BIG BROTHER IS NO LONGER A FICTION
It is seldom that any liberty is lost all at once.-- David Hume

Personal

As I began thinking through this topic for February's Issue of the Month I began to realize it was a bit larger topic than I was originally considering. When people talk about "civil liberties" there's so many issues that are conveyed under that umbrella. The larger perspective of the issue is really a philosophy of privacy in the face of a public system of government and the tension therein. As governments are either controlled by certain powerful people, or even theoretically controlled by the "people," there is still the tension of government providing a basis for law and order and respect and governance and yet the strength of the individual and individualized groups to grow and flourish without interference from said governance.

The philosophy of civil liberties encompasses more than just one issue, but really gets to the core of who America is as a country. The "Founding Fathers" felt so adamant about the inclusion of civil liberties in the Constitution that they refused to move it forward without a "Bill of Rights" which would provide, in detail, the liberties of the individual in the face of governance. As we all know the "Bill of Rights" is not just one issue, but a set of 10 principals than therein include many, many of their own philosophical tenets on issues ranging from religion to free speech to weapons to justice to incarceration.

So in putting together this month's Issue of the Month it's a bit overwhelming in that it covers such a wide area. But I feel that it's important to bring about a forum for this month on the issue of civil liberties because of the great concern over their slow erosion, especially under current events since September 11th. This month I will be writing and posting about free speech, privacy, detainees, asylum, religion, and many other issues. I will come back to many of these individually in the future for their own month, however, let's take a look at how all of them come together under the fundamental philosophy of "Civil Liberties."

(As soon as I get some HTML help in putting up a "comments" link, I'd love to hear your comments to make this a true community section. In the meantime, feel free to send me your feedback)

Political

I cannot emphasize enough the need for you and us all to join the American Civil Liberties Union.

Get signed up on their e-mail network system so you can keep informed on the issues that civil liberties encompasses and the current struggles our nation faces.

The ACLU is an amazing group. I got to work with them closely back when I was working in Washington, DC at my office of Americans United wherein our issues were often closely related and we worked on many of the same concerns of the day.

Join, sign up, write letters, and take part in the ACLU today. Let's stop the fanatical fascism that is taking over our country.

Articles

Extensive writing, research, thoughts, and action-oriented ideas at the ACLU's Keep America Safe AND Free and Is the US Turning Into a Surveillance Society? pages. Check 'em out!

U.S. Evolving into Big Brother Society

Surveillance Society

'Privacy and Security; A librarian's dilemma'

'N.C. congressman says internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II was appropriate'

'North Carolina congressional members under fire for remarks'

'Lawmaker Says Interning U.S. Japanese Was Proper'

'Broader domestic spying in works; Justice Dept. mulls ideas for snooping beyond Patriot Act'

'Justice Dept. Drafts Sweeping Expansion of Anti-Terrorism Act'

'Patriot Act, the sequel'

'Total Information Awareness': ...tell the White House to keep military snoops out of the personal affairs of innocent civilians.

'Haunting echoes of Japanese internment'

'A Chilly Response to 'Patriot II''

'N.C. Legislator Says He Agrees with WWII Internment': Japanese Americans were not placed in concentration camps for their own safety, they were surrounded by barbed wire in the most desolate areas of the country. The guns of the guard pointed into the camps, not outside. And to imprison innocent people because they are threatened by criminals is utterly nonsensical....

'What if you don't 'look American'?': According to the Supreme Court decision regarding my race, being an American citizen was not enough. They say you have to look like one, otherwise they say you can't tell a difference between a loyal and a disloyal American.... any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or a hearing. That is if they look like the enemy of our country. And how is "enemy" defined? Who's the "enemy" yesterday, today or tomorrow? What's the "war" and is it just military or could it be a "enemy" in health, financial security, 'traditional values,' political speech/thoughts? It's all a slippery slope and very, very dangerous.

Resources

A very minor listing of various links to groups and resources are below. However, there are also many great local programs and local affiliates of national groups in every area of the country and you may wish to do a search within your local community for groups that may need your help.

American Civil Liberties Union: Need I say more?