Category Archives: Civil liberties

Lost in Detention: why I’m angry with the Obama administration

Posted on March 31, 2012 by David

Yesterday I wrote a post about the cruelty and violence of immigration enforcement in the United States. This morning I attended a screening of the documentary Lost in Detention, a powerful illustration of the real human consequences of the United … Continue reading →

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Reflections on social justice

Posted on March 27, 2012 by David

This morning, I learned some horrific news. In Germany, an 11-year-old transgender girl has been forcibly institutionalized by the state in an attempt to “cure” her of her gender identity. I had hoped that we had moved beyond the days … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil liberties, LGBT, Politics, Social justice | View Comments

Perry v. Brown and Proposition 8

Posted on March 18, 2012 by David

I wrote this post about four weeks ago, but never got around to posting it here, due to being busy with work. At the time, the whole internet was talking about the landmark decision of the Ninth Circuit Court of … Continue reading →

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Fred Korematsu Day

Posted on January 30, 2012 by David

Tomorrow, January 30, is Fred Korematsu Day, a day to remember the life and actions of an extraordinary man. Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to … Continue reading →

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The case for open borders, part deux

Posted on December 21, 2011 by David

Dear readers – if I have any left – I realise that I have neglected you entirely for the last three months. In my defence, I have been busy studying. This semester, I’ve been participating in an immigration and refugee … Continue reading →

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No, this is not “child abuse”

Posted on October 6, 2011 by David

Unfortunately, in common with all other movements, there are times when people in the atheist movement resort to ridiculous rhetoric to get their point across. This post at Furious Purpose is a particularly egregious example; although I have already voiced … Continue reading →

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The death penalty is always wrong, even for the guilty

Posted on September 22, 2011 by David

Today is a very sad day: Troy Anthony Davis was killed last night by the State of Georgia, despite the mounting evidence of his innocence, and despite a hard-fought campaign by Amnesty and other NGOs. A great many people – … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil liberties, Criminal justice | View Comments

Unreliable evidence and the problem with criminal trials

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David

This week, I and many of my readers have been participating in an Amnesty International campaign to urge the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to commute the sentence of Troy Davis, currently scheduled to be executed for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil liberties, Criminal justice, Science | View Comments

Suspects in criminal investigations should have a right to privacy

Posted on September 4, 2011 by David

Some time ago, I commented on the media circus surrounding the arrest of homicide victim Joanna Yeates’ former landlord; despite the fact that he had not been charged with or convicted of any crime, the press saw fit to publish … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil liberties, Criminal justice | View Comments

More anti-traveller bigotry

Posted on September 2, 2011 by David

Not long ago, I wrote about the impending eviction of travellers from the Dale Farm site near Basildon in Essex. My attention was drawn a few days ago to a particularly appalling article on the subject at Telegraph Blogs, to … Continue reading →

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