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Home » E-newsletter » Archives » January 31, 2005
January 31, 2005 ACLU of Illinois E-News 1.31.05 Don't Surrender -- Join Us for An Emergency Summit of ACLU of Illinois Members Committed to Defending the Constitution - April 8th in Champaign! Most civil libertarians were distressed and alarmed at the results of the 2004 general election - not for political partisan reasons, but because the Bush Administration and leadership in the Congress have acted in unison in a manner hostile to the constitutional values we work so tireless to defend. In the weeks since November 2nd, ACLU of Illinois members have written, emailed or telephoned our offices to ask a single question: "Where do we go from here?" Through a generous grant from the Libra Foundation, we have been able to arrange for An Emergency Summit to Discuss Attacks on our Constitution. The meeting is intended for all ACLU of Illinois members and other persons in Illinois interested in defending our constitutional values. The Emergency Summit will take place on Saturday, April 9, 2005, at the Hawthorn Suites and Conference Center (located at 101 Trade Centre Drive) in Champaign. The Emergency Summit will begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude by 3:00 p.m. More information will be forwarded to you shortly; however, if you want to make sure you get an invitation sent directly to your email box, please reply to ACLUofIllinois@aclu-il.org. ACLU Disappointed with Decision by Supreme Court in Illinois Case On January 24th, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Illinois State Police did not act unconstitutionally when a motorist stopped for a routine traffic stop was subjected to investigation by a drug-sniffing dog. The ACLU of Illinois' Legal Director Harvey Grossman responded to the decision, noted that the decision could expose thousands of motorists stopped for routine traffic stops to intrusive, unnecessary and menacing searches. You can read Mr. Grossman's entire statement at http://www.aclu-il.org/news/press/000240.shtml. ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Suggests a "Liberty" and "Freedom" Agenda for Second Bush Term As most readers of this newsletter will know, President Bush used his second inaugural address as an occasion to speak about the importance of "freedom" and "liberty" across the globe. That call got ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen Connell thinking about the President's rather limited view of "liberty" -- at least as exhibited by his domestic policies in his first term. Ms. Connell has authored an opinion piece pointing out this problem and suggesting a domestic agenda for advancing liberty in the second Bush Administration. You can read the piece at http://www.aclu-il.org/news/press/000242.shtml. New Grant Funds ACLU Efforts to Serve the Gay and Lesbian Communities Across the State of Illinois On-going efforts by the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois to foster a public discussion across the State about issues confronting the gay and lesbian community received a significant financial boost earlier this month. The Denver-based Gill Foundation has announced an award of $20,000 to support the ACLU Statewide Outreach Initiative. The Initiative, under the direction of the ACLU of Illinois Gay and Lesbian Rights/AIDS and Civil Liberties Project, is part of an effort to combat discrimination against gay men, lesbians and those with HIV/AIDS in Illinois communities outside of the immediate Chicago region. Read more at http://www.aclu-il.org/news/press/000239.shtml. |
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