<![CDATA[Civil Liberties Action Alerts from Care2]]> <![CDATA[SUPPORT A LIVING WAGE FOR U.S. FARM WORKERS]]> While global food giants like Yum Brands -- parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut -- rake in massive profits, farmworkers labor long hours every day for rock-bottom wages. These workers have no healthcare and no overtime pay. Yet, these food giants drive prices lower and lower, forcing growers to reduce their only elastic variable -- farmworkers' salaries and benefits.

To earn just $50 in a day, a farmworker must pick two tons of tomatoes. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a community based farmworker group in Florida, demands that pickers be paid one penny more per pound of tomatoes, a modest measure that would almost double the workers' daily pay!

Those who grow and labor for our food deserve to make a living wage that allows them to see a doctor when they need to, live in adequate housing, and send their children to school!

Tell Yum Brands (which owns Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut) to pay farmworkers ONE PENNY MORE for their backbreaking labor!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[ Don't Let Frist Eliminate the Filibuster!]]> Our ability to save the Supreme Court from President Bush could hang in the balance...

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is hatching a plan to allow President Bush to pack the courts with extremist judges. Frist wants to take away pro-choice Democrats’ most powerful line of defense against extremist judges: the filibuster.

Called the "nuclear option" because of the explosive consequences it would have in the Senate – Frist’s plan would allow anti-choice Republican leaders to change Senate rules to prevent the filibuster of judicial nominees.

During President Bush’s first term, senators used the filibuster carefully and selectively. The Senate confirmed more than 200 of President Bush’s judicial nominees to lifetime appointments, and used the filibuster to block only 10 of his most controversial nominees. Clearly, this is not a Senate rule that is being abused.

If you value balance and moderation on our courts, and believe the Senate should carefully review judges who are being considered for lifetime appointments, then you need to take action to stop Senator Frist today!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Defend Hope: Protect Refugees Fleeing Persecution]]> The United States' long-standing history as a beacon of hope to people around the world fleeing political, religious and other forms of persecution is under assault in Congress.

The bill, known as the REAL ID Act, will make it much harder for refugees to prove that they qualify for asylum and remove safeguards that protect refugees from being sent back into the arms of their persecutors.

Under the bill, insignificant inaccuracies - like a woman's failure to recall her date of high school graduation - could be used to deny her asylum, even though she has fled from horrendous persecution like genocide, rape, forced abortion, severe domestic violence, or the threat of honor killing.

Urge your Senators to preserve our nation's commitment to protecting refugees: Ask them to stop the REAL ID Act.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Defend Hope: Protect Refugees Fleeing Persecution - disappointment]]> Core American Principles Sacrificed in Largely Unnoticed Law

The “Real ID Act”, passed by the Senate late yesterday as part of the emergency spending bill, was signed into law today by President Bush. It contains provisions that will severely harm asylum seekers fleeing political and religious persecution.

“This new law is yet another blow to America’s tradition of providing refuge to victims of persecution,” said Eleanor Acer, Director of the Asylum Program at Human Rights First. “This country is turning its back on its longstanding commitment to protect those who flee to its shores ‘yearning to breathe free.’ Instead, we are sending a clear message that America is no longer a safe haven for those who stand up to oppression.”

Under REAL ID, a victim of torture or religious persecution at risk of being returned to his persecutors because he mistakenly recalls the date of his high school graduation. A rape survivor or a victim of a forced abortion could be denied asylum because she was too traumatized to tell an airport inspector about her ordeal when she first arrives in the United States.
More...]]> <![CDATA[ Stop Bolton Now! Oppose John Bolton's Nomination to UN]]> If Bolton is confirmed by the Senate, he will isolate America in the world, leaving us without partners to work with to keep us safe. In fact, 59 former American diplomats, from both Democratic and Republican administrations, have written a letter urging the Senate to oppose Bolton's nomination.

Just who is John Bolton?
Stop John Bolton's Nomination to the UN! Throughout his career in the Departments of Justice and State and in his personal writings, John R. Bolton has repeatedly belittled international institutions and undermined global cooperation. Let Bolton tell you in his own words how he feels about the United Nations:
  • "If the UN secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."
  • "There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is an international community that occasionally can be led by the only real power left in the world and that is the United States when it suits our interest and we can get others to go along." (both from: 1994 Global Structures Convocation, Washington, DC.)
Bolton's nomination is a serious threat to America's time-honored tradition of working with other nations to solve global problems. His obvious and well-known contempt for global cooperation could prove disastrous to U.S. national security. Sign this petition today to tell your Senators to oppose Bolton's nomination to the United Nations.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment]]> Last year, President Bush officially declared his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment — a measure that would write discrimination into the United States Constitution.

It's time to stand up and be heard.

We must protect our civil rights and liberties and protect the constitution from the hands of the far-right conservatives.

President Bush couldn't run on his record, so he works to divide Americans on wedge issues like same-sex marriage to ignite his failing campaign. What's worse -- he's willing to do it by darkening our Constitution with an amendment that forbids our rights instead of protecting them — the only other amendment to do so was Prohibition.

All of our civil rights are at stake, and we must do everything we can to protect them. Please sign this petition today to oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment - all of our rights depend on it!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Victory for Farmworkers! Taco Bell Agrees to Increase Wages for Tomato Pickers]]> Read the full article!
More...]]> <![CDATA[ Don't Let Frist Eliminate the Filibuster! - update]]>
"We're heartened that the crisis has been averted and the right to filibuster preserved for upcoming Supreme Court nominations. We are confident that a Supreme Court nominee who won't even state a position on Roe v. Wade is the kind of extraordinary circumstance this deal envisions. And we are determined to see Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor -- three judges whose combined respect for individual rights remains negligible -- defeated with the votes of the moderate senators on both sides that supported this compromise.

Pro-choice Americans from across the country rallied against the nuclear option, sending more than 150,000 phone calls, emails and other messages to senators. Our efforts against these nominations will start first thing tomorrow, and will be even more intense."

Read the NARAL Pro-Choice America press release.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Senate Begins Debating Bolton's Nomination]]> The Senate has started to debate the nomination of Mr. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.

The Ohio Republican whose opposition to John R. Bolton as United Nations ambassador nearly stalled his nomination in committee took a further step by circulating a letter urging colleagues to vote against Mr. Bolton when his name reaches the Senate floor, possibly this week.

The letter from Senator George R. Voinovich was sent to all senators, but it was aimed particularly at fellow Republicans in a chamber in which the party holds a 55-44 majority (with one independent). At least five Republicans would have to join Mr. Voinovich in opposing Mr. Bolton if the nomination were to be defeated.

Act Now before it is too late. Send an email to your Senators to reinforce Senator Voinovich's message - urge them to oppose Bolton's nomination.

For more information on Senator Voinovich's letter click here.
For more information on Mr. Bolton's nomination click here.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Urgent: Stop the Patriot Act Expansion]]> Decisive House and Senate votes on the future of the Patriot Act are right around the corner. For nearly four years now, our government has claimed the kind of unchecked power and lack of due process that challenge the most fundamental principles of freedom and democracy.

Now the Bush Administration and some leaders in Congress want to make every one of those powers permanent and are even pressing for further expanding the Patriot Act's assault on fundamental freedoms.

People across the country have made clear their opposition to the Patriot Act. Hundreds of communities - and seven states - have passed resolutions against the Patriot Act and held town hall meetings to discuss its impact on their residents and our Constitution. Congress has a duty to listen to its constituents.

The Patriot Act needs to be reformed, not expanded. There are significant flaws in the Patriot Act, flaws that threaten your fundamental freedoms by giving the government the power to access to your medical records, tax records, information about the books you buy or borrow, all without probable cause. It also gives the government the power to obtain a special 'sneak and peek' search warrant to break into your home and conduct secret searches without telling you for weeks, months or indefinitely.

It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or Republican, a progressive or a conservative: liberty is a universal value. Make your voice heard, tell Congress that the Patriot Act should not be made permanent, and it absolutely must not be expanded.


Take Action]]> <![CDATA[You're invited to talk online with Senator Barbara Boxer!]]> "What is the outlook for future Supreme Court openings - and how will these nominations affect me?"

If this is a question you ask yourself, then take a moment to read on about an online event Wednesday, June 29, that you won't want to miss.

We're all concerned about the upcoming judicial nomination battles in the Senate - from the lower courts to the Supreme Court. We've followed the rancorous debates over the "nuclear option" and we know that women's rights are at stake like never before.

Here's your chance to find out how the upcoming court battles could affect you. For straight talk with an insider's perspective on what judicial nominations could mean for women, you are invited to join a conversation - by phone or online - with Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Marcia Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women's Law Center, next Wednesday, June 29th at 1:00 p.m. EST.

This event is a fantastic opportunity for activists to interact with leaders in the struggle for women's rights and equality. Senator Boxer and Ms. Greenberger will talk about the controversy over judicial nominations and take questions from attendees. The event is free but space is limited, so register online today!

Take Action]]> <![CDATA[The Battle for the Supreme Court Starts Now!]]> For the first time in over a decade, there's a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Unless we act quickly and forcefully, it will be filled by a right-wing extremist bent on ending a woman's right to choose.

On July 1, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the Supreme Court - and sent a shudder through the pro-choice community. Throughout her tenure, Justice O'Connor has been one of the "swing" votes on the Supreme Court, part of the razor-thin majority that has kept Roe v. Wade from being dismantled.

It's time for pro-choice Americans to fight back. Sign our petition to tell President Bush that you'll firmly oppose any Supreme Court nominee who doesn't support Roe v. Wade, then spread the word to your pro-choice friends and family. We'll deliver your letter to both President Bush and your Senators, who will have to confirm any nominee. Don't let Bush's choice mean the end of ours!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Light a Candle for London - Condolences from Around the World]]> The bomb blasts that killed over 50 and injured more than 700 people Thursday, July 7, in London affected all of us, in every country in the world. We stand with the people of London as fellow peace-loving human beings, and offer our deepest condolences and well-wishes. Here, we light a virtual candle for the victims and survivors of the London terror bombings of July 7, 2005.

Add your photo or comment to our virtual condolence book, and light a candle for London and for peace today.

Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Supreme Court Nominee: Environment Stands to Lose]]> Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement means our most basic environmental laws may be in jeopardy.

As a mainstream conservative justice, Justice O'Connor often cast the decisive vote in favor of protecting environmental safeguards enjoyed by all Americans. For this reason, the question of who will fill the vacancy created by her departure holds serious consequences for the future of our environment. Given the President's track record of sending the Senate controversial judicial nominees who are outside the mainstream -- like Janice Rogers Brown and William Myers III -- there is good reason to be concerned.

Earthjustice has led the conservation community's efforts to ensure that those confirmed to lifetime judgeships will fairly uphold and enforce legal safeguards and will not be biased in favor of powerful special interests. We know just how hard we must work to preserve the Supreme Court's vital role in protecting the environment -- and we need your help to make it happen.

Please take action TODAY! Tell your senators to make sure the new Supreme Court justice is not biased against laws that protect our environment!

Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Supreme Court Battle: The Status of Roe v. Wade]]>
Question: "Isn't it true that Roe v. Wade won't be overturned, no matter who is appointed to the Court, since the justices don't like to overturn previous opinions?"

Answer:
  • Trusting far right judges to respect precedent is not a risk we can afford to take when the Court already has several members who've voted to overturn Roe in previous cases.
  • Three of the current justices have explicitly said Roe should be overturned (and two of them are among the youngest members of the Court).
  • In fact, the Court will overturn its precedents whenever a majority wants to.
  • President Bush has already nominated numerous judges to other Federal courts who are advocates of overturning Roe.
  • The Court could also claim that it is not overturning Roe, but permit many more restrictions on the right to choose so the right would be even more limited than it has already become.

More...]]> <![CDATA[President Bush Seeks Advice From Jerry Falwell on Supreme Court Nominee]]> Divisive Radical Right Leader 'Trusts' Bush to Name Someone He’ll Like

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, expressed concern about reports today that the Bush Administration has actively sought the advice of radical right leader Jerry Falwell on whom to nominate for vacancy on the Supreme Court, stripping the White House of any credibility in searching for a consensus candidate who can unify the country.

In a story published in the New York Times on July 13, Falwell -- who enraged Americans after the September 11, 2001 attacks by saying that we could expect more attacks if "God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve" -- confirmed that the White House reached out to him to seek his advice on a Supreme Court nominee. The paper reported that Falwell "declined to offer advice, telling the White House staff member that, because of Mr. Bush's track record appointing conservative judges, '"I am willing to sit back and trust him and pray for him."

"We're glad that President Bush is reaching out for advice, but this isn't the direction we had in mind," said Keenan. "Consulting with Jerry Falwell is not a recipe for bringing America together. Even more troubling is the assurance Falwell has apparently been given that any nominee would meet his litmus test of opposing personal freedoms like the right to privacy and a woman's right to choose. Any nominee who can earn Jerry Falwell’s trust is someone who’ll likely be hard for mainstream America to swallow.

Keenan added "When Americans read the vicious words that came from Jerry Falwell in the wake of our worst tragedy ever, they saw his true colors. That the President would seek the counsel of such a person is unconscionable."
More...]]> <![CDATA[The Battle for the Supreme Court Starts Now! - update]]> In a devastating move, George W. Bush has nominated John Roberts to replace Justice O'Connor's swing vote on the U.S. Supreme Court. By nominating John Roberts, George Bush has issued a slap in the face to every American who values personal privacy and a woman's right to choose.

If Roberts is confirmed to a lifetime appointment, there is little doubt that he will work to overturn Roe v. Wade. As Deputy Solicitor General under the first President Bush, he argued to the Supreme Court that "Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled...." We must not allow someone who's spent his career advocating ending the right to choose to be appointed to the most important court in our country.

Some of the lowlights of Judge Roberts' background include:
  • As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court (in a case that did not implicate Roe v. Wade) that "[w]e continue to believe that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled…. [T]he Court's conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion… finds no support in the text, structure, or history of the Constitution."
  • In Rust v. Sullivan, the Supreme Court considered whether Department of Health and Human Services regulations limiting the ability of Title X recipients to engage in abortion-related activities violated various constitutional provisions. Roberts, appearing on behalf of HHS as Deputy Solicitor General, argued that this domestic gag rule did not violate constitutional protections.
  • Roberts, again as Deputy Solicitor General, filed a "friend of the court" brief for the United States supporting Operation Rescue and six other individuals who routinely blocked access to reproductive health care clinics, arguing that the protesters' behavior did not amount to discrimination against women even though only women could exercise the right to seek an abortion.
  • The Court was so accustomed to the Solicitor General and the Deputy Solicitor General arguing for the overturn of Roe that during John Roberts' oral argument before the Supreme Court in Bray, a Justice Asked, "Mr. Roberts, in this case are you asking that Roe v. Wade be overruled?" He responded, "No, your honor, the issue doesn't even come up." To this the justice said, "Well, that hasn't prevented the Solicitor General from taking that position in prior cases."

More...]]> <![CDATA[Supreme Court nominee may threaten environmental protections]]> It's official: President Bush has nominated Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

This development dramatically raises the stakes for the environment.

Given his record so far, we have reason for concern. From his seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Roberts was one of only two judges to argue for a review of a decision that upheld the constitutionality of key Endangered Species Act safeguards.

Roberts also demonstrated a callous attitude toward our nation's strong support for protecting threatened and endangered species. As noted today in The New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today, Roberts famously questioned whether Congress has the power to prevent the extinction of what he flippantly called "a hapless toad that, for reasons of its own, lives its entire life in California."

The Senate's decision on whether to confirm Roberts's nomination has the potential to threaten basic environmental laws almost immediately. Industry groups already have filed lawsuits raising constitutional and other challenges to a wide range of federal environmental protections. The laws under attack include the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and statutes that protect the health, safety, and rights of working families and consumers. As a Supreme Court Justice, Judge Roberts would have the power to reverse decades of progress in protecting public health and our environment.

We don't want to roll back the progress we have made in protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the wild places that are our natural heritage. The public has the right to insist that the highest court in our country be fair, balanced, and independent from powerful special interests.

Read More
More...]]> <![CDATA[Tell Your Senators to Oppose Anti-Choice John Roberts]]> Just as we feared, President Bush has nominated a right-wing judicial activist with an anti-choice track record to the Supreme Court: John Roberts.

If Roberts is confirmed to a lifetime appointment, there is little doubt that he will work to overturn Roe v. Wade. As Deputy Solicitor General under the first President Bush, he argued to the Supreme Court that "Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled...." We must not allow someone who's spent his career advocating ending the right to choose to be appointed to the most important court in our country.

It's time for pro-choice Americans - we are in the majority after all - to fight back. Send an email to your U.S. senators right now to oppose Roberts.

Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Protect the Reproductive Rights of California's Young Women]]> As part of a special election called by Governor Schwarzenegger, Californians will see a dangerous initiative on the ballot this November. Qualifying for the ballot is a parental notification measure on a woman's access to abortion, which threatens the health and well being of young women in our state.

We believe that real family communication begins at home, not at the ballot box. Our focus should be on prevention of unwanted pregnancies through comprehensive sex education, counseling and access to contraceptives.

This proposed amendment to California's constitution would do nothing to reduce the number of unintended teen pregnancies - pregnancies that have in fact declined 40% in California over the past decade without government mandates like this one!

Join us in opposing The Parental Notification and Child Protection Act, because parents and teens need real world solutions, not constitutional amendments.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[House Votes to Renew Patriot Act]]> The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 257-171 to extend the Patriot Act, despite objections by civil libertarians and activists around the country and the world. Hundreds of local governments and states have adopted resolutions opposing the legislation.

The House voted to make 14 of the 16 provisions set to expire permanent, and to extend the other two provisions for another 10 years. One of these two provisions is section 215, which gives the FBI secret access to people's business, medical, library, bookstore and other shopping records.

"Instead of allowing a thorough debate on relevant amendments that would help place proper checks against government abuse," said Lisa Graves, Senior Counsel for Legislative Strategy for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), House leadership "refused to allow votes on key amendments that would have restored key checks and balances and helped ensure greater oversight and protection of our civil liberties."

Significant differences remain between the House and Senate versions of the bill, and the bill now goes to the Senate.

Find out how your representative voted.
Read the full ACLU statement.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Bush Bypasses Senate and Appoints Bolton to UN]]> appointed him to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, an institution he has repeatedly belittled.

Senate Democrats oppose Bolton on the grounds that evidence suggests he has tried to intimidate his staff when they disagree with him; manipulated intelligence information to meet his views; and most recently lied to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the fact that he had been interviewed in recent investigations.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Demand Justice for Linda]]> Linda Loaiza's waking nightmare began 4 years ago at the age of 18 when she was kidnapped, held prisoner in her attacker's home, and repeatedly raped, beaten and tortured. She was finally rescued by Venezuelan police 4 months later.

Demand Justice!
But Linda's suffering didn't end with her rescue. After waiting 3 years for a trial, the court set a trial date only AFTER Linda resorted to holding a 2-week hunger strike on the steps of the Supreme Court to raise media awareness of her plight. Amazingly, the judge appointed to the case let her attacker (the son of a very influential Venezuelan man) go free, citing a lack of evidence despite the fact that Linda was rescued from his apartment and he had been previously arrested for attacking another woman in 1999.

Linda's experience is deeply disturbing - both for the violence she suffered and for the corruption and the injustice she has faced in her quest to put her attacker behind bars where he can't hurt her or others. Linda's story is representative of the immense difficulty faced by women in many parts of the world when they seek justice in the face of violence and abuse.

It's been many months and Linda is still awaiting a trial date. Please don't let the Venezuelan justice system drag their feet any longer or deny Linda justice once again!

Demand Justice for Linda - send a letter asking key Venezuelan officials to ensure a timely and fair trial.

Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Stand Up for Iraqi Women]]>
Iraq, January 30, 2005: Women waiting to vote in elections. (Photo courtesy U.S. Embassy Baghdad.) Women in Iraq have more to fear these days than the horrors of war. As the August 15 deadline approaches for the completion of the new Iraqi constitution, women in Iraq fear that their hard-won rights could disappear.

Iraq's existing laws regarding women's rights are some of the most progressive in the Middle East. But Article 14 of the new draft constitution aims to replace these laws with Islamic Sharia law - which could dramatically affect women's rights in marriage, court, education and the political system, including the right to vote.

Stand up for Iraqi women! Send a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today and urge her to advocate to protect the rights of women in Iraq by working with the Iraqi government to repeal Article 14 and guarantee women's rights under the law.

Take Action]]> <![CDATA[John Roberts nominated to Chief Justice]]> Roe v. Wade on the line, we must continue to fight this nomination. Two vacancies give Bush the chance to name another replacement for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was often the key swing vote on cases involving the right to choose.

If Roberts is confirmed as Chief Justice, he would be an even greater threat to fundamental American freedoms, including the right to privacy and right to choose. Roberts' nomination to this pivotal post only underscores the need for him to provide clear answers to questions on issues related to individual freedom during his hearings before the Senate. The Bush administration also must drop its opposition to releasing documents related to Roberts' tenure as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General during the first Bush administration. Given the profound importance of the Chief Justice position, the American people have a right to all the information about Roberts’ record and legal philosophy.

The Senate was scheduled to begin its committee hearings on Roberts' nomination September 6, however, due to Chief Justice Rehnquist's death and Roberts' nomination to Chief Justice, the hearings have been postponed until Monday, September 12.

Senators still need to hear from us. The next few days will be critical as the Senate prepares for Roberts' hearings for Chief Justice. President Bush could also nominate a second Justice any day. Help us send a strong message to the Senate that the American public opposes John Roberts.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Teach Science, Not Intelligent Design]]> But instead of improving the quality of science education, movements across the country are trying to substitute ideology for fact in our classrooms.

The freedom of religion and the quality of public education are being put to the test in Dover, Pennsylvania, where a landmark court case is shaping up, as schoolteachers rebel against being forced to teach creationism in their biology classrooms along with evolution.

At issue in Dover, PA, is a new policy requiring all ninth-grade biology teachers to read a statement on "Intelligent Design" before teaching evolution lessons. The district is believed to be the first in the country to require such a disclaimer.

But the problem with this policy is that science is based on facts and testable predictions; religion is based on faith. And unfortunately, "intelligent design" is no more than religious creationism dressed up with a new name. A quality science education teaches children to weigh evidence, think critically, and apply the scientific method to test theories. A study of "intelligent design" does none of these things.

For the sake of our children and the competitiveness of our country, urge your state governor to defend the integrity of science education in our schools!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Join the Fight Against Inequality in America]]> The events after Hurricane Katrina awakened Americans to the dramatic differences between rich and poor -- but the need to finish the fight for equality was lost on our national leaders.

Just days after the disaster...

  • President Bush suspended prevailing wage laws, and allowed federal contractors to pay employees unlivable wages in an area already stricken with poverty.
  • Congress passed a $50 billion dollar assistance bill, but failed to provide any oversight against unlawful housing discrimination, and unequal distribution of relief funds.
  • The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has exempted federal contractors from affirmative action requirements.
  • And the Secretary of Education sought to waive segregation laws, denying homeless children equal opportunity to public schooling.

This is a country where people pull together in the face of disaster. It's our heritage to help one another, and our tradition to fight for fairness.

Remind our national leaders that all Americans deserve no less than the full protection of their civil rights, and that we must not stop the unfinished fight for racial and economic equality.


Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Major victory for our children and our future.]]> On Tuesday, voters in Dover, Pennsylvania ousted the school board members who pushed intelligent design into the classroom. Dover was the first school district in the country to mandate that students be introduced to intelligent design in the science classroom, sparking a landmark trial that is now pending decision.

The board member with the fewest votes was Alan Bonsell – the member who initially pushed to give intelligent design and evolution equal weight in the science curriculum.

This is a significant victory for all those who believe religious ideology has no place in the science classroom.

On a more sobering note, the Kansas Board of Education voted 6 to 4, as expected, to change its science standards to permit the teaching of intelligent design.

DefCon was in the forefront of the opposition to the Kansas school board.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Defend Asylum for Survivors of Trafficking]]>
When Ann turned in her request for asylum, she was only 17 years old, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The Immigration Judge said that she would not be eligible for asylum anyway because her kidnap, rape and threatened sale into prostitution were merely "personal" and "criminal" acts by a rejected suitor. Overwhelming evidence shows, however, that the man who kidnapped her treated her the way traffickers prepare their victims to be trafficked.

U.S. Women Without Borders is working with the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies to win justice for Ann and others in her position. Take action now to ensure that Ann is not sent back into the hands of her persecutors. Protest the one-year deadline for minors. Demand that our government protect victims of trafficking by giving them asylum in this country.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Georgia Poised to O.K. Bible Study in Public Schools]]> The Georgia State Senate passed two pieces of legislation that pose a serious threat to the separation of church and state. One would create state-funded Bible classes in Georgia public schools. The second would allow the Ten Commandments to be displayed by county governments.

Both bills are on Governor Sonny Perdue's desk, and he is contemplating whether to sign them. That's why we need you to take action today.

The religious right will stop at nothing to push their theology in the public square or our public schools. And now, they want to use public dollars to do it!

Take action now and demand that Governor Perdue defend the Constitution and Georgia's citizens from these attacks on the doctrine of separation of church and state.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Tell Congress Not to Side With Corporate Interests on Internet Neutrality]]> Internet neutrality is the idea that the Internet should be a free and open network. But large media companies have been jockeying for more control over it and recently, they experienced a small, but alarming victory.

A Congressional panel voted to make it easier for phone and cable companies to block or slow your access to sites and services on the Web.

Why? Because telephone and cable companies, like AT&T and Comcast, own the lines that connect you to the Internet, they can control where you go and how fast you get there. By blocking or slowing access to Internet-based services that compete with their own offerings like Internet-telephone, music, and video downloads, they reduce competition and increase business -- but for Internet users like you and me, this is bad news.

Now, the issue goes before Congress and if they pass this legislation, it would be like opening Pandora’s box. Once phone and cable companies are granted the legal ability to block or inhibit your access to the Web and its services, access to information becomes monopolized, making it near impossible for bloggers, start-ups, and every day people to create new content or access it.

We need to stand up, before the last great democratic frontier falls under the control of corporate America. Take a moment now to tell Congress why the Internet must be kept free and open, for everyone!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Protect Independent TV, News, and Radio. Stop Media Consolidation!]]>

Big media companies are lobbying the FCC to rewrite our media ownership rules, which currently limit how many local media outlets a given company can control in every town.

Vying for more market control, these conglomerates want to overturn current protections, particularly the rule on "newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership." This rule prevents companies from owning the major daily newspaper and one or two broadcast TV stations in the same town.

If ownership limits are eliminated, ONE media company could potentially own the major daily newspaper, at least EIGHT radio stations and THREE or more television stations in the same town. When big media companies own most of the radio, TV, newspapers in town, the media outlets drift away from serving local needs and air fewer local voices and opinions.

Join Consumer's Union in telling the FCC to stop media consolidation! Be part of the official record, and urge the FCC and Congress to ensure that we have reasonable media rules that ensure diversity, localism and competition.


Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Tell Verizon Wireless to stop hanging up on workers' rights]]> Verizon Wireless, one of the nation's most popular wireless providers, is also gaining a reputation as one of the most anti-union. The company has aggressively fought efforts by its employees to form unions to improve their workplace.

Call out Verizon Wireless on its behavior. Urge the company to let their workers have a free and fair chance to form a union.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Boycott C.K. Mondavi and Charles Krug Wines]]> Fired Charles Krug-Mondavi workers are calling for a nationwide boycott of all Charles Krug and C.K. Mondavi wine labels. The contract between the United Farm Workers and Charles Krug-Mondavi expired and the company has refused to return to the bargaining table to re-negotiate an agreement.

In July of this year, all of the vineyard workers from the Krug-Mondavi Winery were fired just after the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board told the winery it was filing a formal complaint against it. The ALRB complaint alleges Krug-Mondavi has no right to refuse to bargain with its vineyard workers over renewing their United Farm Workers contract.

Krug-Mondavi does not care about its employees nor do they seem to be worried about what the law says. It had no legal or moral right to fire these workers! Now, workers with children and families to support are unjustly out of a job.

Fired Charles Krug-Mondavi employees are calling for a nationwide boycott of all Charles Krug and C.K. Mondavi wine labels. Help the workers get their jobs back. Join the UFW boycott of Krug-Mondavi wines.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Tell Congress to Make Our Rights a Priority in 2007]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[AT&T and Verizon: Don't Share Our Personal Information]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Urge the Senate to Stand up for Workers' Rights]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Homeland Security scheming to track every American - Submit comments now!]]> The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched an attack on our privacy rights and personal freedoms.

DHS is aiming to issue a national identity card, known as Real ID, to every American. The national ID card could dictate how you travel, what government buildings you can and cannot enter and whether or not some of your financial transactions would be authorized.

America does not need this costly "big brother" nightmare. Consider the following:

  • The Real ID card will enable the routine tracking of individuals and propel us towards a surveillance society.
  • This scheme opens the floodgates to invade the privacy of ordinary, law-abiding citizens.
  • The creation of a single interlinked database will create one-stop shopping for identity thieves.
  • The Real ID will make it easy for any business to save your personal information and sell it to other companies.
  • People whose religious beliefs forbid them from having their pictures taken or using a social security card will be forced to obey this law to participate in our society.
  • This Act creates huge administrative burdens for each state and will cost Americans over $23 billion through higher taxes and licensing fees. It provides no federal funds for implementation.

The Department of Homeland Security is accepting comments on the Real ID Act through May 8. The number of comments will be watched by many influential Members of Congress, not just your own.

Your personal comments are critical to prevent Real ID from becoming a Real Nightmare! Please add your comments below.


Take Action]]> <![CDATA[California's youth prisons promote violence and relapse - Close them down!]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Fight hate crimes!]]> where the radical right, terrified of this legislation, has stepped up their attacks.

The Matthew Shepard Act would expand current Federal hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity - something more than two-thirds of Americans support. The bill would also give local law enforcement agencies the resources they need to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

The Human Rights Campaign, America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality, is leading the charge on this bill.

It is essential that we get a broad enough majority - and strong Republican support - to help the Senate pass the bill and discourage a presidential veto.

Tell your Senators to support the Matthew Shepard Act!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Ask Congress to Give Workers RESPECT]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[End Workplace Discrimination: Pass ENDA Now!]]> Equal Opportunity - Unless You're Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender.

In 31 states, it's still legal to fire someone because they're gay; in 39 states it is legal to fire someone for being transgender.

Thousands of hardworking GLBT Americans have lost their livelihoods simply because of who they are. The Human Rights Campaign is leading the charge to end this bitter injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), a federal bill that would make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote employees simply based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Our momentum for this historic legislation is building on Capitol Hill. But the radical right is flooding lawmakers with lies and misinformation about ENDA.

You can set the facts straight. Send your lawmakers a message today. Make sure they know passing ENDA is the American thing to do!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Give Bush Your Performance Review on Workers' Rights!]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[FedEx Ground: Your Drivers Deserve to be Treated Fairly!]]>
What's more, FedEx makes the drivers lease their own trucks (which cost around $40,000) so quitting can mean losing a major personal investment. Unions are often their only recourse.

FedEx Ground advertises efficiency and professionalism, but their anti-union posters and the distribution of anti-union videos show they're more about pushing their own agenda.

A new report shows that when anti-union persuasion fails, there's outright bullying. High-level management arrive on the scene to harass, isolate, retaliate against and even fire union supporters!

Resorting to nasty labor tactics to increase company profits is just not right. Demand that FedEx Ground give benefits and respect to the people who make the company so successful!
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Striking Writers Need Your Help]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Stand Firm Against the Privacy-Violating National ID Card]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Don't Let the Bush Administration and Telecom Companies Spy on Us!]]> Now, it's up to Congress to decide if the government can eavesdrop on Americans without a warrant, and whether or not telecommunications companies will get away with illegally helping the administration spy on us over the past six years.

For far too long, President Bush has been trying to expand his power at the expense of our freedom and the Constitution. The House of Representatives made a wise decision to let President Bush's reckless and unconstitutional spying bill expire. Now, they must stand strong and continue rejecting the administration’s fear mongering tactics.

Help protect our constitutional rights! Urge the House of Representatives to reject any legislation that does not restore judicial review and protect the privacy rights of innocent Americans.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Stop China's Crackdown on Tibet]]> Violence against protesters, monks and civilians in Tibet is quickly escalating as the deadly crackdown continues.

Only a few months away from the Beijing Summer Olympics, the Chinese government's violent attacks have already caused the death of around 100 people, while hundreds continue to be shot at, beat up and detained by China's security forces.

The atrocities committed to control these protests are a reminder of China's record of human rights abuses. The protests won't undermine the Olympics in China, but the brutal repression and use of force against the people of Tibet will.

We need you to sign this petition to the Olympic Games Officials and the United Nations to make sure help is on the way for the people of Tibet.


Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Give Us a Plan for a Financially-Secure America!]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Success: Supreme Court Restores Rule Of Law To Guantanamo]]> Read more.
More...]]> <![CDATA[Global Action for Zimbabwe]]> hope fades for free and fair elections. The people of Zimbabwe are suffering from intimidation, torture and other horrific abuses such as rape and food deprivation.

This wave of political violence has taken a devastating human toll since the March 29th election, with over 200,000 people internally displaced, 86 opposition supporters killed, 10,000 people injured, and 500 women and girls sexually abused or raped.

Zimbabwe's recent ban on international aid groups in the country has left up to half a million Zimbabwean children without health care and food. The Mugabe regime is distributing food mostly to its supporters and if the situation continues, it could lead to massive starvation.

Sign now to condemn the acts of violence occurring in Zimbabwe: urge the UN Security Council and Zimbabwe's neighbors to do everything in their power to help put an end to the horrific bloodshed and to restore peace and the rule of law.
Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Object to Privacy-Invading FISA Law]]> Take Action]]> <![CDATA[Obama: Hold Telecoms Accountable as President]]> Take Action]]>