Free Republic

Former American Civil Liberties Union leaders say the group is making a serious mistake in opposing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh with a $1 million ad buy focused on sexual misconduct allegations. "They are not civil libertarians. They are serving a different master now," said former ACLU vice president Michael Meyers, who served on the group's national board from 1981 to 2005. Meyers said the TV ad campaign, which compares Kavanaugh to famous sex abusers, violates the civil libertarian principle of presumption of innocence and shows the ACLU is increasingly guided by partisanship over principle. "It's not ironic, it's tragic,"...

Gay groups say police are unnecessarily scrutinising them over activities planned for Sydney's World Youth Day, as civil libertarians rile at new police powers for this month's week-long event. Lapsed Catholic Luke Roberts is a homosexual activist and performer who goes by the stage name Pope Alice, a character best described as a celestial being of indeterminate gender. Along with Pope Benedict, Pope Alice will also be in Sydney during World Youth Day, hosting a "kiss-in" along Oxford Street in Darlinghurst. "I want to see Pope Alice express herself as a focal point for anybody - gays, lesbians, transgender, queers,...

Ever since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the terrorist threat to the West and to Americans in particular has been the subject of contentious debate. Is there a grave and urgent danger, or is it vastly exaggerated by the media and by politicians out to take advantage of popular fears? Does the real danger, as many civil libertarians argue, lie in the temptation to restrict liberties in response to this threat? Do we, in other words, have nothing to fear but fear itself? There is little doubt that the terrorist threat has been exploited by politicians—including the Bush...

NEW YORK — A civil rights group on Monday asked a judge to stop city police from routinely videotaping political demonstrations as part of efforts to fight terrorism. The New York Civil Liberties Union filed the legal challenge in Manhattan federal court. NYCLU attorney Arthur Eisenberg said the videotaping "has a wide impact on the common citizen exercising fundamental constitutional rights." The surveillance was noted by participants in protests during the 2004 Republican National Convention, especially those who wanted to exercise their First Amendment rights anonymously, Eisenberg said. The city's law office was evaluating the legal papers, special counsel Gail...

Are you prepared to relinquish some civil liberties to fight terror?

Muslim groups and human rights organisations have criticised a new plan by the British government to crack down on Islamist extremists in the wake of the London terrorist attacks. Home Secretary Charles Clarke announced a string of "unacceptable behaviours" and said he would use his powers to deport and exclude foreigners engaging in any of the activities listed. Leading Muslim groups and human rights bodies called the list vague and alarming. They also said a wide-reaching crackdown on Islamic extremism by the government in recent weeks had left deportees open to torture abroad. Prime Minister Tony Blair's government has unveiled...

London's bombings continue to echo throughout the urban world. In New York City, commuters have been facing random searches of backpacks, duffel bags and briefcases by police officers who are trying to thwart a potential terrorist attack. The extra precautions, originally planned to continue for a few weeks, have already drawn complaints from some civil libertarians. The searches must be done in an evenhanded manner. They must also be done for far longer than a few weeks. Travelers have long since gotten used to extensive searches before they board airplanes, and they should be relieved to see security measures on...

On Friday, in the state of Idaho, a jury came to the conclusion that the First Amendment protects terrorist incitement, propaganda, and recruitment and that these actions do not constitute material support for terrorism. Al-Hussayan had been charged with providing expert advice and assistance to terrorists through operation of Web sites of the Islamic Assembly of North America. Prosecutors said the sites were aimed at recruiting and funding militants and contended they fostered terrorism. … We talked about that we weren't going to step on anybody's rights to hold the opinion they had," said juror John Steger in interviews by...