Constitutional Rights

Why the Supreme Court Should Hear the DOMA Lawsuit

Carlos A. Ball | Posted 05.31.2012

Read More: Same-Sex Marriage, Politics News, LGBT Rights, Gay Rights, Doma, Constitutional Rights, Defense of Marriage Act, Doma Unconstitutional, Gay Marriage Doma, Gay Marriage, Supreme Court DOMA, Doma Struck Down, Gay Voices News
Carlos A. Ball

Although defenders and supporters of DOMA agree on little, both sides should agree that we need to clear up the confusion regarding how courts should assess constitutional challenges to laws that treat individuals differently because of their sexual orientation.

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Modernize the Constitution, But Do it Through an Amendment

Rui Dai | Posted 05.31.2012

Read More: Constitutional Amendments, Government, Politics, US Constitution, America, United States Constitution, Amending u.s. Constitution, Constitutional Rights, Amending the Constitution, College News
Rui Dai

Yes, the U.S. Constitution desperately needs to be updated. However, any updates should go through the amendment process. The U.S. Constitution may be flawed, but changing it outright is more dangerous.

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A Crucial, Unlearned Lesson From Julius Caesar

Salon | Glenn Greenwald | Posted 05.08.2012

Read More: Julius Caesar, Constitutional Law, Constitutional Rights, Barack Obama, Obama 2012, Politics News

In 63 B.C., Julius Caesar delivered a speech to the Roman Senate in which he conveyed a crucial point, one highly relevant to many of our current cont...

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Count Me: An Ode to Liberty

Robin Koerner | Posted 04.18.2012

Read More: Right, Constitution, Liberty, Poem, Political Commentary, Conservatives, Liberals, Constitutional Rights, Political Poem, Political Poetry, Politics News
Robin Koerner

Left and Right and Right and Left / Have left America bereft / Of liberty, its founding light. / Christians, Liberals speak of peace / Until they hold the nation's leash, / And send its youth to fight.

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How Far Do First Amendment Rights Go?

Aubree Eliza Weaver | Posted 04.11.2012

Read More: First Amendment, Marines, Facebook, Gary Stein, Constitutional Rights, President, First Amendment Rights, US Navy, Freedom of Speech, US Marines, Barack Obama, Armed Forces, Tea Party Facebook Group, Obama Administration, Tea Party, US Army, College News
Aubree Eliza Weaver

How are First Amendment rights different for people serving our country? Now, hear me out when I say that I'm rather torn on this issue.

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Health Insurance and Strip Searches: The Public as Constitutional Thinkers

Peter J. Woolley | Posted 04.05.2012

Read More: Frank Newport, Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders, US Supreme Court, Constitutional Law, Constitutional Rights, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Health Insurance Reform, Pollster, Pollster Analysis, Politics News
Peter J. Woolley

Only small segments of the public pay substantial, sustained attention even to high-profile cases like this one, never mind the particulars of the full reach of the interstate commerce clause, or whether requiring health insurance is akin to mandating consumption of broccoli.

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Why Americans Should Support the People's Rights Amendment

Ben Clements | Posted 04.14.2012

Read More: Free Speech for People, Citizens United, Constitutional Rights, People's Right Amendment, Politics News
Ben Clements

In short, the elimination of corporate constitutional rights will not change the results in cases in which the constitutional rights of natural persons -- individually or in groups or associations -- are infringed.

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Man Locked In Solitary For 2 Years Wins $22 Settlement

The Huffington Post | Andy Campbell | Posted 03.27.2012

Read More: Video, Stephen Slevin, Constitutional Rights, Federal Lawsuit, New Mexico Crime, Illegal Imprisonment, Solitary Confinement, Civil Rights Violations, Crime News

A New Mexico man held in solitary confinement at a county prison for two years without a trial has won a $22 million suit for violations of his consti...

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Surrendering 2011: Rendition and Methane

Jim Garrison | Posted 02.27.2012

Read More: Politics, Climate Change, Constitutional Rights, National Defense Authorization Act, Rendition, Politics News
Jim Garrison

In the fine print of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, passed just before the holidays, it turns out that in addition to being now legally ...

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Is Peeing in a Little Plastic Cup Violating Your Constitutional Rights?

Bethany St. James | Posted 02.18.2012

Read More: Economic Crisis, Marijuana, Constitutional Rights, Drug Testing, Drugs, Decriminalizing, Democrats, Haley, Reid, Republicans, Unemployment, Politics News
Bethany St. James

Drug testing isn't unconstitutional, but what should be unconstitutional is blowing tax dollars on assisting individuals who knowingly break the law -- criminals.

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Shoshana Hebshi And The Big Flaw in Airport Security

Kate Hanni | Posted 11.18.2011

Read More: Flyersrights, Airport Security, Airline Passenger Rights, Constitutional Rights, Kate Hanni, Travel Blogs, Travel News
Kate Hanni

Since 9/11, ignorance and misguided paranoia have combined to inspire senseless hate crimes all over America against people who wish only the same peace and safety all Americans desire.

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Our Progressive Constitution

Geoffrey R. Stone | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Supreme Court, U.S. Constitution, Constitution, Constitutional Rights, Constitution Day, American Constitution, Politics News
Geoffrey R. Stone

Today is Constitution Day. It is a day to reflect, at least for a moment, on the American Constitution and how it has helped to shape our nation over more than two centuries.

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John Edwards Lawyers Ask Judge To Throw Out Case

AP | MICHAEL BIESECKER | Posted 11.06.2011

Read More: John Edwards Criminal Charges, John Edwards Lawyers, Constitutional Rights, Edwards Lawyers, Edwards Criminal Charges, John Edwards, John-Edwards, Prosecutors, Politics News

RALEIGH, N.C. — Lawyers for John Edwards asked a federal judge on Tuesday to throw out criminal charges against the former Democratic presidenti...

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TSA: Security or Security Theater?

Kate Hanni | Posted 09.17.2011

Read More: Airline Passenger Rights, TSA Security, Constitutional Rights, Air Travel, TSA Screening, Tsa Machine, Tsa Pat Downs, Tsa Patdowns, TSA Pat Down, Politics News
Kate Hanni

After an extended period of inappropriate, knee-jerk response, dealing with real security threats by providing security theater, the TSA is slowly responding to public outcry.

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U.S. Constitution Under Siege

Time Magazine | Richard Stengel | Posted 08.23.2011

Read More: Tea Party Constitution, US Constitution, Constitution Republicans, Constitutional Rights, Republicans Constitution, U.S. Constitution, GOP Constitution, Constitution, Constitution Gop, Constitution Tea Party, Politics News

Americans have debated the Constitution since the day it was signed, but seldom have so many disagreed so fiercely about so much. Would it be unconsti...

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Fixing the Fiasco of the NYPD's Marijuana Arrests

Jesse Levine | Posted 07.19.2011

Read More: Criminal Records, Decriminalization, Paul Browne, Mayor Bloomberg, New Legislation, Marijuana, Marijuana Policy, Racist, Hakeem Jeffries, Pot, Mark Grisanti, Civil Rights, New York City, Albany, Nypd, Ray Kelly, Ira Glasser, Racism, Stop and Frisk, New York State Assembly, Marijuana Arrests, Constitution, Know Your Rights, Constitutional Rights, Politics News
Jesse Levine

Two New York State legislators have proposed a simple, effective legislative fix to New York City's 15-year marijuana arrest craze that would strike from the law the misdemeanor for marijuana possession of less than an ounce.

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The Supreme Court's Stinky Ruling on Marijuana Odor: What Does it Really Mean?

Scott Morgan | Posted 07.18.2011

Read More: Supreme Court, 4th Amendment, Constitutional Rights, Police, Marijuana, Politics News
Scott Morgan

This week's Supreme Court decision in Kentucky v. King has civil-libertarians and marijuana policy reformers in an uproar, and rightly so, but it's not exactly the death of the 4th Amendment

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Should Judge in Same-Sex Marriage Case Be Recused?

Adam Winkler | Posted 07.16.2011

Read More: California Gay Marriage, Gay Rights, Proposition 8, Constitutional Rights, Judge Vaughn Walker, U.S. Constitution, Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage, Marriage Equality, Judge Vaughn Walker Prop 8, Prop 8, Vaughn Walker Gay, Judge Walker, Politics News
Adam Winkler

Implicit in Prop. 8 supporters' effort to recuse Judge Walker is the notion that, unlike a gay judge who might benefit from marriage, a heterosexual judge would be impartial. The ironies abound.

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Raped Cheerleader Told by Courts to Go Home and Be Quiet

Joanne Bamberger | Posted 07.06.2011

Read More: Supreme Court, Lara Logan Sexual Assault, Lara Logan, Student's Rights, Rape, Fifth Circuit, Constitutional Rights, New York Times, Constitution, Sexual Assault, Politics News
Joanne Bamberger

The Supreme Court of the United States just told a sexually assaulted high school girl to shut up and go home. They didn't say it in those words exac...

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Florida: Could Photo of Pigpen Get You 30 Years in the State Pen?

Scott Edwards | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: The Constitution, First Ammendment, Industrial Ag, Animal Abuse, Waste Managment, Weird Florida, Hormones, Public Information, Public Records, Second Amendment, Video, Photographs, Illegal, Farms, Cafos, Florida State Senate, Constitutional Rights, Prison, Water Pollution, Sunshine Laws, Antibiotics, Senator Jim Norman, Agribusiness, Dumb Criminals, Florida, SB 1246, Freedom of Information, Green News
Scott Edwards

Senator Norman's misguided bill is yet another attempt to keep a tight, dark lid on the many, many wrongs being committed today by the factory farming industry.

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Gene Weingarten Revives America's Civic Religion

Bob McNamara | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Gene Weingarten, Washington Post, Constitutional Law, U.S. Constitution, Constitutional Rights, Political Humor, Politics News
Bob McNamara

In an effort to update and upgrade our national anthem, Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten has penned his own replacement, with music set to th...

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On the Joys of His Gay Marriage

Sarah Rose | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, Sundance Channel, Jane Pratt, Where the Plot, Constitutional Rights, Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Girls, Christmas, Sirius XM, Joel Derfner, Media News
Sarah Rose

On a new TV show, Joel Derfner and I find ourselves in the middle of the jealousy plot: He likes boys, so do I. He gets married, I do not. Boy, this role is a bummer, no? Well, no.

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Listen Up -- Atlanta Victory Sends Message

Leslie Gabel-Brett | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Eagle Bar Raid, Lgbt, Dadt, Gay Rights, Atlanta, Discrimination, Constitutional Rights, Police, Politics News
Leslie Gabel-Brett

When ordinary folks, whether LGBT or not, stop by a bar to meet people and have a drink, they should not be afraid that their town or city police force will send officers to terrorize and insult them.

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Prop 8 Oral Argument Liveblog

Judith E. Schaeffer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Constitutional Rights, Civil Rights, Same-Sex Marriage, Marriage Equality, .Sex, Politics News
Judith E. Schaeffer

With marriage equality hanging in the balance for same-sex couples, Monday will give us all a chance to witness history in the making.

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ScannerGate and Unhappy Ending Pat-Downs

Kate Hanni | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Airline Safety, Constitutional Rights, Health, Homeland Security, Tsa, Travel News
Kate Hanni

What do you know about the TSA's two new security measures? Our recent survey showed us that many people haven't given this issue much thought.

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