.

Framed on one side of the judge's courtroom was the Bill of Rights. On the opposite wall was a poster titled, 'Philosophies of Law and Conflict,' which pits the Ten Commandments against seven moral relatives. read more WBNS 5.29

 

ACLU chastises Findlay schools for distributing Bibles

Findlay schools' practice of escorting students to a public sidewalk to receive a Gideon Bible is being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

In a letter sent Wednesday to Superintendent Dean Wittwer, the ACLU threatens legal action if the practice isn't stopped immediately.

"Gideon International has a right to distribute its Bibles on public property, but the school cannot be involved in sacrificing classroom time to help them hand out the Bibles. If students or their parents wish to receive information about a particular religion, they should do so outside of school time," Christine Link, executive director of the ACLU of Ohio, wrote in a statement Wednesday on the ACLU's Web site.

The ACLU said it learned of the school district's practice through an editorial published by The Courier on March 26, titled "Shaky ground."

The editorial questioned the district's practice of allowing fifth grade students to be removed from their classrooms and escorted onto public property where they received the Bibles. The editorial may be read at www.thecourier.com, under the opinion tab. read more Courier 5.29

The ACLU v. Good Judges

In recent years, the ACLU has litigated to uphold the rights of minors to receive abortions without parental consent and fought for legalizing prostitution and the “right” to distribute obscene material without penalty.

Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum believes appointing the right federal and local judges is more important than electing members of Congress or the President. In a forum last week, they explained why.

Activist judges have stopped children from saying the pledge of allegiance in their classrooms, stripped the Ten Commandments from displays in the public domain and kept religious symbolism out of the public eye. Christmas has become “winter holiday” and the Boy Scouts of America have faced numerous lawsuits for refusing to hire gay scout leaders. 

At the Eagle Forum session, lawyers discussed the need for a stronger focus on activist judges and the role the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) plays in breaking down traditional American society through lawsuits. read more HumanEvents 5.28

 

ACLU suing middle school for single-sex classes

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit to stop a middle school in Kentucky from offering all-boy and all-girl classes, and to challenge the 2006 Department of Education policy that has allowed these setups.

The lawsuit claims that the single-sex classrooms in Breckinridge County Middle School are illegal and discriminatory, calling into question a practice that many public schools nationwide have implemented in recent years.
"We are challenging the U.S. Department of Education regulations which have led schools across the country to experiment with sex-segregated classes," said Emily Martin, the lead ACLU attorney on the case. "We are saying that the rules the Department of Education set out are insufficient to ensure equality here." read more WashTimes 5.24

 

ACLU investigates Bible course at Virginia high school

The ACLU of Virginia has filed a Freedom of Information request to find out more about the Bible course that will be offered at Craig County High School in the fall.

The American Civil Liberties Union issued a press release May 21 that said it also wants to find out more from parents and others who were at the May 6 meeting when the course was approved by the Craig County School Board.

The ACLU release quotes Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis, who said that for now, "this is merely an inquiry. However, we are concerned that the course proposed by the Craig County School Board may not be an impartial study of the Bible, but an attempt to advocate for one set of religious beliefs to the exclusion of others in a public school." read more ourvalley 5.21

A blow to the ACLU - Supreme Court upholds a new federal law against the solicitation of child pornography.

The court, in a 7-2 decision, brushed aside concerns that the law could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex, classic literature or innocent e-mails that describe pictures of grandchildren.

The American Center for Law and Justice filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of United States v. Williams.  We filed this brief on behalf of our own organization as well as eighteen Members of the United States Congress.  Five of those Members of Congress sponsored an Act, known as the Protect Act, designed to protect children from the increasing problems of internet pornography.  Specifically, the legislation at issue prohibited pandering of child pornography online even if no sale of pornography took place.  Today, the Supreme Court in a 7-2 decision ruled in our favor. 

The statute prohibits any person from advertising, promoting, presenting, distributing or soliciting through the mails or computer, any material or purported material in a manner that reflects the belief that the material or purported material is an obscene visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct or a visual depiction of an actual minor engaging in sexual conduct.  Michael Williams challenged his conviction alleging that prosecution for pandering material that one does not possess would be unconstitutional under the First Amendment Free Speech Clause.  The ACLU joined an amicus brief in support of Mr. Williams. read more American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) 5.18

 

ACLU Defends Youthful Terrorist Bombers

This Wall Street Journal story shows the outrageous conduct of the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU is more concerned about the "rights" of terrorists under the age of 18 than they are of the lives lost when these kids set of bombs.

Is there no common sense left in the ACLU?

It Takes a Child to Raze a Village

Wall Street Journal, 5/16/08

"The United States has detained approximately 2,500 people younger than 18 as illegal enemy combatants in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay since 2002, according to a report filed by the Bush administration with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child," the Washington Post reported yesterday. The Post notes that the American Civil Liberties Union "decried what is described as a ’lack of safeguards’ for youths captured by the U.S. military," although what that has to do with American civil liberties is not specified.

The paper also doesn’t offer any explanation for why America is holding these juveniles. But another Post story—which appeared on the same page of the print edition—offers a clue:

A youthful suicide bomber killed at least 23 people Wednesday in an attack against relatives of Col. Faisal Ismail al-Zobaie, a U.S.-backed police chief and former insurgent who has turned against his onetime comrades read more capoliticalnews

 

GLAD Congratulates ACLU - California Supreme Court decision embraces marriage equality for gay couples

Following the CA Supreme Court decision ruling that state marriage laws are unconstitutional GLAD issue this response to their subscribers.

Great news - California has joined Massachusetts as the second state in the union to embrace marriage equality.

The California court affirmed what we already know: that a society pledged to equality and fairness simply cannot deny same-sex couples access to the respect and security that marriage provides.
The Goodridge decision in Massachusetts broke a historic barrier and forever changed the standard by which all future efforts to treat LGBT citizens fairly will be judged. This decision solidifies that victory and we congratulate our colleagues at NCLR, Lambda Legal and the ACLU.
All eyes now turn to Connecticut where a decision could come out any day. California signals a rising tide of equality and other victories are within reach. GLAD is working with our New England Marriage Campaign allies to bring full and equal marriage to every state in New England.

 

ACLU of Minnesota demanded that the school district stop requiring students to stand during the pledge

Last week, the ACLU of Minnesota demanded that the district cease and desist from requiring students to stand during the pledge -- students have not been required to recite it -- and warned that the district could be liable for attorney's fees and costs.

The MCLU informed school officials that "staff involved in violating students' rights should face discipline." It also recommended "remedial steps," including a potential formal apology to the disciplined students.

Needless to say, district administrators apparently are moving to modify the policy "to address the protection of the individual's form of expression," in the words of the junior high's principal, Colleen Houglum.

Don't get me wrong. MCLU executive director Chuck Samuelson and his legal crew generally know their stuff, and I presume that they're right about the law on this one.

Why did he do it?

But Kim Dahl, Brandt's mom, discovered a revealing fact when she asked her son why he refused to stand. He had no answer, she told the Star Tribune, adding "he's just a normal 13-year-old."

She probably is right. Thirteen-year-olds typically like nothing better than to grab the limelight and thumb their noses at authority. read more StarTribune 5.14

 

Indiana Museum, ACLU Sue State Over Pornography Law

The Indiana Museum of Art has joined a civil rights group suing the state of Indiana over a law that would require any business selling pornography to register with the state, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Aimed at identifying businesses that sell "sexually explicit" material, the law, scheduled to go into effect July 1, would require any business selling anything "harmful to minors" to register with the state and pay a $250 fee.

The suit has been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and attorneys for several national organizations representing sellers of books, CDs, and DVDs. Ken Falk, legal director for the ACLU branch, said the law is vague and overly broad and violates the first amendment. What is harmful to a six-year-old for example, may be fine for a 16-year-old, which means that sellers would have to determine themselves what is harmful, then decide whether to register. read more artinfo

Mich. Supreme Court ruling protects marriage, taxpayers from ACLU demands

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled 5–2 Wednesday that the state’s constitutional amendment protecting marriage does not allow for the extension of taxpayer-funded benefits to the unmarried “domestic partners” of state and municipal employees.  ADF attorneys filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that the state can extend benefits to whomever it wishes so long as it doesn’t do so on the basis or a marriage-like status prohibited by the Michigan Constitution.

“The government should promote and encourage strong families.  Michigan’s marriage amendment does that; benefits for unmarried ‘domestic partners’ at taxpayer expense do not,” said ADF Legal Counsel Dale Schowengerdt.  “Marriage is under attack because certain special interest groups are trying to reduce it to little more than a benefits system for emotionally attached couples.  The court followed the law and prevented the ACLU from bypassing the will of the people as expressed in the Michigan Constitution.”

More than two years ago, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the state, demanding that it offer benefits to the unmarried “domestic partners” of state employees.  In 2007, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the state’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one woman and one man prohibits public institutions from offering benefits based on a union similar to marriage (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4000). read more AllianceDefenseFund

ACLU Will Challenge Florida License Plate With Cross…Of Course

Of course anyone could see this coming from a mile away. The ACLU oppose license plates that say “pro life”! Did Florida really think they could get away with putting an expression of faith on a license plate for people to purchase? Why, that is just another step in the march to tear down the wall of seperation of church and state that the ACLU have worked so hard to build from their imagination. Crosses are the most offensive thing on the ACLU’s list of offensive things! There is no way the ACLU will not challenge this without equal production of license plates expressing Buddist, Wiccan, Satanist, Islamic, and every other religion in existence. StoptheACLU

 

ACLU oversteps in Texas polygamy case

Last month, authorities near Eldorado received a phone call from a young lady claiming to be 16-year-old "Sarah Jessop," a child bride who was allegedly abused physically, emotionally and sexually by a much older male in the YFZ compound. This ranch is a compound owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, which broke away from Mormonism after the mainstream church renounced the sanctity of polygamous marriages.

In an attempt to gain press coverage for itself at all costs, the ACLU has offered to defend the FLDS in the hopes of reuniting the children with their parents. Their case banks on the fact that the whistle blower, "Sarah," may be nothing more than a hoax and that the authorities had insufficient evidence to raid the compound, let alone to separate hundreds of children from their parents. If the courts believe the lawyers of the ACLU and FLDS, it will set the FBI back by years, if not decades, in their mission to nail the corrupt, abusive, remorseless leaders of this group. read more SantaClara

 

ACLU challenges Oregon law to protect children from sexual predators

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon has joined booksellers to challenge a state law restricting the sale or provision of sexually explicit material to children, saying it could affect constitutionally protected material.

The ACLU says the law approved by the 2007 Legislature is vague and could result in parents being charged for providing educational books to their children - or even an older child who gives material to a younger sibling. read more kcby

 

ACLU wins Bible lawsuit

Judge: Distribution during school hours unconstitutional

The Tangipahoa Parish School Board violated the First Amendment by allowing Gideons International to pass out pocket Bibles to Loranger fifth-graders during school hours in May, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

Just hours after the decision became public, the School Board voted 8-0 to seek an appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“We are somewhat surprised, but very disappointed with the judge’s decision,” board attorney Chris Moody said after the vote.

The decision notches another legal victory for the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, which has sued the board seven times over religion-in-schools issues, including the lawsuit that led to this ruling. 2theadvocate

 

Indiana Judge Dismisses ACLU Challenge, Upholds 'God' License Plate

A judge has upheld the issuance of Indiana license plates bearing the message "In God We Trust," dismissing a constitutional challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.

Marion Superior Court Judge Gary L. Miller wrote in a 13-page opinion that the plates were comparable to standard plates issued by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and were created specifically as such by the Legislature.

"Courts are not to second-guess the Indiana General Assembly when it comes to calculations of this sort," Miller wrote, contrasting the `In God We Trust' plates with other specialty plates that require the payment of administrative fees. FoxNews

 

Judge rules for ACLU in Jesus portrait case

Original display of a picture of Jesus in the lobby of the Slidell City Court was unconstitutional.

U.S. District Court Judge Ivan Lemelle ruled Wednesday the original display of a picture of Jesus in the lobby of the Slidell City Court was unconstitutional, and he ordered the city to pay the American Civil Liberties Union $1 in damages plus “reasonable” attorney’s fees.

Thursday morning, Slidell Mayor said that after talking with City Court Judge Jim Lamz, the city would appeal the ruling.

“I respectfully disagree with the judge’s ruling, but it is my intent to appeal,” Morris said.

The year-long constitutional case of the separation of church and state has garnered national press attention, the wrath of Slidell Morris, rallies and a general outcry in the Slidell community. read more StTameryNews 4.18

 

ACLU Calls for Independent Counsel to Investigate Bush

In a stunning admission to ABC news Friday night, President Bush declared that he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details of the CIA’s use of torture. Bush reportedly told ABC, “I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.” Bush also defended the use of waterboarding.

The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Congress to demand an independent prosecutor to investigate possible violations by the Bush administration of laws including the War Crimes Act, the federal Anti-Torture Act, and federal assault laws. read more StoptheAclu 4.14

 

ACLU Suit Behind Illinois House Dropping Support for Moment of Silence

Just five months ago, Illinois lawmakers voted in favor of a daily moment of silence in public schools. In October, an atheist, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed suit. Now, 33 state representatives have changed their minds.

The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act required Illinois public schools to start each day with a brief period of silence.

“That action actually passed the Senate chamber and the House chamber overwhelmingly, with bipartisanship support from both sides of the aisle,” said Sen. Kimberly Lightford, the Democrat who sponsored the bill.

She said she suspects the 33 lawmakers were pressured to change their vote when the state House voted on a new measure this week. state of americasfamily 4.13

 

 

ACLU wants to help defend alleged Sept. 11 mastermind

The American Civil Liberties Union, which for years has scorned Pentagon military commissions as "kangaroo courts," announced Friday it will try to provide top civilian defense attorneys for alleged terrorists facing trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba -- with special emphasis on Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Former Attorney General Janet Reno is among top lawyers who have endorsed the $8.5 million effort, which will help coordinate and defray the attorneys' expenses.

ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said a major thrust will be to defend Mohammed, who military officials say has confessed to masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks and other terrorist acts, including the beheading in Pakistan of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl. read more Seattle Times 4.5

 

KY: Court decides for ACLU and bans Ten Commandments Display

A federal judge has permanently barred a Kentucky county from using the Ten Commandments as part of a "Foundations of American Law and Government" display.

U.S. District Judge Joseph H. McKinley said the Grayson County display has the "effect of endorsing religion." McKinley's ruling upholds a preliminary injunction issued in 2002 that resulted in county officials taking down the Ten Commandments, but leaving the frame on display.

No public money was used to set up the display in the county courthouse in Leitchfield, 75 miles southwest of Louisville.

The Rev. Chester Shartzer put up the display, without a public ceremony or public prayer. Two Grayson County residents and the American Civil Liberties Union sued in 2001, claiming the intent of the display was religious and therefore unconstitutional.

The display originally included the full text of the Mayflower Compact, the full text of the Declaration of Independence, the Ten Commandments, the full text of the Magna Carta, the Star Spangled Banner, the National Motto together with the Preamble to the Kentucky Constitution, the Bill of Rights, a picture of Lady Justice together with an explanation of the significance of each of the documents. read more kentucky.com 4.1

 

 

ACLU's absurd definition of 'the people'

There are two ways to change laws.

One way is tedious. You have to get a majority of citizens to share your views, motivate them to vote for representatives, get a majority of the representatives to vote for a bill, then get the president to sign it.

The other way to change laws is easy. You simply get activist judges to change the definitions of words that are in existing laws.

On March 18, the Supreme Court heard the case of District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290), a case regarding the Second Amendment, which reads:

"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

The ACLU argued that the term "the people" should have its definition changed to mean "the state militia," as the ACLU website states under the section "Gun Control":

"We believe that the constitutuinal right to bear arms is primarily a collective one, intended mainly to protect the right of the states to maintain militias. … The ACLU therefore believes that the Second Amendment does not confer an unlimited right upon individuals to own guns." WorldNetDaily read more

 

 

ACLU asks Sacramento library board to relax pornography controls on public computers

The Sacramento Public Library Authority Board is being pushed by the American Civil Liberties Union to increase access to pornography on taxpayer-funded computers.

The board will consider the ACLU's demands at its meeting this Thursday, March 27, in the chambers of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, 700 H St. The public meeting begins at 3 p.m.

Pacific Justice Institute is encouraging local parents and taxpayers to attend the meeting and urge the board to keep libraries safe for kids. Members of the media are also invited to attend, as this issue is expected to spark lively public debate.

A Pacific Justice Institute affiliated attorney will be present to counter ACLU claims that the First Amendment requires taxpayer-funded access to porn, and to remind the board of the many tragic instances where lax policies have resulted in sex crimes taking place at libraries. CalCatholic read more

 

 

San Diego to Honor ACLU

After sucking city dry, ACLU 'hate machine' to be honored?
Council members considering proposal for day praising activists

The ACLU at times has battled San Diego in court over a historic cross on a veterans' memorial and the use of city facilities by the Boy Scouts, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars of money from city taxpayers for its efforts.

Now the city is considering a plan to honor the organization.

San Diego City Councilwoman Toni Atkins and Council President Scott Peters have placed on the city council docket one of the most despicable and anti-Christian items in recent years. They are planning to declare American Civil Liberties Union Day in the city of San Diego," warned James Hartline, who himself is a candidate for the city council this year.

"The American Civil Liberties Union has done everything possible to destroy Christianity in the American culture and government. From tearing down crosses on public property to removing crosses and the Ten Commandments from governmental buildings, there has been no greater hate machine against our constitutional right to free religious expression in America than the ACLU!" Hartline said. WorldNetDaily read more

 

 

ACLU helps felons fight for voting rights

Terrence Johnson, a convicted felon, said he just wants to feel like an American and have the same rights as all citizens — the right to vote.

Johnson, a Shelby County resident, has filed a legal complaint in U.S. District Court in Nashville, along with two other individuals and with help from the American Civil Liberties Union. He wants to be able to have voting rights once again even though current unpaid child support and restitution is holding him back.

“I just feel like I’ve not been a part of any type electoral process at all post my conviction,” Johnson said. “I’ve completed by probation and everything. I want to feel like an American.”

According to the complaint, Johnson was convicted of wire fraud in 1999 and ordered to pay over $40,000 in restitution for his offense. He also owes about $1,200 in overdue child support for a daughter he now has custody of.

Current state law requires that a felon “shall not be eligible to apply for a voter registration card… unless the person is current in all child support obligations,” and “unless the person has paid all restitution to the victim or victims of the offense ordered by the court as part of the sentence.” Nashville City 3.21 read more

 

 

Florida ACLU urges opposition to marriage amendment

Officials from the American Civil Liberties Union, at a meeting Saturday at Lakes Regional Library in south Fort Myers, urged Southwest Florida residents to spread the word of opposition to a constitutional amendment that will appear on November's ballot.

The amendment would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. ACLU officials are worried the ballot's language will make it difficult for unmarried couples who share benefits, many of them seniors, to continue that.

The issue is poised to come up this summer and fall as two sides are defined - groups such as the ACLU have joined with Florida Red and Blue opposing the amendment, while Florida4Marriage.org is joined by church groups in support of yes votes.

Florida4Marriage Chairman John Stemberger, an Orlando attorney, said the amendment is simply going to define marriage as between a man and woman and won't interfere with domestic partnership rights.

"It's not going to affect those," he said in an interview Thursday. "It's really a very dastardly and hardcore tactic to try to scare senior citizens." NewsPress 3.24 read more

 

 

ACLU Urges High Court to Uphold Free Speech Ruling

Increased Profanity Policing Unfair and Unconstitutional

The ACLU issued this press release:

The government should let parents do the parenting. Parents have access to all the tools they need to manage what their children see and hear, from channel blocking to language filters and don’t need the FCC looking over their shoulder/second-guessing their decisions. The Second Circuit was right that the FCC has overstepped its bounds and, in fact, the Constitution, and we believe the Supreme Court should uphold that decision.” ACLU.org

 

 

ACLU Intimidates and Seeks to Deny Free Speech to Christians

"It's very troubling for the government to dictate what kind of prayers Christians can or cannot offer in the public forum," says Dr. Gary Cass. "Jesus taught His disciples to pray to the Father in His name. To require Christians to not pray in the name of Jesus Christ is asking them to pray contrary to their faith. By what authority does the Government deny Christians their First Amendment right to pray according to the dictates of their conscience?"

Reverend Hashmel Turner, a member of the Fredericksburg, Virginia city council, was threatened with lawsuits by from many secular anti-Christian groups, including the ACLU, for his Christian prayers during a council meeting. Turner was apart of a rotation of all the council members who would take turns praying at the council meetings. His case is currently making it's way to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on March 19, and would allow Christians the right to pray "in Jesus' name" in the public forum. This case will have a tremendous impact on city councils and state legislatures throughout the United States.

 "Just because somebody objects to praying in Jesus' name does not mean that should Christians must deny their faith to accommodate another person's opposing beliefs. This is discrimination," said Dr. Cass. "Over 80% of American's self-identify as Christians, but Hindu's, Muslim's and Jew's have all prayed in the public forum and no one has restricted the content of their prayers and the ACLU has not threatened them.

 "The majority of Christians are subjected to non-Christian prayers, why are Christians told what they can or cannot pray? This is simply anti-Christian bigotry and an attempt to deny free speech for Christians," said Cass. ChristianNewswire

 The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission is a non-profit organization devoted to protecting the rights of Christians to confidently live their faith. Dr. Gary Cass has degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as Executive Director of the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, an outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries founded by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy.

 

 

Judge keeps ban on parental-notification law for abortions

The ruling was a victory for the ACLU of Illinois, which won the original court order blocking the law.

A federal judge has ruled that a 1995 state law that prohibits minors from obtaining abortions without notifying a parent remains unconstitutional, despite the Illinois Supreme Court's effort to fix it.

U.S. District Judge David Coar last week refused to lift a federal court order that has blocked the notification law from taking effect, saying the law would place some minors in "legal limbo."

The law allows a judge to waive the notification requirement if a waiver is in the minor's "best interests," but it doesn't make clear how the minor may then obtain an abortion, Coar wrote in a 13-page opinion.

"The statute is contradictory and incomplete on its face," Coar said. Coar rejected several other challenges to the law. read more ChicagoTribune 3.4

 

 

Alaska: ACLU wants religious tax break thrown out

The Alaska Civil Liberties Union argued Thursday in court that it was unconstitutional for the state Legislature to block the city from taxing homes owned by the Anchorage Baptist Temple.

The contentious case strikes at the heart of the relationship between religion and politics in Alaska. It's a battle about whether church-owned property should be taxed, and the main player, the Anchorage Baptist Temple, has a large congregation and political influence.

The ACLU wants Anchorage Superior Court Judge Michael Spaan to throw out a 2006 state law exempting church-owned religious teachers' housing from property taxes. The properties affected are six homes owned by the Anchorage Baptist Temple that would otherwise pay a total of about $23,000 a year in taxes to the Municipality of Anchorage. read more AnchorageDailyNews 2.29

 

 

Why does the ACLU with so many other problems in the world that we face, take a destructive stance against the Boy Scouts?

It is this reporter’s opinion that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is unneccessarily attacking American institutions.

It is the Boy Scouts that the ACLU now has in its crosshairs. The Scouts, it is claimed by adversaries, excludes children or adult volunteers based on their sexual orientation.

One can only ask, Why does the ACLU with so many other problems in the world that we face, take a destructive stance against the Boy Scouts? Why attack an organization that relies on the very values our Founding Fathers espoused?

Furthermore, the exclusion based on sexual orientation is a false claim. The scouts are against overt sexual conduct or statement by anyone — homosexual or heterosexual. Sexuality has no place in the Boy Scouts organization. read more NewsMax 2/28

 

 

ACLU pushes for criminal contempt charges against Bolten, Miers

The American Civil Liberties Union is pushing a Justice Department prosecutor to bring criminal contempt charges against White House chief of staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers for failing to respond to subpoenas from the House Judiciary Committee.

The House last week approved resolutions calling for both criminal and civil contempt cases to be initiated against Bolten and Miers. President Bush, citing executive privilege, refused to allow Bolten and Miers to respond to the Judiciary Committee subpoenas, which were issued last year as part of the panel's probe into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey and other Justice Department officials have stated that the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeffrey A. Taylor, cannot bring criminal contempt charges against an administration official to a grand jury in a case involving executive privilege. Politico 2/19 read more

 

 

Philly's War on the Boy Scouts

As Michael Nutter was sworn in as the city's 98th mayor last month, he called for a new wave of public service to clean up drug-infested neighborhoods. If he is serious about renewing volunteerism, he'll start by putting an end to the city's campaign against the Boy Scouts.

On May 31, the Cradle of Liberty Council, the local Boy Scout chapter, will be evicted from its headquarters on 22nd and Winter Streets -- a space it has occupied since 1928.

The eviction isn't for a breach of contract. It comes at the behest of the City Council, which voted 16 to one last year to kick the boy scouts out unless they reverse the national Boy Scouts of America's ban on gays serving in the ranks or as scoutmasters or start paying "market rent" -- about $200,000 a year. Local chapters can't reverse national scouting policies. So it's a matter of paying up or moving out.

Throughout the city, there are about 56,000 Boy Scouts who spend countless hours cleaning parks, running food drives, and organizing meals for the needy. And, of course, helping young boys, many without strong male figures in their lives, develop skills that will serve them well in life. WallStreetJournal read more

 

 

ACLU Delivers Valentine's Day Gift: Marriage Lawsuit

Philadelphia - The fate of thousands of marriages solemnized via the Internet could be in jeopardy due to a Pennsylvania law which states marriage officiates ordained over the web may be illegitimate in the Commonwealth.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit yesterday challenging a state mandate that requires any minister, priest or rabbi presiding over a wedding to be a member of a regularly established church or congregation.

The ACLU's challenge fights a recent judicial decision that state marriages are invalid if performed by a "clergyman" who obtained his or her ordination over the Internet.

"This is just another effort to undermine the sanctity of marriage," said Diane Gramley, president of the Pennsylvania American Family Association. "I have major problems with someone being ordained through the Internet. I can guarantee the [applicants] don't have to jump through the hoops necessary for someone who is seeking ordination from a true church body," she said. Bulletin 2/15 read more

 

 

Texas Governor Urges Protection for Boy Scouts of America

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, an Eagle Scout himself, is now the father of an Eagle Scout. And that's just one reason it worries him to see the Boy Scouts of America under attack.

He described the Boy Scouts organization as a moral beacon for the rest of the country, adding that's why it has become a target for the secular left.

The scouts have won court battles against the ACLU, which attempted to force the organization to accept homosexual scout masters and abandon adherence to a belief in God.

"Now, the secular left has shifted its attacks to public entities that have sponsored scout events at city parks, public schools, even the Department of Defense," Perry said. "They have gone after anyone with access to public funds to prevent them from providing space to the Boy Scouts.

"The venerable institution of the Boy Scouts of America, with its clearly-stated belief in God, adherence to a strict moral code and steadfast focus on shaping young men, is the trophy buck that the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and their friends would like to hang above the fireplace," Perry said on Saturday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington. read more CNSNews 2/11

 

 

ACLU and Planned Parenthood Undermining Parental Authority in San Diego

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood are pushing San Diego's school board to end longstanding policies which require parental notification when students are pregnant and contemplating abortion, and parental consent before students leave campus, including trips to abortion clinics. Yesterday, Pacific Justice Institute sent a letter to the school board, urging them to stand by their parent-friendly policies and offering free legal assistance if those policies are challenged in court. PacificJustice 1/31 read more

 

SoCal ACLU Passed Bush-Cheney Impeachment Resolution

The board of directors of the ACLU of Southern California has passed a
resolution calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick
Cheney for their abuses of basic civil liberties.

"President Bush has violated his oath of office to 'protect, preserve, and defend the
Constitution,' has subverted the system and structure of democratic government, and has
otherwise engaged in a course of conduct that warrants removal from office," the board's
resolution states.

The ACLU/SC board urges the House of Representatives to investigate impeachable offenses
by the President and Vice President. read more

 

 

Federal Court Asked to Uphold Constitutionality of Pledge of Allegiance Including Phrase “Under God”

This suit was not filed by the ACLU but by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. It is a similar advocacy group for atheists and agnostics. It has 12,000 members in North America focused on separating church and state.

Today the American Center for Law & Justice ( ACLJ) filed an amicus brief on behalf of more than 50 members of Congress asking a federal district court in New Hampshire to reject a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance because it contains the phrase, “under God,” which was added to the Pledge by Congress in 1954.   We are asking the federal court to uphold the constitutionality of the Pledge saying it is a patriotic exercise, not a religious one.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation and an unidentified family with three schoolchildren in Hanover and Dresden filed suit in the fall in U.S. District Court, Concord, to bar educators from engaging in a government establishment of religion.

This lawsuit is another troubling attempt to rewrite history and reject one of the founding truths of our country:  that our freedoms come from God.  The Pledge and the phrase “one Nation, under God” should not pose a constitutional crisis.  There is ample precedent – including from the Supreme Court – that underscores the fact that patriotic exercises with religious references are consistent with the First Amendment.1/18 read more

 

ACLU Backs Sen. Craig, Argues Sex in Public Bathroom Stalls is Private

In an effort to help Sen. Larry Craig, the American Civil Liberties Union is arguing that people who have sex in public bathrooms have an expectation of privacy.

Craig, of Idaho, is asking the Minnesota Court of Appeals to let him withdraw his guilty plea to disorderly conduct stemming from a bathroom sex sting at the Minneapolis airport.

The ACLU filed a brief Tuesday supporting Craig. It cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy." FoxNews 1/ 16 read more

 

ACLU Florida Calls For Bush/Cheney Impeachment

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida has followed the lead of the ACLU of Central Florida, the ACLU of Monroe County Florida, and the ACLU of the Treasure Coast (Florida), all of which followed the lead of the ACLU of Southern California in backing impeachment and calling for the National ACLU to do the same.

The ACLU was a prominent supporter of Richard Nixon's impeachment. In 2006 an ACLU panel argued for impeachment. In recent years, the national ACLU has lobbied against numerous offenses that appear quintessentially impeachable, but refused , despite intense lobbying by its members and others, to back impeachment. The national ACLU recently announced a new motto that many impeachment advocates view as a wish for the impossible (a reference to the current presidential administration): "One More Year, No More Damage." -scoop.co read more

 

The ACLU's war on the Boy Scouts

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2000 upheld the right of the Boy Scouts to select members and leaders without regard to state laws that bar discrimination based on sexual orientation.

That ruling hasn't stopped the ACLU. It has simply shifted tactics away from the courts and focused its energies on local and often mean-spirited campaigns to deny the Scouts places to meet and the ability to raise funds. Sadly, the campaign appears to be working. DenverPost

 

 

ACLU: Foul language a right

Sydney Gilman, 12, was letting her dog in from the backyard when she heard curse words being screamed somewhere in the neighborhood.

“I wasn’t really positive it was coming from ... a house,” she said. “I looked around and didn’t see anyone.”

The girl testified at a hearing Monday over a disorderly conduct citation issued to 31-year-old Dawn Herb, 924 Luzerne St., who is accused of yelling profanities at her overflowing toilet near an open window, then shouting profanities at an off-duty Scranton police officer who asked her to stop.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania has taken an interest in the case, and asked Wilkes-Barre attorney Barry Dyller to represent Ms. Herb and the ACLU. He declined to comment on whether he was being paid.

Mr. Dyller argued Monday that foul language, although not in the best taste, is protected by the Constitution. TimesTribune

Appeals court considers "God" in Pledge

A federal appeals court in San Francisco yesterday heard arguments in a lawsuit filed by a Sacramento, Calif., man who says the words "under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance because they are unconstitutional. WashTimes

 

God goes on trial in San Francisco

Yesterday, Seamus Hasson, president of the Becket Fund, will defend public school students who want to keep "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. DealWHudson, InsideCatholic read more

 

ACLU appeals ruling that pharmacists don't have to sell 'Plan B'

The American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the Northwest Women's Law Center are appealing a federal judge's ruling.

The ruling says that Washington state pharmacies don't have to sell "morning-after" birth control pills if their pharmacists have moral objections.

A federal court judge in Tacoma issued an injunction last month preventing the state from enforcing a rule that pharmacies make the drug available.

The organizations appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week, saying the ruling misconstrues legal precedent, and they asked the judge to stay the injunction while the appeal pends. king5.com

 

ACLU Disappointed in Congress for Promoting Teen Abstinence

The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed frustration in Congress for its passage of a $28 million increase in the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program. This increase is the second largest in the history of the program, despite recent studies revealing that such abstinence-only-until-marriage programs censor vital health care information, promote outdated and untrue gender stereotypes, discriminate against LGBT teens, and in some cases, promote religion in violation of the Constitution. aclu.org

 

 

 

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