Open Thread – ACLU Director Comes to Anchorage
Alaska is about to have a very special guest! And it’s a first – a visit by the National Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Anthony Romero!
Thursday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m.
University of Alaska – Anchorage
Wendy Williamson Auditorium
Romero will address the ongoing struggle for equal rights, and the continuing challenges faced by minority and underprivileged communities, along with the work of the ACLU in expanding civil liberties and equal opportunity for all.
A reception with Anthony and a chance to speak with him in person will follow at 8:30 p.m.
Don’t miss this exciting evening with the leader of the ACLU. RSVP online today
About Anthony D. Romero
Mr. Romero took the helm of the ACLU just four days before the September 11, 2001 attacks and led the national Safe and Free campaign to protect basic freedoms during a time of crisis, achieving court victories on the Patriot Act, uncovering thousands of pages of documents detailing the torture and abuse of detainees in U.S. custody, and filing the first successful legal challenge to the Bush administration’s illegal NSA spying program.
Recently, he has led the fight to restore civil liberties, including pushing for accountability for torture committed under the Bush administration, fighting the practice of indefinite detention without charge or trial and challenging the excessive use of the state secrets privilege to block lawsuits over national security abuses.
The sixth executive director of the ACLU, and the first Latino and openly gay person to serve in that capacity, Romero has been named one of Time Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and is a frequent media commentator, including guesting on the Colbert Report. In 2007, Romero and co-author and NPR correspondent Dina Temple-Raston published In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror, a book that takes a critical look at civil liberties in this country at a time when constitutional freedoms are in peril.
Learn more about Anthony Romero.
Thx for the heads up AKM, I had meself a ab~fab time.
Mr. Romero made a inspiring & enlightened presentation, he made a big point in saying how very important it is for repug stronghold states such as Alaska to have well supported ACLU chapter…I plan to sign on as soon as I can scrap together a decent donation, piching pennies starting now but I’ll pinch harder.
Walt Monegan was wonderful as well… I saw Steven Heimel…I sported a splashy T~shirt refuted recently. Its an old SP4G, red on white. I got crafty & painted tire tracks all over it;) I got asked about it a bit , I explained that it was the ‘rill dill’~
oh, & there was good cookies & coffee too
Good times, now I will unwind with Stewart & Colbert.
peace out
( doubt anyone will read this far back in the line up, but what the hey I say)
Wisconsin is not backing down. Watch this video! It made my day!
http://vimeo.com/26349647
As this is the open thread, I’m posting this here!
Online at the Washington Post:
Minnesota congresswoman and GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is coming under fire from mental health professionals after ABC’s “Nightline” on Monday first aired a video released by gay rights group called Truth Wins Out showing a therapist at a counseling center owned by Bachmann’s husband telling a gay client that he could convert to heterosexuality through prayer. Marcus Bachmann had previously denied that his counseling center offered so-called reparative therapy, which is opposed by the American Psychological Association.
I know how important the struggle for “equal rights” in Rural Alaska is. Poor Native people in the bush villages are treated like peons by their own leaders and many decisions are made on their behalf without their knowledge. Because of this misrepresentation of the truth, many of the villages remain as “underprivileged communities” even though there is thousands of dollars given to Native entities on their behalf. I’m glad to hear that ACLU is “expanding” to include “civil liberties and equal opportunity for all.” It’d be very nice if they’d open an office in every Hub village out here: Nome, Bethel, Kotzebue, Barrow, to name a few. They’d be pretty darn busy with nepotism cases for one.
Mr. Romero has about four or five strikes against(Rethuglican standards) before he even sets foot in Alaska. Rethugs and tea-baggers will cry foul because Mr. Romero is Latino,Gay,works for ACLU and is,I’m assuming,a despised lawyer person. Did I miss anything? Oh yeah,he doesn’t shy away from taking on Rethuglican war criminals.
Levi Johnston’s sister-Mercedes-is going to be in September issue of Playboy,stark-ast nekkid. Hugh Hefner is disputing rumors of his death on Twitter. god is in his/her heaven and the Czar is far away.BTW-I happen to have 55 gals of fresh caught rainwater(yesterday’s) and will let you have all you want,just stop by and help yourself. It is supposed to rain again today,tonight and for the forseeable future. ps any mosquito larvae are free of charge.
i will try to be there:) Hurray Thursday!!
You’ll enjoy meeting Anthony. He’s a great guy who has done a great deal for civil liberties.
Breaking News! Murdoch Drops TV Takeover Bid.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/14/world/europe/14hacking.html?_r=1
Wonder how long before we see “The Simpson’s” take on this?
Hang in there !! JM ..
side note – Wisconsinites can tell the difference from Fake and Real Dems… 1st round of recall elections go to the Dems…
W00t! I was hoping to see this happen! Let this be a lesson to the arrogant relive here in Ohio. We may have to wait to get did of Kasich but we can fight him tooth and nail and make his term miserable.
Wow! How great that he is coming. I hope you can attend and hear him speak. Years ago, I attended a meeting where an attorney from the ACLU spoke to us about the organization and its goals. The ACLU was still finding its way at the time, and I was so very impressed by the speaker’s breadth of knowledge and the very simple fact that the ACLU was for everyone.
It is NOT stinking hot! We had a nice thunderstorm that did a good job of cooling us down some w/o knocking anything else to pieces. Still waiting for a final okay from the insurance people. I am on the verge of becoming irritated. It is Mid-July, and like a good neighbor, State Farm is apparently on vacation.