Articles Index - page 2

Flag Burning Ban Amendment Tries Senate Again
Shortly after the 4th of July recess, the U.S. Senate will once again consider a proposed constitutional amendment giving Congress the power to ban the burning or similar desecration of the American flag.

National Academies Launch Evolution Website
The National Academies, long time supporters of the position that the theory of evolution alone be taught as a "central element in any science education program," have launched a new Website to be used as public resource for information on evolution.

Bill Would Make English 'Official' U.S. Language
Should the United States, the world's ethnic melting pot, have a single "official" language? Should immigrants seeking U.S. citizen be required to read and understand that language? And, if so, should that language be English?

Supreme Court Backs Religious Rights of Prisoners
In a case brought by a witch and Satanist, the U.S. Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the constitutionality of a federal law requiring prisons to accommodate the religious practices and beliefs of inmates.

Federalism: National vs. State Government
Our government is based on a system called "federalism," under which the national and state governments are granted specific powers. This power-sharing form of government is the opposite of "centralized" governments, such as those in England and France, under which national government maintains total power. What are the powers of federalism?

Government Loses Latest Battle Over the 'Mojave Cross'
On top of a 30-foot-high rock outcropping in the Mojave National Preserve in California, stands an old rugged eight-foot-tall Latin cross that has become the latest target for groups opposed to government sponsorship of religious objects on public lands.

NAACP Snubs IRS' Request for Documents
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is refusing to comply with an Internal Revenue Service request for documents as part of its investigation into alleged improper political bias by the nation’s largest civil rights organization.

US Judge Rules School's Evolution Stand Unconstitutional
In yet another battle between church and state, a federal judge in Atlanta has ordered the Cobb County, Georgia school board to remove stickers questioning the validity of evolution from its biology textbooks, on the grounds that the wording of the stickers violated the U.S. Constitution.

Pentagon Sued to Release Dover AFB Honor Guard Photos
A suit has been filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in federal district court demanding that the Pentagon turn over copies of photographs and video of the honor guard arrival and transfer ceremonies at Dover Air Force Base for servicemen and women killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Next President Could Reshape Supreme Court
The next president, be that John Kerry or George W. Bush, will probably get to name as many as four new Supreme Court Justices. Why is that important to you? Personal privacy, civil rights, the environment, reproductive rights, workers' rights, and separation of church and state, just to name a few.

White-power Group Plans to Hand Out CDs at Schools
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reports that a hate music company with links to dangerous neo-Nazi and skinhead groups plans to distribute 100,000 "sampler CDs" at schools across the United States in the coming weeks, in an effort to attract young people to the music and ideology of neo-Nazi bands.

ACLU Opposes Tennessee's Pro Life License Plates
Tennessee's legislature-backed "Choose Life" anti-abortion-rights license plate has drawn fire from pro-choice advocates and a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union.

ACLU Claims Government Covers-up Patriot Act Abuse
The government is using gag orders and secret evidence to keep the public in the dark about its use of the Patriot Act to investigate Americans, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Keeping US Safe From Plastic-packed Lobster Tails
When an American small businesswoman received a shipment of Honduran lobster tails packed in clear plastic bags, she had no idea that this "heinous" violation of an obscure federal law would have her spending the next two years of her life... in a federal prison. Just another case of overly complex federal laws leading to the "over-criminalization" of America, says the National Federation of Independent Business.

CA Cities Scramble to Regulate or Ban Medical Marijuana
Since California enacted a law allowing patients to use marijuana for medical reasons cities across the state have been scrambling to restrict or even ban medical marijuana dispensaries, or "cannabis clubs" from locating inside their boundaries.

Bush Backs Gay Marriage Ban Amendment
Warning that legalizing gay marriages could undermine the American family, President Bush urged the Senate to approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages in all states.

Bush-friendly Church Gets $1 Million 'Faith-based' Grant
A Philadelphia church appears to be reaping a windfall of government funds following its pastor's endorsement of presidential candidate George W. Bush, claims Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Wal-Mart Faces U.S.'s Largest Civil Rights Suit
A U.S. district judge has certified a massive class action, ruling that six current and former Wal-Mart employees from California may represent all female employees of Wal-Mart who worked at its U.S. stores anytime since December 26, 1998. This nationwide sex discrimination class action lawsuit, Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., is the largest civil rights class action ever certified against a private employer.

Church & State: Bishops on 'Catholics in Political Life'
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has warned Catholics in government to oppose legal abortion "lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good."

High Court Dismisses 'Under God' Pledge Case
Dancing a legalistic jig to avoid addressing the constitutional issue, the U.S. Supreme Court has thrown out an atheist's attempt to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

ACLU Warns Against New Patriot Act Measures
As the U.S. Senate held an oversight hearing on the Department of Justice’s anti-terrorism efforts, with Attorney General John Ashcroft testifying in a rare appearance, the American Civil Liberties Union warned of adopting new measures to the Patriot Act the group claims would further compromise personal freedom.

Federal Judge Allows Marijuana Reform Ads
A U.S. federal judge has struck down a law prohibiting the display of marijuana policy reform ads in public transit systems, saying that the government’s attempt to censor ads was "illegitimate and constitutionally impermissible." The judge also issued a permanent injunction prohibiting its enforcement.

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