Our weekly round-up of popular blog posts includes some real food for thought: Should we be locking up children? Should federal money be spent on schools that discriminate? And perhaps most puzzling, should we look to Texas for an enlightened approach to the war on drugs?
Lift Children Out of the Criminal Justice System – Don’t Lock Them Away
What kind of person looks into the face of a child and sees no hope? What kind of society locks up children as if they were adults — and sometimes even throws away the key? Unfortunately, ours does. As a case in point, Kansas City prosecutors are currently mulling over whether to charge a 5-year-old child for the murder of an 18-month old.
Your Money’s Good Here, It’s You That’s the Problem
Gay? HIV-positive? Non-Christian? Don’t go to church every Sunday? A Colorado School District plans to implement a new voucher program in the coming school year, and you might not be welcome.
SCOTUS to Wal-Mart Women: You’re on Your Own
Today, more than 48 years after the Equal Pay Act was passed, women’s ability to band together to demand fair pay has been dealt a blow. The Supreme Court has ruled that a nationwide class action lawsuit challenging sex discrimination in pay and promotions at Wal-Mart cannot go forward.
Worse Than Slavery? Black Women and Families Face Extreme Accusations from Roadside Campaign
Last weekend, on a day celebrating the abolition of slavery, an anti-abortion group decided to exploit Juneteenth to spread a demeaning and insulting message to the black community. Billboards erected throughout the Atlanta area make the outrageous assertion that a black woman’s private health decision is more harmful than slavery. These billboards accuse black women who have made the difficult and personal decision to end a pregnancy of making slavery “seem overly generous.”
A Glimmer of Hope in Texas’ Approach to the War on Drugs
While it’s true that Texas’ proximity to the horrific violence in Mexico related to the “war on drugs has fueled the adoption of some “we must surrender our liberty to ensure our security”-type legislation, there have been some positive changes as well.
This is your week in civil liberties. Let us know if this is useful or if you’d like to see changes. Share your thoughts: ideas@aclu.org
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