September 30, 2011
By Nancy Kohsin-Kintigh
I have worked to protect the rights of women across the country for nearly 20 years. As an organizer for a national women’s rights organization, I traveled around the country working beside activists to prevent anti-abortion extremists from shutting down abortion clinics with their rhetoric, their bodies, and sometimes their bullets.
I have been outside hundreds of clinics watching extremists spew hate and judgment on women and their families entering these facilities while holding a Bible to justify it. I have seen parents with up to a dozen children ranging from newborn to teens standing in 100-plus degree weather for eight hours holding signs (that most of them couldn’t even read or understand) in an attempt to intimidate or shame women from getting an abortion. I have worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement in an effort just to get existing laws enforced at clinics which are legal businesses and more importantly – healthcare facilities. I have taught doctors, nurses, and receptionists how to protect themselves and their children from harassment in their homes, in their children’s schools, and at the healthcare facilities.
In all these years of working tirelessly with loving caring human beings who risk their lives every day to provide safe, legal, and sometimes medically necessary healthcare to women – nothing would stop the bullet that killed my friend and someone I admired – Dr. George Tiller. He was killed while attending service at his church.
Today, we are seeing a different kind of “bullet” aimed at the heart of women. This past legislative session was frightening for those of us who fight to defend the dignity of women across this country. We are still making 77 cents for every dollar a man makes and we face assaults on our fundamental rights to control our own bodies. We watch legislators in our states and in DC spew vitriol about us in an attempt to legislate our womb and our ability to access services. While the men hold these great debates about us, we are getting breakfast for our kids, heading off to our second job, meeting with our children’s teachers, and caring for our aging parents while trying to scrape up enough money for the rent that is due in a few days.
Mississippi extremists want to take away the right to abortion and birth control by passing the “so called” Personhood Ballot Initiative #26. It is dangerous and is an all out assault on women and their families. If passed, this amendment would not only ban abortion but also birth control and many assisted reproductive healthcare procedures which include in-vitro fertilization. The initiative will insert government control over our wombs, our ability to choose when and how many children we have, and we will be criminally investigated when we have a miscarriage.
I still have nightmares about my friend being murdered. I see the bullet exit the weapon in slow motion and I dream that I put my hand up and stop it. Initiative #26 is a bullet. The bullet is moving slowly through the air in Mississippi. This time, I am putting my whole body up to stop it. Will you?
Don’t allow this initiative to pass. Individuals across the state are banding together and getting out there to educate voters on the broad and sweeping implications of Initiative #26 if passed. Organizations are educating their members and mobilizing to the streets. Even if you oppose abortion, this “bullet” will explode into a million pieces and it WILL hit you too. Get out there and talk to your friends, family, church, and civic organizations. Make a case for stopping the bullet. On November 8, use your hand to stop the bullet and vote NO on Initiative #26. If you sleep in on November 8, you might just wake up to a nightmare.
Posted in Op-Eds
September 21, 2011
That’s basically what a high school principal told Ceara Sturgis at the start of her senior year — you’ve got to wear a “drape,” or scoop-necked covering that looks like the top of a dress, in the yearbook photo. Ceara isn’t comfortable in such revealing clothing, and had spent her entire high school career wearing more masculine attire. The photographer took Ceara’s picture in a tuxedo instead of the drape, as she requested, but the principal jettisoned that photo and printed the yearbook without either her photo or her name appearing in the senior portrait section.
Last year, we filed a sex discrimination lawsuit against Ceara’s Mississippi school district because its efforts to enforce these gender-based norms are harmful to kids, including LGBT kids, who might not be comfortable with traditional gender norms. We’re looking for ways to ensure that students can engage in the gender expression that is relevant to them, without having to adhere to stereotypes, and without having their existence denied or erased by school officials.
Some will say, “What’s the big deal, it’s just a yearbook photo.” But the people who should have to explain what the big deal is are the school officials. Why exactly is it so important that all girls wear the drape and all boys wear the tux? What message is the school trying to send by forcing Ceara to wear a drape as a condition of appearing in the yearbook just because she is female?
Yesterday, a federal judge in Mississippi asked the school district precisely the same question: What’s your reason for insisting that Ceara wear a drape? The question came in an opinion in which the judge denied the district’s motion to dismiss Ceara’s case and instead sent the case to the information-gathering phase of litigation. The judge said he needed to learn more about the facts, including what the school’s reasons were. We’ll have lots of questions for the principal about that, and we’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, we’ve got a court decision that should make other school districts think twice before insisting on the same strictly gendered rule.
Despite the promising developments in this case there is still more work to be done. Everyday, in schools across the country, kids like Ceara face harassment and discrimination. The Student Non-Discrimination Act will help to ensure that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students has no place in our country’s public schools. Take action now and demand the fair treatment of all students!
Posted by James Esseks, LGBT Project
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Posted in Op-Eds
September 21, 2011
The ACLU of Mississippi held a town hall meeting Oct. 6 aimed at dismantling the School-To-Prison-Pipeline in this state. The event was located at the M.R. Davis Public Library in Southaven, 8554 Northwest Dr. , from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event was a collaboration with the Mississippi Coalition for the Prevention of Schoolhouse to Jailhouse and the ACLU of Mississippi. It was also part of the Dignity in Schools Campaign National Week of Action on School Pushout (Oct. 1-8).
Posted in Press Releases
September 20, 2011
The ACLU of Mississippi and the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance sponsored a Know Your Rights training in DeSoto County on Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. at M.R. Dye Public Library, 2885 Goodman Road. Dozens of students and parents were shown how to be their own advocate in school and communities. All students — regardless of race, nationality, immigration status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs — are entitled to all rights under the U.S. Constitution.
Posted in Press Releases
September 15, 2011
The Mississippi Supreme Court refused Sept. 8 to prevent proposed Initiative Measure Number 26 from being placed on the November 2011 ballot. The initiative attempts to redefine the term “person” in the Mississippi Bill of Rights to apply at the moment of fertilization. The court did not rule on the constitutionality of the initiative, but instead said that it would not rule on any proposed measure before the election.
The initiative was challenged by a Mississippicitizen because it failed to comply with the ballot initiative process as set forth in the Mississippi Constitution, which forbids making modifications to the Bill of Rights.
“We’re disappointed with the ruling,” said Nsombi Lambright, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “A measure will be on the ballot that will allow the government to dictate what is a private matter that’s best decided by a woman, her family and within the context of her faith.Mississippivoters should reject this intrusive and dangerous measure.”
“This initiative is extreme and could severely undermine women’s access to birth control, in vitro fertilization and life-saving medical procedures,” said Bear Atwood, legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “This measure is harmful to women and has no place on the ballot.”
“It is unfortunate the court decided it could not review the initiative at this point in time, but the Mississippi Constitution is clear — you cannot make any changes to the Bill of Rights through the initiative process,” said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, staff attorney with the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project.
“As a lifelong Mississippian, I am disappointed that this broad and intrusive measure has been allowed on the ballot,” said Cristen Hemmins, plaintiff in the lawsuit challenging the initiative. “I call on all voters to vote ‘no’ on #26. The government should not be interfering with the personal and private health care decisions of Mississippi families.”
Posted in Op-Eds, Press Releases
September 15, 2011
Aug. 12, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JACKSON _ The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi supports Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith’s full prosecution of everyone involved in the June 26 slaying of James Craig Anderson, who was the victim of an alleged hate crime. A surveillance video recently released to the media appears to show how the brutal crime unfolded. The allegation is that Anderson was targeted based on his race. The ACLU of Mississippi is monitoring the investigation.
“The murder of James Craig Anderson was a cowardly act of violence that reminds us of the racial hatred that continues to plague the South,” said Nsombi Lambright, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi
Posted in Press Releases
September 1, 2011
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi will hold a program in observance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The program will pay respect to the lives lost that day in 2001, but also examine the impact post 9-11 that government policies have had on the country’s civil liberties.
The program will feature a screening of the POV film, “Better This World,” and a panel discussion featuring:
When: Sunday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m.
Location: Room 150, Mississippi College School of Law, 151E. Griffith St., Jackson.
The event is free and open to the public.
Posted in Press Releases
September 1, 2011
You may have already heard about the
Posted in Op-Eds
March 28, 2011
CONTACT: Robyn Shepherd, ACLU national, (212) 519-7829 or 549-2666; media@aclu.org
Bear Atwood, ACLU of Mississippi, (601) 862-8658; bearatwood@aclu-ms.org
James Duke, Jr., Attorney for Forrest County Sheriff’s Department, (601) 544-4121, (601) 476-9091
HATTIESBURG, MS – The Forrest County Sheriff’s Department will reinstate Andre Cooley as a deputy corrections officer as part of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Mississippi, in which Cooley alleged that he was fired because he is gay. As part of the settlement agreement reached today, the sheriff’s department will also update its written non-discrimination policy to make explicit that the sheriff’s department does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
“I am looking forward to returning to a job that I loved in the Sheriff’s Department,” Cooley said. “I’m very happy that the Sheriff’s Department has clarified in writing that they do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Everyone should be judged by their ability to do the job, not by their sexual orientation.”
“We are happy to have Mr. Cooley return to work in the department. His sexual orientation has no bearing on his ability to perform the duties of a corrections officer,” said Sheriff Billy McGee. “The Forrest County Sheriff’s Department is an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate based on sexual orientation. Our new written policy will make this position clear to every employee in our department.”
“Andre Cooley is a fine officer who never should have endured this experience. The Sheriff’s Department has done the right thing by making it clear that the department will not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation,” said Bear Atwood, Legal Director at the ACLU of Mississippi. “All employers in Mississippi should follow the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department’s lead and include sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination policies. Discrimination is degrading and dehumanizing, creates a negative and unproductive work environment and robs employers and society of highly qualified employees.”
The settlement agreement, which also includes a monetary amount, does not constitute an admission of liability by the sheriff’s department or its employees.
“This is a great outcome for Andre, and for the residents of Mississippi,” said Joshua Block, staff attorney at the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Project. “Unfortunately, Mississippi residents who work for private employers do not have protections from sexual orientation discrimination. Andre’s case highlights the need for state and federal legislation, like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, to ensure that all Mississippi residents have the same anti-discrimination protections as employees of the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department.”
For more information on this case, please visit: http://www.aclu.org/lgbt-rights/cooley-v-forrest-county-sheriff-s-department
Posted in Press Releases
March 28, 2011
CONTACT: Elizabeth Beresford, ACLU National, (212) 519-7808 or (212) 549-2666; media@aclu.org
Nsombi Lambright, ACLU of Mississippi, (601) 354-3408 ext. 223 or (601) 573-3978; nlambright@aclu-ms.org
JACKSON, MS – Overly harsh and punitive sentences for low-level, non-violent drug crimes feed a racially discriminatory criminal justice system in Mississippi that fails to protect the public’s safety, according to a new report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Mississippi.
According to the report, “Numbers Game: The Vicious Cycle of Incarceration in Mississippi’s Criminal Justice System,” black Mississippians are three times more likely than whites to go to prison on drug charges, even though drug use rates across the state are virtually identical for blacks and whites. And because the state’s drug task force funding is contingent upon securing convictions, low-level drug offenders ensnared in the system feel compelled to become confidential informants who are used indiscriminately to ramp up the quantity of drug arrests with little regard to the quality of the cases they help to build.
“There is an urgent need to reform the policies that govern the drug enforcement system as a whole in Mississippi,” said Nsombi Lambright, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mississippi. “Arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement tactics need to be replaced by policies that actually enhance our public safety, protect civil rights and ensure the state’s fiscal solvency.”
The report reveals that while the use of confidential informants is a cornerstone of the state’s regional drug task force operations, the practice is shrouded in secrecy. As part of the investigation that led to the creation of the report, the ACLU of Mississippi spent nearly two years seeking basic information about the nature and extent of the practice by requesting access to documents that state officials acknowledged should be publicly available under the Mississippi Public Records Act. Yet no access was ever given.
Law enforcement justifies the practice of using confidential informants – especially in drug cases – as an essential means for identifying those who commit crimes and for securing their convictions. But the many perverse incentives embedded in the practice invite abuse and disparity, undermining the fundamental legitimacy of the criminal justice system.
The report offers a number of solutions for improving the effectiveness and fairness of the state’s criminal justice system, including replacing mandatory minimum sentences with a flexible set of sentencing standards and guidelines, requiring corroboration of testimony by all informants and making information regarding the reporting requirements and evaluations of drug task forces publicly available.
A copy of the report is available online at: http://www.aclu.org/prisoners-rights/numbers-game-vicious-cycle-incarceration-mississippis-criminal-justice-system
Posted in Press Releases
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