TresSugar

Should France Ban the Burqa?

TresSugar — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:02:17 -0700

The French love their fashion, but when clothes are used to oppress women, the government is not on board.

France has announced that it may soon ban women from wearing the burqa outside the home. A burqa, worn by some Muslim women, is the head-to-toe garment that typically has only a small opening at the eyes.

The French government plans to set up an investigative commission that will determine whether women are being forced to wear the burqa in public, and if so, a law banning them may be passed.

Of course the proposed law has some problems. In really strict households, it could mean that women will live more oppressed and confined lives, only being allowed to leave the house on rare occasions. In addition, a law that regulates what people wear raises questions of abuse of power and an violation of basic rights. Then again, maybe the study will demonstrate that the burqa is distinct from all other types of dress because it threatens France's free society by subjugating women.

Kiss of Arrest: Women Say They Were Unfairly Targeted at Mall

LibertySugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:30:27 -0800

After she received a kiss on the cheek from her girlfriend, a Texas woman says a mall security officer and a sheriff deputy began harassing her. Now, Jessica Garcia will argue to a court that the mall unfairly targeted her and her girlfriend when they arrested them on trespassing and other charges.

Garcia has recounted the situation like this:

He said, "This is a family mall, y'all can't do this.” We said, "Do what?" He said, "Y'all kissed, and if y'all do it again I'm going to write you a citation or I'm going to kick y'all out."

The officers eventually told them to leave, but when they reentered the mall to get to their car, the officers accused them of trespassing. After a confrontation, the couple was arrested.

This story reminds me of the one from last Summer. An usher at a Seattle Mariners baseball game asked a lesbian couple to stop kissing because it was making another fan uncomfortable. Despite the similarities, being asked to stop kissing, and being arrested for it, are very different things!

Do you think an anti-PDA (gay or straight) policy violates civil liberties, or should malls be able to enforce whatever code of conduct they want?

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On-Demand Fingerprint Machines Let Police ID in the Street

LibertySugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Mobile fingerprint scanners are hitting the beat in the UK, helping police officers issue identity checks on the street. Right now, police must take a suspect into custody to issue fingerprint checks.

Thanks to the scanner, the size of a cell phone, the time of checking identity would go form from 67 minutes, to five, thus reducing the number of police needed by 366 officers. The next step would be to transfer mugshot images to verify identity when fingerprints are not available. To see why some worry that the government is overreaching with this technology, read more.

Officials insist that the prints will be deleted once checked. Proponents also believe that the procedure would reduce the number of mistaken arrests. Yet, others worry that the pricey gadgets could violate civil liberties by increasing surveillance and paving the way for an expansion of powers toward totalitarianism.

Do you worry that governments may collect too much biometric information about citizens? Is the UK asking people to give up their freedom and identity for the illusion of security?

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Sex Offenders Get Scarlet Pumpkin for Halloween

LibertySugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:53 -0700

As part of their parole, Maryland sex offenders must display a pumpkin sign that states "No candy at this residence." Along with posting the warning sign, the violent and child-sex offenders must also stay in their homes on Halloween, keep the lights off, and not answer the door. The state has distributed warnings to families, telling them to stay away from homes with the pumpkins.

The ACLU is currently challenging an identical Missouri law, claiming the provisions are too vague to enforce and add punishment to sentences already served. While parents and the community must protect children, do you think rehabilitated sex-offenders have a right to some privacy? Does fear go too far in trampling the rights of these ex-cons, or did they give up those rights?

Say What? NSA Workers Detail Eavesdropping on Americans

LibertySugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:15:51 -0700

The Bush Administration says it taps conversations of Americans only if they involved al Qaeda. But two ex-NSA interceptors say Bush's assertions are a lie, and they have come forward after feelings that their conduct was immoral and illegal. ABC News shared a look into the details of intercepted phone conversations between overseas Americans and their friends, colleagues, or family back home. Now, the Senate's Intelligence Committee has begun its own investigation.

Among the saddest anecdotes shared by the NSA workers is the confession that US officers intercepted American soldiers having phone sex, and then proceeded to alert those around them so they could listen in. The details would then be the topic of conversation during smoke breaks. A US intelligence officer told ABC that all US government employees should expect their conversations to be monitored. For more on how the calls of humanitarian workers were also allegedly tapped, read more.

Even when the system told NSA interceptors that callers were with organizations like the International Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, they continued to monitor the conversations. One NSA interceptor said by casting the intelligence net to include Americans and aid organizations, the NSA made it harder to find the piece of information that might actually improve national security. The NSA has responded to these allegations saying that the organization follows the law, and that illegalities are not sanctioned nor tolerated. Will you watch what you say next time you pick up the phone overseas?

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Briefing Book! China Surveillance Spying on Skype Users

LibertySugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0700

China: Wireless wiretapping? Chats over Skype network are being tracked and recorded by computers located in China. - Shanghaiist
McCain: Is John McCain a hipster? Campaign could roll out old pics to help McCain with hipster demographic. - 23/6
Abortion: Will it swing voters to McCain? Pro-life group prepares radio ad charging Obama allowed babies to die. - Talking Points Memo
Bailout: Bailout for House Email needed? The Write Your Representative feature on House.gov came under more stress than the credit markets. - The Lede
Biden: What might Joe Biden say at tonight's debate? McCain released web ad of Biden's greatest hits. - Townhall
Grammar: Does diagramming a sentence provide insight into the mind of its perpetrator? Amateur language buff takes a crack at diagramming Sarah Palin's sentences. - Slate

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UK Debates Holding Terror Suspects For 42 Days: Too Long?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:15:55 -0700

The US isn't the only country with a firm eye on terrorism - and they're certainly not alone walking the tricky line between government abilities to crack down in meaningful ways and civil liberties. The British House of Commons is set to vote on a measure allowing police to detain people for up to 42 days without charge if they're suspected of terrorism-related activities.

Human rights organizations are outraged by the provision. Amnesty International, has launched an online petition called, "Say 'No' to 42 Days" saying of the measure, "Allowing police to lock people up for a month and a half without charge will undermine basic human rights to which everyone in the UK is entitled." Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying that, "giving British authorities the power to detain terrorism suspects for up to six weeks without charge violates the fundamental right to liberty and risks undermining counterterrorism efforts."

Those closer to the government are speaking out as well. To see what they had to say, read more.

The former British spy chief says holding suspects for six weeks is excessive. Though the bill might be defeated in the House of Lords, it faces a round of political back and forth if the government insists on the plan. The House of Lords own blog says it's probably a portion of the bill that will ultimately be decided by the courts.

With the government in Britain already able to access scads of personal information, where is the line between safety and rights? Is 42 days too long to be held without charge?

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NE Town Bans Porch Couches: Should Lawmakers Relax?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Perhaps fearing scenes just like this dotting older neighborhoods, the town of Lincoln, NE, just passed a law banning indoor furniture from being used outside. The development could have big ramifications on the chillaxing abilities of the town's large population of college students, traditionally grand proponents of the "porch couch."

The city council voted 5-2 in favor of the new measure, and no one testified against the proposal during the open public hearing. An aide close to the mayor says he intends to sign the ordinance into effect on Oct. 7. Other towns have similar aesthetic or quality of life bans on furniture outside, including Ames, IA, Boulder, CO, and East Lansing, MI, but some question whether the law unfairly targets the large population of students renting homes in older neighborhoods. Is it discriminatory? Should lawmakers have the ability to legislate what you can put on your own property?

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Michigan Asks: Does Foreclosure Take Away Right to Vote?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:15:45 -0700

The housing crisis suddenly has a whole new address: voting rights. Yesterday the chairman of the Macomb County Republican Party was quoted in the Michigan Messenger as saying he's set to assign election challengers with "a list of foreclosed homes and [we] will make sure people aren't voting from those addresses." The statement voting laws, which require an address and a desire to make sure proper election procedures were followed. Furor erupted immediately, with Project Vote issuing the following statement:

The Macomb County GOP's plan is a cynical partisan attempt to suppress the vote of thousands of low-income and African-American voters. . . . Just because you're behind on your mortgage doesn't mean you lose the right to vote. . . the challengers will still achieve nothing but to slow down voting and create an intimidating atmosphere at strategically chosen polls.

The chairman has since announced to the Detroit News, "I never said anything even close to that. We won't be doing voter challenges on foreclosures, and we've never had a plan to do it." Challenges are allowed at the polls if the challenger "knows or has good reason to suspect" a voter isn't eligible, a rule the Secretary of State has clarified to need "reliable sources or means." There's also a new state law requiring voters to produce photo identification.

Outdated addresses could be a very real problem this election. Ohio earlier this summer said that 3,700 people are registered to vote at vacant addresses, and another 27,000 have filled out change-of-address notices without updating their registration. Will foreclosures and outdated voter lists affect the accuracy of the results?

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Arresting Hope? Security for Dem Convention Upsets Activists

LibertySugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:00:31 -0700

Denver police worry that Democrats will bring unrest to the city, instead of hope, during next week's national convention. The city has built a secret jail just for the occasion. Officials say they need the extra facility, built in a former warehouse, just in case police make mass arrests during the convention.

Civil liberties activists think Denver should feel ashamed of its "Gitmo on the Platte." They say the police want to take short cuts by detaining people instead of using the courts and other proper methods to fight crime. Opponents also worry about the conditions, since the city is using a former storage facility as a jail. Nonetheless, the city says it needed the formerly-secret jail for the event, and officials note it even has air conditioning.

The Secret Service, Pentagon, and FBI will relocate thousands of agents to Denver next week. To find out what other security measures are in the works, read more.

In addition to building secret prisons, Denver will also shut down its downtown freeway during Barack Obama's acceptance speech and the Mail High Stadium for security reasons. The city fears that the historic nature of the convention, and the widespread attention, will attract thousands of potentially unruly demonstrators.

While I hope the city doesn't sequester Americans exercising their constitutional rights, Denver does have an interest in keeping order. But is it possible that law enforcement officials have exaggerated the threat at the cost of taxpayers and civil liberties?

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