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Ten Years of Guantánamo

By Claire Syrett, Field Director

OSU Guantanamo ProtestJanuary 11, 2012, marked a somber anniversary – the arrival of the first prisoners to Guantánamo Bay prison 10 years ago. It is shocking to realize that there are men who have endured 10 long years incarcerated in our very own American gulag. It is especially shocking when you consider that only four of 779 men held there have received even the semblance of a trial. Now we wait to see how long the remaining 171 men still held there will remain in legal limbo. Will it be another 10 years? 20?

For those Americans who stood up to protest Guantánamo on this anniversary of its opening the answer is clear; Guantánamo must be shut down now. I raised that rally cry at a demonstration in Corvallis organized by the local Veterans for Peace group among others. The sight of a line of orange jump-suited “prisoners” wearing black hoods parading through downtown and onto the Oregon State University campus drew plenty of attention. More importantly this and the many other protests held around the country served to remind Americans that it is past time to close this terrible chapter of American history and recognize the constitutional and human rights of those still held there.

January 12, 2012

Bill of Rights Day

The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution, which became known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments were designed to limit the government’s ability to infringe on individual liberty. Today’s celebration will mark their 220th anniversary.

Collectively, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights trumpet our aspirations for the kind of society that we want to be. For much of our history, our nation failed to fulfill the promise of liberty for all people living in the U.S. We have learned that the Bill of Rights is not self-fulfilling. As a result, the American Civil Liberties Union was founded to work to ensure the promise of the Bill of Rights is made real.

In a sense, every day at the ACLU is a tribute to the Bill of Rights. For over ninety years, the ACLU has worked daily in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Bill of Rights guarantees. Here in Oregon, our work in 2011 included standing up for free speech and free exercise of religion; privacy; fair treatment whenever the loss of liberty is at stake; and protection against discrimination.

December 15, 2011

Defending Banned Books.....Again

By Sarah Armstrong, Outreach Coordinator

In Oregon, people not only enjoy the freedom of speech, assembly, and religion under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but also a more broadly interpreted “freedom of expression” in the state constitution. Oregonians have repeatedly said they do not want government deciding what they can read, see or hear - so naturally, we love Banned Books Week! It is the perfect opportunity to exercise two of our most fundamental rights: the freedom of speech, and the right to assemble.

September 29, 2011

Breaking Gender Barriers: Justice Ginsberg & Justice Roberts

This month ACLU of Oregon celebrates the anniversary of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s appointment to the United States Supreme Court while noting with sadness the passing of Betty Roberts, the first woman to be appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court. These two remarkable women have contributed to the betterment of our Nation and State by speaking out for those who have been and are currently being denied basic civil rights.

August 5, 2011