civil rights

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Quoted: June 24, 1979. Here is Bay Area television news coverage of the eighth annual "Gay Freedom Day Parade And Celebration" on Market Street, San Francisco. Cover...

On April 12, British Deaf people are marching against Clause 14 (4) (9) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. The clause says that a British couple undergoing IVF *must* discard any deaf embryos, and instead choose a hearing embryo for implantation .

This is problematic for the Deaf community for two reasons: First, it takes away a Deaf couple's right (indeed, any person's right) to raise a Deaf child if they choose to use IVF technology. They view this as discriminatory and in violation of their reproductive rights. Second, and more globally, it opens the door to other frightening embryonic selection practices, such as selection against blacks, gays, or other racial, linguistic, or cultural minorities.

Oddly, IMO, high-ranking British newspapers are spinning this as the Deaf community's desire to have "designer" deaf babies. One might expect them to see the broader implications and take up the cause...but ignorance apparently has the day.

A vote in the US Senate fell four votes short of what was needed to restore habeas corpus — the fundamental right of individuls to challenge government detention. Here is the record of the vote on the Cloture Motion to restore Habeas Corpus. Article 4 of the US Constitution states that habeas corpus shall not be suspended unless in cases of rebellion and invasion when the public safety may require it.

The University of Florida's response to the Andrew Meyer incident is very weak. How can anyone not be OUTRAGED at the behavior of the University of Florida Police?

Quoted: President Machen addresses issues related to student arrest
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To students, faculty, staff:
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I have received a great deal of communication and input last night and this morning regarding the incident that occurred Monday at the conclusion of a town hall forum being held by Sen. John Kerry. The incident resulted in a student being tasered.
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We are interested in learning what happened and are taking the following immediate steps to ensure the university utilizes best practice protocols.
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University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump has requested the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conduct a formal investigation into the arrest of UF student Andrew Meyer. An independent review such as this will make sure the results are objective and impartial. Chief Stump’s priority is to ensure that the public remains confident in the department’s ability to keep the campus safe.
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Two officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
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We plan to assemble a panel of faculty and students to review our police protocols, our management practices and the FDLE report to come up with a series of recommendations for the university.
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Administrators and police officials plan to analyze the incident and conduct an internal review and will consider changing protocols in response to this incident, if necessary.
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Finally, as is standard procedure, the State Attorney’s Office will review the charges brought against Mr. Meyer. We have communicated with the State Attorney and understand he plans to expedite his review.
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I will talk about the incident and answer questions at a news conference scheduled for 2 p.m. in Emerson Alumni Hall.
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Sincerely,
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J. Bernard Machen

More incidents of police brutality and over use of force to quell free speech.

redotting x.

A pretty flippant account of the Andrew Meyer taser-ing by the Miami Herald. I think the big headline is "Police use Excessive Force to Mute Student", not "student now a web star"!

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This is a really disturbing case of police brutality and unnecessary force. Andrew Meyer didn't follow the rules in asking his questions of John Kerry - but the police reaction to remove him forceably, and then TASE him is outrageous. They had 6(!) officers holding him down at this point and he was likely already in hand cuffs.

He was obviously not a threat to himself or others. Police should not use tasers just to "control" unruly people. This is equivalent to hitting him in the head with a billy club.

And Kerry was really wimpy about this as well. He could have averted this whole thing by saying "Excuse me! Let that student go! I want to answer his question." Instead he continued to drone on in an unconcerned tone - the police had no way of noticing what he was saying.

There need to be multiple firings and dismissals at the UFL police department (and the removal of tasers from campus).

Quoted: The University of Florida taser incident is an event on September 17, 2007 in which police from the University of Florida forcibly removed twenty-one year ol...

Quoted: Just Another Salem: Christian Persecution of Atheists in the American Heartland

This makes me pretty angry.

Quoted: CALEA (Computer Assistance Law Enforcement) is quietly in the background of current news again, because the FBI is pushing congress to mandate that all future routing equipment manufactured will include back doors for law enforcement.