vol. 66, no. 3 (May-June)

"NO" To naailgts "Race Information Ban"

ard Connerly is back in action in

California and that can only mean

one thing: the ACLU and our

allies have a fight on our hands.

On April 19th, the anti-affirmative

action activist filed close to a million signa-

tures with the Secretary of State - almost

certainly enough to qualify the so-called

"Racial Privacy Initiative" for the ballot in

either November 2002 or March 2004.

This time, the vision that Connerly is

pitching to voters is a "colorblind society" -

a world that has moved beyond its "obses-

sion" with race. The first step to achieving

this, he argues, is to stop the government

asking us about race - by eliminating the

checkboxes on government forms.

But this seductive vision is dangerous-

ly shortsighted, says a host of opponents,

including the ACLU. "We all want a color-

blind society," says ACLU-NC executive

director Dorothy Ehrlich. "But we do not

live in a colorblind world and we will not

solve the problem of racial discrimination

by hiding the fact that it exists. Make no

mistake; this initiative is not about pro-

tecting privacy. This initiative is about

imposing a race information blackout on

our state - a blackout that will set back for

generations our progress toward creating a

level playing field for all Californians."

If passed at the ballot box, this initia-

tive would have such sweeping ramifica-

tions for the state that it has already drawn

vocal opposition from leading environmen-

tal, education and public health organiza-

tions, as well as civil rights groups. At the

heart of Connerly's plan is an almost com-

plete ban on state and local agencies com-

SSSRseG Pes PSR SSRs PSRRSSRESSESRKESSPRSSSRSSSRSSCHCPRREPSCRRSPSRSSSRSESPCRBsSSSRBSESRRESSRESSRERSSSRESSHCRSES |

NEWSPAPER OF THE AAMERICAN Givin PAT ya ta] a UNIon oF NorRTHERN CALIFORNIA

aclu news.

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| piling any information on race or ethnict-

|

|

|

|

ty. It would obscure such critical informa-

tion as how many Latino students are

|

member of the executive board of the

American Public Health Association. "It's a

little like burning books."

"Why would you take information

that's useful and say it's against the

law? It's a little like burning books."

- Carmen Nevarez, MD

and Lynette Henley

graduating high school, whether the state

is making progress in minority contracting,

or why African American women have the

highest mortality rates from breast cancer.

"Why would you take information that's

useful and say it's against the law?" asks

Carmen Nevarez, MD, medical director at

California's Public Health Institute and a

| Press conference panelists: Maria Blanco, Carmen Nevarez, Alice Huffman, Paul Turner

Days after Connerly filed his signatures,

civil rights, public health and education |

leaders from across the state launched a

campaign to defeat the initiative at packed

news conferences in Los Angeles, San

Francisco and San Diego. ACLU-NC helped

organize the San Francisco news confer-

ence, where Nevarez was joined by

Protecting Privacy

magine a world where a simple scan of _

Jo face or your ID card as you board

an airplane can reveal where you live

and work, whether you are gay or straight,

and how much money you have in the bank.

For civil libertarians, this suggests a

world rife with privacy incursions; one

that opens the door to perilous error and

governmental abuse. But for many leaders

in the high-tech industry, this is a world of |

opportunity. Indeed, since September

llth, the industry has discovered a new |

boom: pitching the government techno-

logical innovations ostensibly designed to. |

keep Americans safe. And this is happen-_ |

ing in our own backyard, in the low-rise |

campuses of Silicon Valley.

Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, perhaps |

the most visible player in this market,

recently expounded on his plans for a pow-

erful national database that can cross ref- |

erence data from disparate sources in the |

New York Times Magazine. "l do think this |

database will exist, and I think Oracle will |

run it," he said. "And we're going to track |

everything." Ellison dismissed concerns |

ACLU experts on privacy and technology (left to right): Jay Stanley, Barry Steinhardt,

Ann Beeson, Jayashri Srikantiah, Dorothy Ehrlich and Ann Brick

about privacy and an omniscient govern-

ment with a simple but chilling phrase:

"privacy is gone."

Months earlier, at a special exhibition

dedicated to homeland defense at the

Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas,

one speaker cited by the Times predicted

that federal spending on security technolo-

gies would grow by 30 percent a year, rising

to $62 billion by 2006. Meanwhile, from in-

flight video surveillance cameras to a body-

scanning technology that "virtually" strips

passengers naked, experimental devices

have actually been installed around the

country since September 11th - with vary-

ing effectiveness and sometimes, ae lit-

tle or no debate.

In response to this burgeoning market

and to the new powers that the USA PATRI-

OT Act gave the government to monitor

email and Internet use, this April, the

ACLU announced the formation of a

Technology and Liberty Program. Led by

current associate director Barry

Steinhardt, with Ann Beeson as its litiga-

tion head, the program will work to ensure

that government-sanctioned technologies

pass a basic test: improving security with- -

out needlessly eroding civil liberties. When

Beeson and Steinhardt visited San |

Francisco in April, ALCU-NC took advan-

tage of their proximity to the heart of the

Continued on page 7

Non-Profit

Organization:

US Postage

PAID

Permit No. 4424

San Francisco, CA

spokespersons from the California

Teachers' Association (CTA), the California

Public Health Association, the Greenlining

Institute, the NAACP and MALDEF.

"If our schools are to strive for excel-

lence in an era of accountability, educators

must have access to every tool in the tool-

box," said Lynette Henley, a teacher in

Vallejo and a board member of the CTA.

Continued on page 6

SSRPSSHSSEPSSSSESERESSESE PRESS RRS SS

WHAT?'S INSIDE -

To Our Readers

or two decades, the ACLU News has tumbled through mailboxes throughout north-

Fn California bringing you civil liberties news six times a year under the masthead

you see on page one.

Now, we're preparing to make a few changes.

News cycles move more quickly than ever today, and many of us rely on the Internet for

up-to-the-minute information. In keeping with the times, the ACLU-NC plans to bring you

updates and alerts through a new monthly "e-news" email newsletter. We're also planning a

new look for the ACLU News - to help us deliver the best commentary, analysis and civil lib-

erties news directly to your doorstep.

As we consider these changes, we want to hear from you.

Please tell a little about yourself, and tell us what you look for in the ACLU News -

which news and features you can't live without - and which you can't live with. All you have

to do is answer the questions below. We won't share your information with anybody - but

we do promise to read every survey that you send back.

Thank you for your help.

Rachel Swain, Editor ACLU News

Dorothy Ehrlich, Executive Director

Gigi Pandian, Program Assistant

OFn a= $$ 3 enn ===

ACLU News Reader Survey

|. How long have you been an ACLU member?

2. Where do you'live?

3. Are you active in the ACLU as

L] a chapter activist

[_] a board member

[_] a volunteer

[_] other

[-] supportive, but not active

4. What is your occupation?

5. Are you C1 male [L female

6. Are you [] under 25 LI 26-40 oO 41-55 =

C 56-70 - [1 over 71

7. Which civil liberties issues are most important to you?

8. Do you read the ACLU News

L] cover to cover

L] skim read

L] if | have time

[1 no

9. Would you prefer to receive

[] sixissuesayear [] fourissuesayear [(] no preference

e aw

10. Do you read the ACLU News for

[_] updates on cases L] to stay in touch

[1 legislative news [_] other

[] information on local events or actions

11. Do you visit our website

[] daily

L] once a week

[1 occasionally

LJ never

12. Do you use email

[) daily

(J once a week

[] occasionally

[] never

13. Would you read an email newsletter from the ACLU-NC?

[1 yes L] no [J maybe

If yes, can we sign you up? (You can list your email address here

or email

gpandian@aclunc.org and ask for your name to be added to the list).

If no, please tell us why.

14. What kinds of stories or features would you like to see covered more

thoroughly in the ACLU News?

15. What would you like to see less of?

16. Please give us any other advice or feedback.

We can't promise to do everything you ask for but we do promise to

read every survey you return. Thank you!

Please clip and return to: Gigi Pandian, ACLU-NC, 1663 Mission Street #460, San.

Francisco, CA 94103, fax to 415-621-3074, or email your answers to

gpandian@aclunc.org.

| a 13-year ACLU veter-

| an, is focusing her

ACLU Leader Moves

on in Pens for Rights

BY GIGI PANDIAN

he ACLU-NC sadly bid adieu to a

[ssa leader `this spring. But

while Lisa Maldonado will no longer

serve as field director, her commitment to

defending civil liberties and pee will

flourish. Maldonado,

energies on complet-

ing her law degree at

the University of San

Francisco, with a

focus in - what else?

- civil liberties.

Maldonado began

her career at the

ACLU in 1989 as a

part-time complaint

line coordinator, and in 1994 found her

home in the field department. As field

director, she quickly became a respected

leader among ACLU chapter activists.

| "The most rewarding part of the job was

seeing the admirable work chapters did

fighting for important issues, particularly

on initiative campaigns," said Maldonado.

As well as working alongside chapters

throughout northern California,

Maldonado was responsible for producing

the annual Bill of Rights Day celebration

ACLU News = May-June 2002 = Pace 2

Lisa Maldonadoat a death penalty vigil.

chair of the field committee,

|- and the annual ACLU activist cpnterence

| "Being able to honor so many deserving

people at Bill of Rights Day is an incredible

feeling," she said. As the daughter of a

migrant worker, the celebration that hon- .

ored Dolores Huerta was especially mean-

ingful to her.

Now, Maldonado

is moving on, but not

apart, from the

ACLU. As part of her

studies, she has been

selected to work

against the death

= = penalty this summer

at the Capital Post-

. S = Conviction Project of

BS | ouisiana under the

tutelage of National

ACLU Board Member Denise Le Boeuf.

"It has been a privilege to work along-

side you all these years," Mickey Welsh,

told

Maldonado as the Board bid her farewell.in

March. "We'll see you in court!"

Maria Archuleta, a former public informa-

tion associate at ACLU-NC, ts serving as inier-

im field director until Maldonado's

replacement is hired. Contact Maria at

marchuleta@aclunc.org, 415-621-2493 x 346.

SECPHGCRRHORTEREERHERERORHPHEHE REE RAHERHERHEEHHHEEHERDERSSERODE

Free Speech Victory in

U.S. Supreme Court

By ANDY LURIE

n a major victory for First Amendment

advocates, the U.S. Supreme Court

struck down Congress's attempt to -

expand the definition of child pornography |

in-the federal Child Pornography Prevention

Act on April 16th, saying that the law "pro- -

hibits speech despite its serious literary,

artistic, political, or scientific value."

"The court said that this law impermis-

ae

=

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

sibly punishes the expression of ideas -

instead of punishing the abuse of children," _

said Ann Brick, a staff attorney with the

ACLU-NC, which filed a friend-of-the-court

brief in the case together with the national _

office. "This ruling constitutes a significant -

and forceful defense of First Amendment -

principles."

material that depicts what "appear(s) to

be a minor" or that is advertised in a way

that "conveys the impression" that a

minor was involved in its creation. This

extends to images created by a comput-

er, photographs of young-looking adults, |

and scenes from Academy Award-win-

ning films like Traffic and American

Beauty.

The criminal law could also be applied

to "a picture in a psychology manual, as |

well as a movie depicting the horrors of

sexual abuse," the court wrote. This is the

kind -of- material used by

the ACLU's clients, which include Institute

for the Advanced Study of Human |

Sexuality, the Society for Professional |

Journalists, and the Radio and Television -

News

"This ruling constitutes a

significant and forceful

defense of First

Amendment principles."

-Ann Brick

Association.

opposing the law chal-

lenged a provision that

banned the use of identifi-

able children in computer-

`altered sexual images. In

addition, child pornogra-

phy that involves real chil-

Justice Anthony Kennedy, who

authored the 6-3 majority opinion, saved

some of his strongest language for his

rebuke of the government's attempt to act

dren has been illegal for

Directors -

Indeed, as the court |

noted, none of the groups |

many years, and that law |

was not affected this recent ruling.

The newly decided case is Ashcroft v.

| Free Speech Coalition, No. 00-795. The |

ACLU's legal brief in the case is online at

as the "thought police," saying "The right |

to think is the beginning of freedom, and

speech must be protected from the gov-

ernment because speech is the beginning |

of thought."

The definition of child pornography -

in the 1996 Act barred sexually explicit

www.aclu.org/court/ ashcroft2.pdf:

The ACLU's clients were represented |

by Brick, ACLU staff attorney Ann |

Beeson, ACLU legal director Steven R.

Shapiro, and William Bennett Turner of |

the San Francisco-based

laws firm |

Rogers, Joseph, O'Donnell and Phillips. Hi

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"One Strike" Drug

Evictions Stand

6G at has the Supreme Court

been smoking?" asked syndi- -

cated columnist Arianna.

Huffington on April Ist.

Huffington was up in arms about the

high court's unanimous ruling in AUD v.

Rucker, a case that the ACLU and ACLU-

NC helped champion through federal dis-

trict court all the way to the U.S. Supreme

Court. In a bitter defeat on March 26th,

"Regardless of knowledge, a tenant (c)

who cannot control drug crime, or other |

criminal activities by a household mem- |

ber which threaten health or safety of |

other residents, is a threat to other resi- -

dents and the project," wrote Chief -

Justice William H. Rehnquist, who |

authored the majority opinion.

"We are very disappointed that the

court overturned sound decisions by a fed-

"There is simply no justification

for evicting innocent people

from their homes."

- Alan Schlosser

the court upheld the federal government's |

draconian "one strike and you're out" rule

permitting evictions for drug use in public |

housing. The ruling sanctioned the contro- _

versial practice of "no-fault evictions" of -

people who are unaware that their rela-

tives or friends possess illegal drugs - peo- |

ple like Pearlie Rucker, the lead plaintiff in

the case. The Oakland Housing Authority

evicted Rucker, a 63-year-old grandmother, -

when her mentally disabled daughter was

caught with cocaine three blocks away

from Rucker's apartment.

|

|

|

|

}

|

|

eral district court in Oakland and the |

Ninth Circuit en banc, which both ruled |

that this statute does not apply to innocent -

bystanders," said Alan Schlosser, legal -

director of ACLU-NC. "It's absurd to char-

acterize an elderly grandmother like

Pearlie Rucker as a threat to others and

there is simply no justification for evicting

innocent people from their homes. The

ACLU will explore other avenues for over- -

turning this damaging policy."

The ACLU national office and the ACLU- |

NC filed amicus briefs in the case.

|

ACLU Tas = May-June 2002 = Pace 3

separation of powers doctrine. The court

_also

s a pivotal case on drug testing in

Ast went before the US.

upreme Court this session, the

Modoc Joint Unified School District was

attracting attention with a proposal of its -

own. Going one step further than the drug

tests for students

Modoc Bacics Down on

Drug Tests for Teens

tragically, keep students away from the

very extracurricular activities that are a

proven means of reducing the very drug use

you hope to eliminate," said the letter, from

Judith Appel of the Drug Policy Alliance

and Ann Brick-of the ACLU-NC. - s

involved in extracur-

ricular activities

at issue in Pottawa-

tomie County v. Farl,

Modoe's policy pro-

posed mandatory ran-

dom drug and alcohol

tests for all students

"",..drug testing is actually

counterproductive to the

goal of reducing drug use

and abuse among students."

in grades 9-12. Any

student who refused to take the test or who

tested positive would be barred from

extracurricular activities.

Then the Drug Policy Alliance and the

ACLU-NC stepped in. On the evening that

the board of trustees was set to consider

the proposal, the two organizations sent a

powerful letter arguing that the drug test

policy would do more harm than good.

"The proposed policy will not only fail

to address drug use, it will unnecessarily

force a wedge of distrust between students

and teachers, co-opt important parent

decision-making regarding how to address

their children's behavior, and perhaps most

See SSE SEES SR SHES SR ESRRESEHEE SRS SE ESRHRESHSRESSRRSRRSS HRS SES ES

State Supreme Court

Deals Blow to

Juvenile Justice

By STELLA RICHARDSON |

n a major setback for advocates of |

| ive justice and voters' rights, on

February 28th, the California Supreme |

Court upheld Proposition 21, the sweeping _

juvenile crime measure passed by voters in |

November 2000.

In a 6-1 decision, with Justice Kennard |

dissenting, the high court held that the |

new law's provision giving prosecutors |

rather than juvenile court judges the dis- |

cretion to charge children in adult crimi-

nal court did not violate the constitutional

rejected the -argument that

Proposition 21 violated the California

Constitution by rolling multiple subjects

into one ballot initiative.

More than 50 organizations and individ-

_uals, including the ACLU, the League of

Women Voters of California and the

California Teachers' Association, submitted

briefs urging the court to strike down the

voter-approved initiative in Manduley v.

Superior Court, in which the San Diego

District Attorney is prosecuting eight youths

as adults. The high court agreed to review

the case after the Fourth District Court. of

Appeal ruled that Proposition 21 unconsti-

tutionally strip-ped judges of their power.

"This is a very disappointing ruling |

from the standpoint of juvenile justice

because Proposition 21 is very bad policy,"

said Steven Mayer, chair of the ACLU-NC's

legal committee, a partner at the law firm |

Howard Rice, and author of the ACLU's

amicus brief. Experts on the issue point to

studies showing that children who are

channeled into the adult criminal justice |

system are more likely to become repeat

offenders later in life than their peers who

are tried in the juvenile system.

"This ruling also tells us that in the

area of criminal law the single-subject rule

Justices Moreno and Werdegar disagreed

with the majority's reasoning on the sin-

gle-subject rule. In particular, Justice

Jordan, employing a liberally interpreted

ballot. @

Citing briefs filed in Pottawatomie

County v. Karl by the American Academy

of Pediatrics, the American Public Health

Association, the National Education

Association and other health and educa-

tion groups, the letter pointed out that

drug testing is actually counterproductive

to the goal of reducing drug use and abuse

among students. "We urge you to vote

against the proposed drug testing policy

and implement proven, effective and cost-

effective strategies for addressing adoles-

cent drug use," the letter concluded.

That evening, the trustees voted to

reject the proposal. Hf

currently lacks teeth,' said Mayer.

However, Mayer did identify a glimmer of

hope in the ruling. In concurring opinions,

Moreno questioned the inclusion of provi-

sions expanding the offenses that can

trigger a Three Strikes sentence, and sug-

gested that the court had applied too liber-

al a standard in earlier decisions on the

rule. Referring to a 1949 case in which the

court "assumed, without explanation" that

the single-subject rule for initiatives

should be defined in the same manner as

the single-subject rule on_ legislation,

Justice Moreno wrote:

"Unfortunately, our subsequent cases

have uncritically followed Perry v.

"reasonably germane' test rather than a

test designed, as the ballot argument to

the single-subject rule states, to "elimi-

nate [|] the possibility" of voter confusion

caused when "improper emphasis is

placed upon one feature and the remain-

ing features [are] ignored."

"A lot of people think the ballot initia-

tive process is out of control, with too

many initiatives that are too sweeping in

their scope. It may be that our case started

a process that will lead to an evolving

interpretation by the court on the single-

subject rule," said Mayer.

The ACLU's remaining challenge to

Proposition 21 is fully briefed and ready

for oral argument in the court of appeal.

In League of Women Voters v. Davis, the

ACLU argues that Proposition 21 violat-

ed California election law because the

version of the initiative that was circu-

lated by signature gatherers is different

from the version that appeared on the

BY GIGI PANDIAN

rofessor David Harris of Toledo

Patresy began his talk on March

13th with a promise: "I'm going to

spend my few minutes with you tonight to

persuade you that racial profiling will not

make us more safe." Over the next 90 min-

utes, in front of a packed house at Diesel

Books in Oakland, Harris and a panel of

experts did just that.

At Diesel Books in Oakland, David Harris, King Downing,

Michelle Alexander, Fadi Saba, and Rashida Grinage discuss

why racial profiling cannot work

Harris, a national authority on racial

profiling, was in town as part of a 18-city

book tour designed to spark discussion of

racial profiling in the post-September 11th

world and to promote Harris' new book,

Profiles in Injustice: Why Racial Profiling

Cannot Work. The Oakland event, orga-

nized by the Paul Robeson Chapter of the

ACLU, featured King Downing from the

national ACLU, who accompanied Harris on

the tour, Michelle Alexander of the ACLU-

NC, Fadi Saba of the Arab American Anti-

Discrimination Committee, and community

activist Rashidah Grinage. Captain Ron

Davis of the Oakland police department was

also in attendance and said a few words in

support of the panelists' arguments against

racial profiling.

Harris relayed a short history of racial

profiling before

spelling out its dan-

gers. His argument is

simple but compelling

only ineffective, but

actually does more

harm than good.

' Questioning people

based on race or eth-

nicity rather than

based on their behavior

wastes resources by

targeting innocent

people and letting real

criminals slip through

the cracks. Whether

the targets are African

Americans or Latinos

GIGI PANDIAN

during the war on drugs or Middle Eastern -

communities during the war on terrorism,

racial profiling destroys trust within com-

`munities of color, making it less likely that

people will come forward with information

that could aid authorities.

"When young men are labeled a

threat simply because they are Arab or

Muslim, when many are detained indefi-

- racial profiling is not ~

ACLU Racial Profiling Book Tour

- Passes Through Oakland

nitely on petty immigration violations,

and when even some who have come for-

ward to help have been rewarded with

incarceration, it is not hard to imagine

the result: alienation, anger and

silence," says Harris.

It is no surprise that several police

departments reacted with skepticism to

Attorney General John Ashcroft's directive

ordering the `voluntary questioning of 5,000

Middle Eastern men last November, accord-

ing to Harris. "Eight former FBI officials,

including former FBI and CIA chief William

A. Webster went on record to voice doubt

about the law enforcement value of these

tactics," he says. "One of these former offi-

cials called the wholesale questioning "the

Perry Mason School of Law Enforcement"

that would produce little but "the recipe to

Mom's chicken soup."

"Racial profiling is a strategy that is

doomed to fail whether the context is

The packed house at Diesel Books.

Harris' new book outlines the hazards of

racial profiling

the war on drugs or the war on terror-

ism," the ACLU-NC's Alexander summed

up. "Numerous studies show that it just

doesn't work, and on top of that it alien-

ates communities that should be law

enforcement's greatest allies."

By ignoring behavior

and focusing on skin

color, Harris, Alexander,

Downing, Grinage, and

Saba all drove home the

point that authorities

are misguided in their

use of racial profiling to

catch violent criminals

such as _ terrorists.

"After all," Saba remind-

ed the crowd, before

September llth, "the

previous `profile' of a

terrorist was Timothy

McVeigh."

Gic! PANDIAN

GERGCEREEREESRHE PEEP EEBEEBEREECREEERHERAREEOSREBEESRPEEEPREBCEABEAHEBAEESEAEEHEBEORAEBEEEEEBEEEREBGEBEREREBEEBEAEAEEBOHEECHEBHEABECEHEE EE

California Police Chiefs Stand Up to Feds

BY STELLA RICHARDSON

laiming that its dragnet of 5,000

C Middle Eastern men last November

yielded "a significant number of

leads," the U.S. Department of Justice

issued a new directive in March requiring

law enforcement agencies to interview-

3,000 more people of Middle Eastern ori-

gin. In an April 3rd letter to local police

departments, civil rights and community

organizations across northern California

responded by calling the operation "a trou-

bling and counterproductive manifesta-

tion of the practice of racial profiling' and

urging local agencies not to participate.

The San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland,

Sand City and San Mateo Police

Departments refused to take part in the

earlier round up of 5,000 non-immigrant

men last November.

"We understand the government's need

to gather information when investigating

the terrorist attacks of September 11th,"

said Jayashri Srikantiah, staff attorney with

the ACLU-NC. "But broad-based targeting

of individuals based on their ethnicity and

national origin is nothing more than racial

profiling. We thank the police departments

who have taken a stand on this crucial

issue, and urge every police department in

northern California to avoid jeopardizing

their relationship with communities of col-

or by declining to participate in the dis-

criminatory federal dragnet."

The groups also questioned the gov-

ernment's assertion that its earlier investi-

gation was a success, pointing out that

officials were able to claim only 20 arrests

for visa violations; none with any relation

at all to September 11th. Leaders in Arab

and Muslim communities also challenged

| Attorney General John Ashcroft's claim

| that the investigations helped build com-

| munity relations.

"The Attorney General is wrong to think

| that these investigations have created a

; greater level of trust between the Arab-

| American community and law enforce-

ment," said Ziad Asali, President of the Arab

American Anti-Discrimination Com-mittee.

"Broad-based investigations of thousands ~

of people, especially when based on an eth-

nic profile, inevitably spread fear and anxi-

_ ety in any community."

The groups that signed the letter

_ included the Japanese American Citizens

_-League, South Asian Bar Association of

| Northern California,

Arab American

' Caucus of the California Democratic Party

_ and the San Francisco Chapter of the

| National Lawyers' Guild.

In a related development, in a letter

_ sent to the Attorney General on April 10th,

| the California Police Chiefs Association

_ expressed their strong opinion that local

police should not be involved in enforcing

federal immigration laws. The letter was

_ issued in response to news reports that the

- U.S. Department of Justice was consider-

ing a controversial plan to give police the

power to enforce federal immigration

laws. The association represents munici-

pal law enforcement agencies throughout

California.

"It is the strong opinion of the

California Police Chiefs Association lead-

ership that in order for state and local law

enforcement to be effective partners with

their communities, it is imperative that

_ they not be placed in the role of detaining

and arresting individuals based solely on a

PX40E fa ree ve ey ee Ca

change in their immigration status," the _

letter said.

"We commend the California Police

Chiefs Association for recognizing that |

local enforcement of immigration laws |

would only lead to the erosion of police

community relations and would reduce

their ability to solve crimes," said Mark

Schlosberg, police practices policy director

of the ACLU-NC.

BOeEEBRBESHHE RHEE EHEBHRHERHERCHEREEBHHESHEHEEEBHEAEOKRAECEEECEBAES

ACLU Youth Celebrate

By MIcHAEL LARIVIERE,

Vallejo High School and

NANCY OTTO, DIRECTOR,

Friedman Education Project

Vain as Activists" was the theme

at this year's annual Say What??!!

Youth Celebrating Freedom of

Expression conference on March 27th, 2002

at San Jose State University.

Over 850 students from high schools

around the Bay Area attended the confer-

ence designed to raise awareness of issues -

that are of interest to today's youth. After an

energizing performance by La Paz, a group of

youth from Los Angeles who do politically

conscious hip hop, a panel of high school stu-

dents from Vallejo High School spoke about

their. struggle to change their high school's Indian mascot |

on the grounds that it is racially and religiously insensitive

and disrespectful. Students from the audience talked of -

their own experiences of confronting exclusion and hate at |

school, speaking thoughtfully and honestly about how such |

behavior affects them on a day-to-day basis. The opening

ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_1999.batch ACLUN_2000 ACLUN_2000.MODS ACLUN_2000.batch ACLUN_2001 ACLUN_2001.MODS ACLUN_2001.batch ACLUN_2002 ACLUN_2002.MODS ACLUN_2002.batch ACLUN_2003 ACLUN_2003.MODS ACLUN_2004 ACLUN_2004.MODS ACLUN_2005 ACLUN_2005.MODS ACLUN_2006 ACLUN_2006.MODS ACLUN_2007 ACLUN_2007.MODS ACLUN_2008 ACLUN_2008.MODS ACLUN_2009 ACLUN_2009.MODS ACLUN_2010 ACLUN_2010.MODS ACLUN_2011 ACLUN_2011.MODS ACLUN_2012 ACLUN_2012.MODS ACLUN_2013 ACLUN_2013.MODS ACLUN_2014 ACLUN_2014.MODS ACLUN_2015 ACLUN_2015.MODS ACLUN_2016 ACLUN_2016.MODS ACLUN_2017 ACLUN_2017.MODS ACLUN_2018 ACLUN_2018.MODS ACLUN_2019 ACLUN_2019.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log concluded with a powerful performance by the hip hop duo

Company of Prophets.

The opening was followed by two sessions of eight

workshops each on issues such as the need for an indepen-

dent media, the rights of immigrants post Septem-

berllth, the rights of youth when dealing with the police, |

censorship in school, the institutional and systemic com- |

ponents of poverty, the separation of church and state,

linking youth crime to domestic violence and child abuse,

racial profiling, confronting hate on campus, inequities |

in education, legalizing prostitution, the plight of political |

- prisoners, and the USA PATRIOT Act's toll on privacy.

Students and teachers felt

the conference was very

informative and fun. One

teacher wrote, "Once again,

thank you so much for the

field trip to the conference

and all that the ACLU did for

my class. We couldn't have

gone if it weren't for all of

you. I plan to start

an ACLU club at our

school. Once again,

thanks for everything

and we'd love to attend

the next conference at

UC Berkeley."

The ACLU

Friedman Education

Project plans two

youth rights confer-

ences a year, one at

| UC Berkeley in the

# 2fall, and the other at

z San Jose State in the

| = spring. The next con-

"ference will take

place in November at

UC Berkeley and will

Studenis from the Youth Advisory Committee play a big role in

organizing the conference. From left to right: Sidney Russell, Ann

Weiss, Frances Grimstad, and Aaron Leonard.

SRO SCGCROGY-H RSF RSS RERERSHERE RESET RESP EHASRSSRESTRSTERSF RAG RE SKEEHRFRESHRESRESEEHSEREF HE SHH RSS RESCH RETEST E SSF RE SHES RHEREF EE SHE EEG HH

Vallejo High Senior Wins ACLU Scholarship

Freedom of Expression

Friedman Project Staff - left to right, Lani Riccobuono, Shayna

Gelender, Luis Ramirez, Nancy Otio, and Viviane Scott

ACLU student activists researched these issues

and facilitated the discussions in each of these

workshops, aided by adult resource experts who

generously donated their time and energy. There

| were displays by several groups, including the

| poignant "Wall of Death: Police Brutality' exhib-

it. The closing entertainment was a performance by

freestyle rap artist Tiffani Douglas, a senior from

Skyline High School in Oakland.

focus more specifically on immigration issues to follow

up on this summer's student field investigation on immi-

gration issues from August 1lthto 17th.

For more information about the programs offered by

the Friedman Education Project, please call 415/621-2493

|

|

|

|

|

a, 387,

GIG! PANDIAN

Workshop participants exercise their right to free speech.

New for CO Parents ree aaa iG

he ACLU-NC has created two new brochures to help students, parents and

teachers learn about their rights in California's public schools.

School Discipline Guide

If someone you know has been.expelled or suspended -

from a public school in California, ACLU-NC can help.

Our School Discipline Guide for students and parents:

tells you all you need to know to navigate the system

and protect your rights.

Pledge, Patriotism and Prayer

in California's Public Schools

In the tumultuous times since September 11th, spontaneous

displays of patriotism and prayer have thrust questions

about freedom of religion and expression in our schools to

the forefront of the agenda. Pledge, Patriotism_and Prayer

is designed to answer your questions about your rights.

Call Gigi Pandian at 415-621-2493, ext. 358 .

or email gpandian@aclunc.org to order copies today

By Anpy Lurit

n Monday, April 15th, the ACLU

QO announced that Vallejo's Lindsay

Waggerman was among nine high

school seniors nationwide who- were

selected to receive $4,000 college scholar-

ships in recognition of their activist work

in civil liberties.

The ACLU's Youth Activist Scholarship

Award was created in 2000 to recognize the

efforts of graduating high school seniors

who have demonstrated a strong commit-

ment to the protection of civil liberties.

The award, which is given annually, was

made possible by a generous grant from an

anonymous donor. The nine winners were

judged on the strength and depth of their

contributions to civil liberties and the

rights of young people, the likelihood of

their continuing commitment and the

obstacles they had to overcome in their

activist work. _

Waggerman, the president of the ACLU

club at Vallejo Senior High School - the

first high school AGLU club in the nation

- was understand-

ably excited when

she heard that she

was among those

selected to receive

the scholarship. "It

was nice to be rec-

ognized for doing

something that is

such an integral

part Ol me.

Waggerman said.

Since joining

the club as a sopho-

more, Waggerman

has actively ex-

plored a wide range

of issues related

to civil liberties,

from investigating the political, economic

| -and social forces driving the sex worker

industry to holding student forums on

the possible breaches of freedom that

become especially relevant during a

national crisis. She credits the ACLU-NC's

indsay aggerman, ecipient 0

ACLU Youth Activist Scholarship Award

|

|

|

Howard A. Friedman

First Amendment

Education Project

with solidifying her

tion to protecting

the Bill of Rights.

Currently one of the

student partici-

pants, Waggerman

would like to contin-

zue her affiliation

Swith the Friedman

~~ UG Berkeley in the

fall, where she will

focus on American

Studies. "I want to

take the ACLU values and apply them to

the world around me," she said. While she

has yet to pare down her options for the

future, Waggerman plans to do "something

political, like fighting for civil rights and

human rights."

grasp of and dedica-

|

|

|

|

Waggerman claims the work she has

done to change her school's mascot as her

biggest victory. As a not-so-proud Vallejo

Apache, Waggerman started a campus:

wide campaign-culminating in a series

of forums and community demonstra-

tions-to rid the school of its outdated

mascot, which many American Indians

find offensive and insensitive. Although

the school has yet to make the changes

she has demanded, Waggerman feels that

she has increased both school and com-

munity awareness of issues central to

Native Americans.

The road to positive change is a long

and arduous one, but persistence pays

off, according to Waggerman. "You can't

give up the fight. There will always be

oppression and opposition, but as long as

you believe, you have to stick with it."

This award should serve as notice to

Berkeley and to wherever else Lindsay

Waggerman goes during her life: wherev-

er there is injustice, she'll be fighting on

the front line. Hi ~

ACLU News = May-June 2002 = Pace 5

alance safety with freedom and

B urgency with prudence. That ethos

is at the heart of the ACLU's legisla-

tive efforts in a Sacramento packed with

anti-terrorism bills - and so far, it seems

to be working.

Fresh from victory in gutting-provisions

from AB74 (Washington-D) that would

have given the state sweeping new powers

to wiretap its residents, the ACLU went on

to help scuttle three major "anti-terrorism"

bills and slow down a fourth.

In a crucial victory on April 16th, ACLU

testimony played a key role in persuading a

legislative health panel to put the brakes on

a controversial bio-terrorism bill. AB1763

(Richman-R) would have allowed for the

forcible quarantining of Californians, the

seizure of hospitals and drugstores by the

state and the destruction of contaminated

property without the owners' consent in the

event of a bio-terror attack.

- "We fully support the state's efforts to

terrorism," said ACLU legislative advocate

Valerie Small Navarro. "However, part of that

RE SSkRSSPRSERRSSHRESSRSSSRHES SE

"NO" to Connerly...

Continued from page |

"Mr. Connerly wants to keep Californians in

the dark about demographics that are cru-

cial in helping us identify and meet the

needs of all of our students. This initiative

would damage the efforts of California

teachers to provide a quality education for

all of our children for decades to come."

"Under this initiative the tobacco

industry will be able to collect and use

information on race and ethnicity to

push cigarettes to our children; yet that

same information cannot be collected

and used by the California Public Health

' Department to protect children and oth-

ers from the risks of smoking" said Paul

Greenlining Institute.

The ACLU-NC's Michelle Alexander

got reporters nodding when she was invit-

ed to respond to a question about

Connerly's claim that his initiative would

"end racial profiling."

"Connerly is selling this plan to voters

by making the spurious claim that his ini-

tiative would end racial profiling," said

Alexander. "The truth is, this initiative

classifications by law enforcement, so the

police cam continue to track people on

the basis of race and engage in racial pro-

filing. To make matters worse, the initia-

tive would prohibit the legislature from

ever passing a law requiring the police to

collect data on racial profiling in traffic

stops - data that is necessary to prove dis-

crimination. In other words, the initia-

tive specifically allows the police to

prepare for a disaster like an outbreak of bio-

includes a specific exemption for racial

| preparedness must

_ include identifying

_ the least restrictive

_ solicit input from

means in order to

accomplish govern-

mental goals." The

Assembly Public

Safety Committee

gutted the bill of its

core provisions,

instead establish-

ing a commission to

study the issue and

_ the public and key

_ stakeholders.

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

Committee hearings also spelled the

| end for a slew of bills seeking to ramp up -

| penalties for crimes committed while

| engaged in "terrorist activities," including

efforts to expand the death penalty to apply

| to certain "terrorist acts." "The definitions

| of terrorism contained in these bills cast an _

absurdly wide and nebulous net," said

| ACLU

| Lobaco. "The ACLU will continue to mount

legislative director Francisco

SSOP SSR SSSR RSSRK*SPSSS*SeCss GFF SSS

continue to engage in racial profiling,

while preventing the public from doing

anything to stop it. Far from ending

racial profiling, this initiative would guar-

| antee it."

Experts from.the Natural Resources

_ Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Asian

_ Pacific Islander Health Forum and other

| organizations were also on hand to field

_ questions about the initiative's impact on

_ environmental health and justice.

"Californians need to vote "no" on

- Connerly's initiative because how likely

. your children are to have asthma is directly

_ connected to your race; and because if you

, are Latino, Asian American or African

_ American you are much more likely to get

| pollution-related . cancer," said Denise

H. Turner, a program director with the |

Hoffner-Brodsky, environmental justice

| attorney at the Sierra Club. "Race is the

_ biggest determining factor when it-comes

_ to environmental health. We will not solve

| this problem by obscuring the facts. We will

_ solve this problem by arming ourselves

_ with information."

The initiative currently has 48 percent

| support among voters, according to an

| independent Field poll released May 1,

although most Californians have not yet

heard much about it. "In the world of ballot

. initiative politics, 48 percent is encourag-

| ing news," says Ehrlich. "Campaign consul-

| tants say that they expect passing

| initiatives to poll closer to 60 percent when

| voters first hear about. them, but Connerly

has been unable to muster a majority. |

think that when voters have had a chance

to hear the real story about this initiative

_ that they will deliver the verdict of a

| resounding "no." i

strenuous opposi-

tion to over-broad

anti-terrorism bills

that scoop into

their net people

who are clearly not

engaged in what

most of us under-

stand by terrorism."

REPRODUCTIVE

_ PRIVACY

The Reproductive

Privacy Act

(SB1301 (Kuehl

-D)), which brings

California law in line with the protections

enshrined in Roe v. Wade, passed out of

committee in April and is now set to

advance to the Senate floor.

The ACLU says a big thank you to every

one of the 3,254 supporters who sent

faxes and emails to their legislators

urging them to support this crucial bill!

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

The ACLU's testimony also helped defeat a

major charitable choice bill (AB1280,

(Haynes-R)) that would have expanded

state and federally funded services con-

A Measured Response to Terrorism

tracted to religious organizations. "SB

1280 conflicts with the California

Constitution's strong protection for sepa-

ration of church and _ state, and

California's important laws protecting the

civil rights of employees," wrote the ACLU

in a letter to Senator Ray Haynes before

the bill was defeated in the Senate Health

and Human Services Committee.

STUDENTS' RIGHTS

The right of school students to not partic-

ipate in pledge of allegiance ceremonies

is also secure, thanks to the ACLU.

SB1248 (Knight-R), which requires all

. students to recite the pledge, was amend-

ed at the ACLU's insistence to ensure

that participation is voluntary. For more

information on the rights of students in

California public schools, see the ACLU-

NC's new brochure: Pledge, Patriotism

and Prayer in. California's Public

Schools (p. 5). :

Among many other efforts on the leg-

islative front, the ACLU is continuing our

work to support domestic partner bene-

fits (AB2216 (Keeley-D)), the rights of

immigrants who are applying for adjust-

ment of their legal status to have drivers

licences (AB 60 (Cedillo-D)), and finan-

cial privacy for Californians.

SORSCSPSRE SPR ASSESS SRSSHCRSSCHSRKSSEHESSCRSGSRSEHRSSRRSE SRS SCS RE SSE SS

Vacancies Filled on

Oakland's Citizen

Police Review Board

akland's Citizens Police Review

Board (CPRB) is charged with

hearing citizen complaints about |

police conduct - a critical task in the |

wake of the Rider's police scandal, which

uncovered over 100 cases of police abuse |

in the community. But CPRB faced a |

major problem at the start of the year - |

only four seats were filled on the nine-

member board.

When a February 28th meeting was

cancelled for lack of a quorum, the ACLU-

NC and People United for a Better Oakland

(PUEBLO) took action. In an open letter

signed by community groups including the

Paul Robeson (Oakland) Chapter of the

ACLU and the Bay Area Urban League, the

organizations called on Mayor Jerry Brown

to fill the empty seats without delay.

"Effective civilian review of the police

is necessary to ensure a vigorous, impartial

ACLU News = May-June 2002 ey Ce)

and thorough investigation of police com-

plaints," the letter said. "It decreases the

chance of widespread police abuse and

causes the department to function better.

If done effectively, civilian review can

increase the public's confidence in the

Police Department and allay community

fears that the Department is functioning

apart from the community."

"The people of Oakland deserve more

than they have been getting out of their

Police Department and the Board," said

ACLU-NC police practices director Mark

Schlosberg. "That is why it is critical that

Mayor Brown appoint board members as

soon as possible. It is his mayoral obliga-

tion to the citizens of Oakland."

After media coverage in the Oakland

' Tribune, KPFA and elsewhere in the

region, the Mayor filled all the vacancies

onthe board. and

Protectin g P rivacy little more than pork for the tech industry

- and do nothing to keep Mohammed Atta

No. 2 off an airplane."

Valley by hosting a briefing for local As the reporters grilled ACLU experts

reporters. on the impact of the USA-PATRIOT Act, Lu cy Ke Nn d al i

Steinhardt began by warning of the Ann Beeson said that the ACLU has anec- :

dangers of trusting in technologies that do dotal evidence that there has been a huge .

not work - such as facial recognition, the volume of requests from law enforcement

biometric technology that uses a video for installing pen register / trap and trace

camera to scan faces against a database of (pr/tt) devices on Internet service

photographs. Even in a carefully con- | providers to monitor Internet use, and ik ACLU-NC mourns

Continued from page |

By ELAINE ELINSON

trolled lab environment, the system has a explained that the FBI's Carnivore system the death of Lucy

high error rate, he warned, and the "real is sometimes used to execute a pr/tt Kendall, a longtime

world results are_even more abysmal." order. This aptly-named surveillance sys- labor and women's rights

During tests in Tampa, FL, a facial recogni- tem gives the FBI access to the email of activist who volunteered on

tion system was unable to make a single every subscriber to the same Internet ser- __ the ACLU Complaint Desk for

identification and the computer generated vice provider as that which is used by the | more than a decade. Kendall

nonsensical descriptions such as a "juve- target of the order. But because these died on March 8, International

Women's Day, at the Jewish ~

Home for the Aged in San

66 : Francisco at the age of 89.

We are now at the point where LHe Spun

virtually every day a new surveillance Complaint Desk was to answer

letters from prisoners who

technology is rolled out... It's hard to contacted the ACLU seeking

legal help or information

imagine anything less patriotic than __ aout their rights. Her desk

was piled high with correspon-

this assault on American values." dence? fom foeoples Gin Z

; ; oe | California's jails and prisons Ss

- Barry Steinhardt _ who had no where else to turn. 2

The demanding task became

increasingly difficult when the prison pop- | Square Bar and Grill and helped build the

nile runaway adult" or a "female suspect orders are secret, Americans have no way ulation swelled during Reagan's "War on | Waitress Union, Local 2. After 50 years, she

with a male face." Such flawed systems are of knowing if their email is being moni- Drugs" and subsequent federal legislation | was memorialized by a San Francisco

not only untenable invasions of privacy, tored. Additionally, Beeson said that cut back on prisoners' access to law _ Chronicle columnist as "the only waitress

says Steinhardt, but they also create a false the ACLU has learned that the govern- libraries, recreation, mental health care | who read Proust for pleasure."

sense of security and divert resources from | -ment has subpoenaed records related to and job training. Yet Kendall persisted Kendall also volunteered at the

anti-terror tactics that actually work. ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_1999.batch ACLUN_2000 ACLUN_2000.MODS ACLUN_2000.batch ACLUN_2001 ACLUN_2001.MODS ACLUN_2001.batch ACLUN_2002 ACLUN_2002.MODS ACLUN_2002.batch ACLUN_2003 ACLUN_2003.MODS ACLUN_2004 ACLUN_2004.MODS ACLUN_2005 ACLUN_2005.MODS ACLUN_2006 ACLUN_2006.MODS ACLUN_2007 ACLUN_2007.MODS ACLUN_2008 ACLUN_2008.MODS ACLUN_2009 ACLUN_2009.MODS ACLUN_2010 ACLUN_2010.MODS ACLUN_2011 ACLUN_2011.MODS ACLUN_2012 ACLUN_2012.MODS ACLUN_2013 ACLUN_2013.MODS ACLUN_2014 ACLUN_2014.MODS ACLUN_2015 ACLUN_2015.MODS ACLUN_2016 ACLUN_2016.MODS ACLUN_2017 ACLUN_2017.MODS ACLUN_2018 ACLUN_2018.MODS ACLUN_2019 ACLUN_2019.MODS ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log | the Internet use and other activities of with compassion and patience. California Historical Society and the San

While Tampa Airport dismantled its foreign students from colleges and Born in Los Angeles, Kendall came to Francisco Labor Archives, taking oral his-

system after the tests, they are still in libraries. Once again, entities that receive San Francisco in 1935 armed with a high | tories of women trade unionists and labor

place elsewhere, including Fresno - these subpoenas are barred from talking school diploma and a secretarial school leaders. A March 30 memorial was packed

which the ACLU believes is the only air- about them. - certificate. It was atime of political turbu- with many people whose lives she had

port in the nation to perform a facial |. The net result of this increase in sur- lence and trade union struggle. Kendall | touched: ILWU members, labor historians,

recognition scan on all passengers. veillance is likely to be the chilling of plunged right into the world of radical pol- waitresses and civil liberties advocates. In

ACLU-NG is still awaiting a response to a speech, says the ACLU-NC's Ann Brick. | itics. She worked as the women's dis- honor of Lucy Kendall,.they took up a col-

letter to Fresno Airport urging the airport "People become afraid to talk openly when patcher for the ILWU during World War II. lection for the Labor Archives and the

to reconsider its use of the system. they fear their apartment might be bugged After the war, she became a waitress at the ACLU, so that her legacy of activism for

Steinhardt also cautioned against seiz- or their phones might be. tapped... Buena Vista Cafe and the Washington social justice will continue.

ing upon the creation of a National ID card Surveillance has a chilling effect because

as a solution. Highlighting the challenges you just don't know whether you can com-

of developing @ foolproof system and the |. municate freely."

hazards of identity theft, he cited the In sum, said Steinhardt, "September

lucrative black markets that have sprung | 11th changed many things and among

up in European countries. "If someone them, it accelerated the trend of our soci-

wants a card, they can get a card, for a ety to move toward a mass surveillance

price," he said. "And if you wind up having society. We are now at the point where vir-

-your ID stolen, that ID belongs to the thief tually every day a new surveillance tech-

-you can never undo it." Days later, an edi- nology is rolled out... It's hard to imagine

torial in the San Jose Mercury News anything less patriotic than this assault on

agreed: "An effective national ID system to American values."

keep terrorists away will take a lot more _ Stay tuned for more information on the

than issuing nifty new cards. Without a | work of the ACLU to protect our privacy and

thorough national debate, it is likely to be our freedom during this pivotal time.

SES SRSSRRSSRSESHESSCRSSCSRSSESRSESRESPRESSESSESBERSESSESSESSHE ES SE

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Frank and Ernest

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(c) 2002 Thaves. Reprinted with permission. Newspaper dist. by NEA, Inc.

ACLU NEWS = May-JUNE 2002 = Pace 7

Sister Helen Prejean at Sonoma Chapter Dinner

By LisA MALDONADO |

early four hundred people packed -

N the Veteran's Memorial Hall in |

Santa Rosa to hear Sister Helen

Prejean speak against the death penalty at _

the Sonoma Chapter's Annual Dinner on: |

The event, which raised funds for the

ACLU of Sonoma and the Death Penalty |

Moratorium Campaign, honored longtime |

social justice activist Maria Rifo with the -

Jack Green Civil Liberties Award.

After a lifetime of activism, including

"There is a growing feeling in this

country that the death penalty is so

~ March 7,2002. - I

Sister Helen Prejean signs books for ACLU members

HRSSKH SSH RS SHPRASSEASSHRSSEOEHRSSHRSSHREESRRSSERSESHSRESE SERS SEHR ES `|

working with Cesar Chavez and the United

Farm Workers for 12 years,

Rifo is still an inspiring

activist at the age 95. "There

is work for all of us to do to

fight injustice... I get up

able to do something for oth-

ers," she, told the receptive

crowd. Rifo is currently work-

Sonoma County,

: - _ Rosa Junior College.

Moratorium March

ACLU of Northern California

`The Death

ridden with flaws and unfairness that

there must be a moratorium"

every day thankful that lam |

ing with a Latina community -

group, Mujeres Unidas in -

visiting |

inmates at Folsom State |

Prison, and has founded a _

scholarship fund at Santa |

A highlight of the event -

_ - Sister Helen Prejean

was the moving speech of Sister Helen

Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, who

recounted her struggles as a spiritual advi-

sor to Patrick Sonnier, a convicted killer

who was sentenced to die in the electric

chair at Louisiana's Angola State Prison. _

Sister Helen spoke vividly of her adven- |

tures as an activist who was awakened to

the flaws in the execution process and

whose life has been transformed as a

result.

The audience was transfixed by her

accounts of her experience as an educator, -

organizer and public speaker against the |

death penalty and of her struggle to-work |

on behalf of the families of murder victims

as well as inmates on death row. Sister |

Helen has witnessed five executions since |

becoming Sonnier's spiritual advisor and |

and

seen her book turned into an Academy

Award winning movie and opera.

"We are making a difference," she told

the crowd. "There is a growing feeling in

this country that the death penalty is so -

ridden with flaws and. unfairness that

there must be a moratorium"

_ The event, which was organized by

Sonoma Chapter activists, Steve Fabian,

Wayne Gibb, David Grabill, Victor

Chechanover, Leslie and Marvin Pederson

and Irma Ramirez was one of the most suc-

cessful dinners ever, and the chapter

signed up over a hundred new ACLU mem- -

bers. "It's a lot of work putting this together

as volunteers," said Chapter Chair Steve

Fabian. "...but seeing people leave rededi-

cated and inspired by these heroic women

makes it all worthwhile'. #

2@See ae SSGERESERE SHRP SSR ESR SHER ESHSHRHES SRE SSH S SHEESH ESSE EEO

347%) Black =P

18.7%) Hispanic 182

46

46

S 37) (6.1%)

= 36 (6.0%)

= 33 (5.3%)

Oh May Ist, over 350 people marched to the state capitol building in Sacramento SCntEH 30 (5.0%)

and delivered over 88,000 signatures calling for a moratorium on executions to a 98 (4.6%)

Governor Davis. A noontime rally featured actor and death penalty activist Ed Asner, 0

ACLU-NC Board Member Aundre Herron, religious leaders, youth activists, and a for-

mer death row inmate. The Moratorium Day was organized by Californians for a

Moratorium on Executions, a consortium of over 30 organizations working to abolish

the death penalty. Pictured -death penalty activist Valerie Jacobs. @

(3.8%)

2.8%)

Visit www.moratorium.org to add your voice to the 88,000 voices for change.

Chapter Meetings

(Chapter meetings are open to all interested members.

Contact the Chapter activist listed for your area.)

B-A-R-K

Kensington) Chapter Meeting: Meet the third

Wednesday of each month at 7p.m. at the Vege House

restaurant in Berkeley (2042 University Avenue at

Shattuck). For more information, contact Jim Hausken:

(510) 558-0377.

Fresno Chapter Meeting: Meet the fourth Thursday

of each month. For more information, please contact Tom

Simpson: (559) 432-2787.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender

~ Chapter Meeting: Contact Roy Bateman (415-621-

7995) if you are interested in reinvigorating this chapter.

Marin County Chapter Meeting: Meet on the

(Berkeley-Albany-Richmond--

third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Currently

meeting at the West End Cafe, 1131 Fourth Street in

San Rafael. Contact Coleman Persily for more infor-

mation: (415) 479-1731. Or call the Marin Chapter

complaint hotline at (415) 456-0137.

Mid-Peninsula Chapter Meeting: Meet the third

Saturday of the month. Contact Harry Anisgard for more

information: (650) 856-9186.

Monterey County Chapter Meeting: Meet the

third Tuesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. at the Monterey

Public Library. Contact Matt Friday: (831) 899-2263.

Or to report a civil liberties concern, call Monterey's com-

plaint line: (831) 622-9894.

North Peninsula (San Mateo area) Chapter

Meeting: Meetings usually held at 7:30 on the

third Monday of each month, at the downstairs con-

ference room at 700 Laurel Street (off Fifth Avenue).

Contact Linda Martorana: (650) 697-5685.

ACLU News = lati dank hacda da Hllliea chad

- Paul Robeson (Oakland) Chapter Meeting:

Usually meet the fourth Monday of each month at the

Rockridge library. Contact Louise Rothman-Riemer:

(510) 596-2580.

Redwood (Humboldt County) Chapter

Meeting: Meet the third Tuesday of each month at 7

p.m. at the Redwood Peace and Justice Center in Arcata.

Please contact Roger Zoss: rzoss@mymailstation.com or

(707) 786-4942. Or call the Redwood Chapter of the

ACLU:(707) 444-6595 or visit www.acluredwood.org.

`San Francisco Chapter Meeting: Meet the third

Tuesday of each month at 6:45 p.m. at the ACLU-NC

office (1663 Mission Street, Suite 460). Call the

Chapter hotline: (415) 979-6699, .

Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting: Usually

meet the-first Tuesday of every month at 1051 Morse

Street (at Newhall) in San Jose. Contact Sam Freund:

acluscv@hotmail.com.'

Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting: Usually

meet the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m., but

this may change so please contact Marge Frantz:

(831) 471-0810. :

Sonoma County Chapter Meeting: Usually

meet the third Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m. at

the Peace and Justice Center. The Peace and Justice

Center has recently moved, now located at 467

Sebastopol Avenue (east of 101). Call the Sonoma

hotline for more information: (707) 765-5005.

Chapters Reorganizing

Yolo County Chapter: |f you are an ACLU member

in the Davis area, and are interested in reviving this

chapter, please call Natalie Wormeli: (530) 756-

1900.