American Civil Liberties Union

Trump Administration In Violation Of Five Amendments: First, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Fourteenth!

Ronald 83 Comments

The Donald Trump Presidency, the most abusive and unconstitutional Administration by far in American history, is openly defying five constitutional Amendments, including four that are the basic Bill of Rights.

First Amendment–freedom of speech, press, assembly

Fourth Amendment–No unreasonable search and seizure, and no warrants to be issued but upon probable cause

Fifth Amendment–No deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Tenth Amendment–The powers not specifically delegated to the federal government, are reserved to the states

Fourteenth Amendment–No denial or limits on due process and equal protection of the laws.

THe actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota in particular, and in Chicago, Los Angeles, Maine, and soon to be in Ohio, and a threat to other “Blue” states and cities, is a massive abuse of power, that needs to be condemned, and opposed vigorously in court cases.

Such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union; Common Cause; Southern Poverty Law Center; People For The American Way; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Public Citizen are involved in constant law suits and investigations to protect our civil liberties, protect democracy, and promote the rule of law.

Trump Administration In Violation Of Five Amendments: First, Fourth, Fifth, Tenth, Fourteenth!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Donald Trump Presidency, the most abusive and unconstitutional Administration by far in American history, is openly defying five constitutional Amendments, including four that are the basic Bill of Rights.

First Amendment–Freedom of speech, press, and assembly

Fourth Amendment–No unreasonable search and seizure, and no warrants to be issued without probable cause

Fifth Amendment–No deprivation of life, liberty, or property without due process of law

Tenth Amendment–The powers not specifically delegated to the federal government, are reserved to the states

Fourteenth Amendment–No denial or limits on due process and equal protection of the laws

The actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota in particular, and in Chicago, Los Angeles, Maine, and soon to be in Ohio, and a threat to other “Blue” states and cities, is a massive abuse of power, that needs to be condemned, and opposed vigorously in court cases.

Such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union; Common Cause; Southern Poverty Law Center; People For The American Way; Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Public Citizen are involved in constant law suits and investigations to protect our civil liberties, protect democracy, and promote the rule of law.

Trump Attack On Legal Immigrants And Naturalized Citizens After Attack On National Guard In DC: Outrageous!

Ronald 13 Comments

Donald Trump is now inciting greater nativism, utilizing ICE, and targeting legal immigrants and naturalized citizens, some here for decades, and undermining the security of various ethnic groups that have settled in America, specifically Afghan nationals and Somali nationals in recent years.

Trump also has said he wants the end of immigration from “third world nations”, displaying his racism, considering only “white” immigrants from Europe and elsewhere, including whites who have been allowed to migrate from South Africa, to be acceptable.

This is all part of a plan that the Ku Klux Klan, and the American Nazi Party historically, and many recently formed hate groups, as outlined by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, and all other past and present white supremacist Christian groups and advocates, such as Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, as examples, are celebrating.

But it also threatens those of Jewish and Muslim religions, so is also an attack on religions outside of right wing Christianity.

Even Pope Leo XIV has promoted compassion, empathy, decency, and an open attitude toward immigration, reminding us that true Christianity and true democracy puts out its arms for the downtrodden, the oppressed, the victimized, totally opposite what Donald Trump is espousing and implementing.

Religion Does Not Belong In Public Education!

admin Leave a comment

The Louisiana legislature recently enacted a law requiring display of the Ten Commandments in all public schools from nursery schools through public universities.

This is unconstitutional, and promotes a narrow Christian view of religion, when there are many other religions that are not considered in enacting such legislation.

The law is against the Bill of Rights, specifically the First Amendment, which makes clear total separation of church and state as a major principle of the Founding Fathers.

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have brought suit to prevent the enforcement of this attempt at promoting theocracy in public education.

The only way that religion is, rightfully, in public education is to teach about the various religious beliefs in an objective, and elective, high school and or college course, but not as theocracy, but as part of world history or Philosophy!

Civil Rights Anniversaries In July And August Remind Us Of What Is Unfinished

Ronald Leave a comment

On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, outlawing segregation in public places, employment, and education, based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

On August 6, 1965, Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, outlawing racial discrimination in voting.

On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act, which outlawed discrimination against disabled people, including requiring reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposing accessibility requirements on public accommodations.

These three laws are worthy of applause after 56, 55, and 30 years, but it does not mean that the fight for civil rights is over, not at all, considering that Donald Trump has done everything imaginable to undermine the civil rights of people of color, the disabled, and the poor in general, as well as working to undermine the civil rights of gays, lesbians, and transgender people!

With a more right wing trend on the courts, due to Donald Trump appointments, the battle for those basic civil rights will continue to have to be fought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and People for the American Way, among other groups engaged in the fight for enforcement of these significant milestones.

Trump Presidency Policy Of Separation Of Immigrant Children From Parents At US Border Reprehensible, A Violation Of Basic Human Rights!

Ronald 1 Comment

The New York Times has revealed that the Trump Administration has pursued a policy of separation of immigrant children from their parents at the US Border with Mexico, a totally reprehensible act, and a massive violation of human rights.

At least 700 children, with more than 100 under the age of 4, have been taken from adults claiming to be their parents, authorized by the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Refugee Resettlement in the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

There is possibly no action taken by the Trump Administration more outrageous and despicable than this, considering that those immigrants that arrive are primarily women and children, escaping gang violence and poverty, and wishing to find safe haven.

They are not terrorists, not criminals, but the experiences they have gone through and are now going through, due to US government policy, will scar the children for the rest of their lives wherever they end up living.

America is losing its reputation as the land of immigrants, where generation after generation, we have seen people escaping similar horrendous situations in their quest for freedom, security, and safety.

It is hard NOT to cry upon learning of this disgraceful action, which is being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court, hoping to end this clearly Nazi like, Fascist spurred attack on the humanity of vulnerable children and their parents.

For this, more than just about anything else, Donald Trump and his henchmen will be condemned in history, and it should be another of many reasons to remove Donald Trump from office, and hold him and others in his administration legally accountable in court, including indictment, conviction, and imprisonment for crimes against humanity!

Time For Supreme Court To Intervene, And Overturn Trump Executive Order On Travel Ban

Ronald 3 Comments

A federal District Court judge has stopped the Trump executive order travel ban for the time being, but it is being appealed by the Trump Administration, meanwhile causing chaos, as the future of the order is uncertain.

It is time for the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups to appeal to the Supreme Court, and find at least one Justice willing to put his or her neck out to use their influence to stop the travel ban permanently, and have the entire Supreme Court consider the ban immediately.

I would propose that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the true hero of progressivism, do so, and force the issue.

We know that Trump hates Ginsburg, and has tried to bully her into retirement, but she is a tough lady, who will not be intimidated.

But it would be perfect for the 84 year old Justice, who is less than 5 feet tall, to challenge BULLY Trump, and give his executive order a “Punch in the Mouth”!

Of course, no one can be sure what the eight member Court would do, but it seems highly likely that besides Ginsburg, we would have Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elana Kagan join her, making for at least a tie vote.

And somehow, it seems also likely that the “swing vote” on the Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy, would also join these four Justices, making for a 5-3 vote.

So bring it on, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, intervene and make for a confrontation with Donald Trump!

The Need For Strong Backing Of Journalism To Hold Trump’s “Feet To The Fire”!

Ronald 4 Comments

It is urgent that all Americans realize the overwhelming importance of strong backing of major newspapers and magazines, as well as PBS, NPR, CNN and MSNBC to hold government leaders’ “feet to the fire”, to hold them accountable on government policy.

Donald Trump’s attack on the news media is an alarm bell in the night.

Without a free press, specifically print media and electronic media, our democracy can be taken away from us, and no journalist or media source can allow themselves to be intimidated, and must pursue the truth about government leaders and policies without fear of retribution.

If we lose freedom of the press, then our basic civil liberties are threatened, and that is why such organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center and others like them, must be fully supported in fighting in court to prevent the loss of freedom in any form.

There are cynics about the news media, but such publications as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and major journals of opinion, both in print and online, must be vigilant and not allow themselves to be threatened, as they are the first line of defense for all Americans.

At the same time, CNN and MSNBC must work at being more accurate and less motivated for profit, as many Americans who do not read news online regularly, rely on them to do the job that we used to expect automatically from such media luminaries in the past, such as Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, and others, including Diane Rehm on NPR, who just retired, and will be greatly missed!

Women Will Decide Senate Control In 2014!

Ronald Leave a comment

Women will decide Senate control in 2014, both in candidacies, and in voting!

With the GOP attack on women at work, women and reproductive freedom, women and the issue of rape, and the proper role of women in the family, it is hard to imagine that women will not rise up against the Republican Party, trying to take away its freedom in so many areas.

The religious control over the Republican Party is a danger to all women, even those stupid enough to vote Republican because the men in their lives tell them to vote Republican for Jesus Christ!

IF Michelle Nunn in Georgia, and Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky can win their Senate bids, the Republican Party will not win control of the Senate!

And there is too much expectation that Shelley Moore Capito will defeat Natalie Tennant in West Virginia, when both Senators and the Governor have been Democrats, and Tennant winning a massive victory for Secretary of State in her last campaign, so there is a good chance that the Democrats may keep that seat, denying the GOP a switched seat!

And also, to assume that Susan Collins will keep her seat in Maine over Shanna Bellows, is to assume a lot, since Mainers are individualistic, and the Democrats have an edge in that state in voter registration! It is also an independent state to the extreme, and already has Angus King as an Independent in the Senate. When Collins refused to back a minimum wage increase, her reputation as a moderate, and the so called “best” Republican Senator from the viewpoint of a Democrat, suffered, and it would be better if Shanna Bellows, who has worked for the American Civil Liberties Union, were to win that seat!

So women will decide, both on the ballot, and in voting, what happens to the US Senate in 2015-2016!

Rand Paul Becomes A Potential Presidential Candidate, And That Is Good For Democrats!

Ronald 4 Comments

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has become a celebrity, due to his 13 hour filibuster, postponing consideration of John Brennan, a twenty five year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, to become its head, The purpose of the filibuster was to gain a guarantee from the Obama Administration that drones would not be used on American soil against American non combatant citizens.

It has caused the American Civil Liberties Union to back Rand Paul, and some Democrats as well, including Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, as well as several progressive journals and web sites.

But the biggest manifestation has been the split developing in the Republican Party between the Tea Party Movement supporters (such as Mike Lee, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio) and the neocons (John McCain and Lindsey Graham, particularly), and this is great news for the Democratic Party!

Rand Paul is now being talked about more seriously as a potential Republican nominee for President, a thought that makes 2012 candidates for the nomination look as the beginning of a trend of continued disaster that will only become worse in 2016.

Bring on Rand Paul, and watch the GOP split asunder, and watch Rand Paul make Mitt Romney, John McCain, and Bob Dole, past GOP Presidential losers, appear brilliant by comparison! RIck Perry, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul, Herman Cain were all embarrassing and disastrous, but Rand Paul would be the most disastrous nominee in history!

If Rand Paul is nominated, and even if he divides the Republican Party while losing the nomination, he will only insure a massive popular vote victory by any Democratic nominee for President, particularly Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, but including others, such as Martin O’Malley, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren, or Mark Warner!