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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Captain Jack who wrote (89781)	12/8/2004 8:27:46 PM
From: Bill Ulrich	Respond to of 793838

The ACLU represented us on this: Subject 52306 Short version: a crackpot conspiracy theorist had gotten himself in the wrong end of a libel suit. Being convinced that much of SI is an organized, worldwide shorting cartel, he subpoenaed IDs and credit card info for an absurd list of 41 posters. The ACLU came to the rescue, threatened Dobry's atty with sanctions of some sort, and he eventually dropped it. They're not all misfits. Just the ones you hear about in the news. <gg>

To: Captain Jack who wrote (89781)	12/10/2004 7:30:47 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793838

I'm still waiting to hear of one sane cause the ACLU has taken. Found one you might like. ACLU defended a high school valedictorian who wanted to put a Bible verse under his yearbook photo. >>School district to apologize for deleting Bible quote STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — A school district agreed as part of a legal settlement to apologize to a high school valedictorian whose yearbook quote was removed because it was a Bible verse. Abby Moler, a 2001 graduate, was among students asked to offer their thoughts for Stevenson High School's yearbook. Her entry included the verse, Jeremiah 29:11: '"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" School officials told Moler at the time that her quote was deleted because of its religious nature. The Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union announced the settlement Tuesday. Utica Community Schools officials declined to comment. The ACLU said that under the terms of the settlement, the school district agreed to place a sticker with Moler's original entry in copies of the yearbook on file at the high school; ordered current yearbook staff to not censor other religious or political speech; to train its staff on free speech and religious freedom issues; and to write Moler a letter of regret. Moler, who did not seek money as part of her lawsuit, said she fought the case because she wanted to shed light on an issue that was misunderstood in public schools. "I'm thrilled," said Moler, a college student who plans to become a teacher. "We got everything we asked for. I received a wonderful education from Utica schools and now that I'm entering the teaching profession, I wanted to do my part in maintaining the excellence in education." usatoday.com

To: Captain Jack who wrote (89781)	12/10/2004 7:38:03 AM
From: Ilaine	Respond to of 793838

Some more you might like (just three recent ones): >>ACLU of Nebraska Defends Church Facing Eviction by the City of Lincoln August 11, 2004 LINCOLN --The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska today announced that it would defend a Presbyterian church from a forced eviction by the city. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LINCOLN --The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska today announced that it would defend a Presbyterian church from a forced eviction by the city. "There's no reason for the city to force the Church of the Awesome God from its home, and the city is violating both the First Amendment and federal law in doing so," said Tim Butz, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nebraska. The Church of the Awesome God is located on the edge of an area zoned for industrial uses. Although no one has ever complained about the church, the city has been threatening to close it down for the last year. "The First Amendment guarantees the right to free exercise of religion," ACLU of Nebraska Legal Director Amy Miller said. "A church cannot be forced to close its doors unless the city can prove there is a compelling reason to shut them down. In this case, the church is a small congregation that causes no problems for anyone. The city has failed to provide a single reason for ordering our clients out, though we've been requesting a reason for many months now." aclu.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michigan Court Punishes Catholic Man for Refusing Conversion to Pentecostal Faith in Drug Rehab Program July 20, 2004 DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today asked the state Supreme Court to hear the case of a Catholic man who was criminally punished for not completing a Pentecostal drug rehabilitation program, which prevented him from practicing his own religious faith. His request to be transferred to another program that would allow him to practice his own faith was denied and he was sentenced to six months in jail and boot camp. ACLU Appeals to Michigan Supreme Court to Reverse Conviction FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan today asked the state Supreme Court to hear the case of a Catholic man who was criminally punished for not completing a Pentecostal drug rehabilitation program, which prevented him from practicing his own religious faith. His request to be transferred to another program that would allow him to practice his own faith was denied and he was sentenced to six months in jail and boot camp. "This man was punished for insisting on the right to practice his own religion and refusing to be religiously indoctrinated as a condition of a court order," said Kary Moss, Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan. "The endorsement of any faith as well as the discouragement of any other is clearly a violation of the First Amendment." Joseph Hanas of Genesee County, now 22 years old, pled guilty in the Genesee Circuit Court to a charge of marijuana possession in February 2001. He was placed in the county’s "drug court" for non-violent offenders, which allowed for a deferred sentence and possible dismissal of the charges if he successfully completed the Inner City Christian Outreach Residential Program. Unbeknownst to Hanas when he entered the program, one of the goals of Christian Outreach was to convert him from Catholicism to the Pentecostal faith. According to ACLU legal papers, Hanas was forced to read the bible for seven hours a day and was tested on Pentecostal principles. The staff also told him that Catholicism was a form of witchcraft and they confiscated both his rosary and Holy Communion prayer book. At one point, the program director told his aunt that he "gave up his right of freedom of religion when he was placed into this program." Hanas was told that in order to complete the program successfully he would have to declare he was "saved" and was threatened that if he didn’t do what the pastor told him to do, he would be "washed of the program and go to prison." After seven weeks of being coerced to practice the Pentecostal faith and receiving no drug treatment whatsoever, Hanas left Christian Outreach and requested reassignment to another facility. Despite his request, Judge Robert M. Ransom determined that he did not satisfactorily complete the drug court program and sentenced him to serve three months in jail and three months in boot camp. It was only after his release from boot camp that he finally received drug treatment at a secular residential rehabilitation program. "I needed help," Hanas said Joe. "Instead I was forced to practice someone else’s religion." Concern over government-funded religion, specifically in the administration of social service programs that may fire or refuse to hire employees if they are not of the same religion, has been increasing in recent years. "This case underscores the danger of the state mandating participation in a religious institution," said Greg Gibbs, one of the ACLU cooperating attorneys working on this case. "Mr. Hanas’ free exercise of religion has been greatly jeopardized." aclu.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Following Threat of ACLU of Virginia Lawsuit, Officials to Agree Not to Ban Baptisms in Public Parks June 3, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RICHMOND, VA -- Under pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, Falmouth Waterside Park Manager Brian Robinson has agreed not to prohibit baptisms in Stafford County, the ACLU announced today. Robinson also told the ACLU that the Fredericksburg-Stafford Park Authority, which controls access to the public park, expects to issue written policies making it clear that religious groups have the same right to use the park as all other groups. “This kind of confusion over religious expression in public places is not uncommon,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis. “Government officials often seem not to understand that private religious expression is protected in public forums. Afraid of violating separation of church and state by permitting religious activities, they end up obstructing freedom of religion.” The controversy over baptisms in the park surfaced on Sunday, May 23, when Robinson told Rev. Todd Pyle of the Cornerstone Baptist Church that religious activities were not allowed in the park. Pyle was in the park at the time and had just performed a series of baptisms in the Rappahannock River, which borders the park. The ACLU of Virginia immediately informed Pyle that he had a constitutional right to conduct baptisms in the park and threatened to challenge in federal court the Park Authority’s ban on religious activities. The ACLU also discovered that the Park Authority does not have written rules governing use of the park. Pyle decided not to contest the ban, but earlier this week Rev. John H. Reid of the New Generation Evangelical Episcopal Church announced plans to defy park officials by performing a baptism in the park this Sunday. The ACLU again acted, offering assistance to Reid and informing park officials that they must allow the baptisms to proceed. “The rules are really very simple,” Willis said. “Government officials merely need to make sure that religious activities have the same rights as any other activities in a public park. If swimming is allowed, then baptisms must be allowed. If groups can gather for sports or cultural activities, then groups can gather for religious ceremonies.” “The key to avoiding these kinds of problems is to have reasonable written rules regarding the use of the park and to apply those rules equally to all users, whether their activities are secular or religious,” he added. “We have offered to help park officials write those rules.” aclu.org

To: Captain Jack who wrote (89781)	12/10/2004 7:39:38 AM
From: Ilaine	Respond to of 793838

One more and I will stop: >>In Win for Rev. Falwell (and the ACLU), Judge Rules VA Must Allow Churches to Incorporate April 17, 2002 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RICHMOND, VA--A federal judge has struck down a provision of the Virginia Constitution that bans religious organizations from incorporating, in a challenge filed by the Rev. Jerry Falwell and joined by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, the group announced today. "The judge applied well established constitutional principles to reach the conclusion that Virginia's archaic ban on church incorporation cannot pass constitutional muster," said Rebecca Glenberg, Legal Director of the ACLU of Virginia. The ACLU joined the lawsuit as a "friend of the court" last fall, challenging the ban on the grounds that it violates the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of free exercise of religion. Judge Norman K. Moon agreed, and yesterday ordered the State Corporation Commission to grant Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church a corporate charter. Virginia is the only state in the nation that bans incorporation by religious institutions (other than West Virginia, which was still part of Virginia at the time the provisions were adopted). Virginia churches are governed by trustees appointed by Circuit Court judges. Virginia does not prohibit incorporation by charitable non-profit organizations that are not religious in nature. Virginia law also places restrictions on the amount of land a church may own. Falwell has challenged these provisions in court as well, and the ACLU hopes to be able to argue in court that Virginia's land restrictions are also unconstitutional. "Virginia's 18th-century lawmakers had good intentions when they decided not to allow churches to incorporate," said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis. "At that time only the General Assembly had the power to grant corporate status, and the framers of the Constitution did not want a political body deciding which religious institutions would be allowed to incorporate and which ones would not. That would hardly be a good start for the still novel idea of religious freedom." "But that was long before the modern concept of incorporation, which is an administrative rather than political process," added Willis. "The old law, placed in the modern context, discriminates against religious institutions by denying them the same opportunity to incorporate as other similar institutions." aclu.org