News & Commentary

With so many stories in the news about the bullying and suicides of gay youth lately, the ACLU of Mississippi is grateful to have helped so many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in 2010. Our work with Ceara Sturgis and Constance McMillen are only two of our most public cases. But members and staff of the ACLU-MS have worked tirelessly this year to make Mississippi a better, safer place for LGBT people.

As I write this, senators in Judiciary Committee A are meeting to discuss potential immigration legislation. Through personal and newspaper reports, I've heard that some of the legislators want to bring a law to Mississippi very similar to Arizona's controversial SB1070.  It would require every police officer to ask people for their papers based only on some undefined "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country unlawfully. To avoid arrest, citizens and non-citizens will effectively have to carry their "papers" at all times.

Do you remember when, in the wake of the so-called "Patriot Act," cities across the country passed resolutions not to enforce some of the most egregious, rights-violating provisions of that law?  That kind of bold opposition to power made me proud of my country.

So, my friends and I went to the Scotts Sisters Rally and March this Wednesday.  There were a lot of things going on, a sea of people, posters, and banners.  I went to represent my school, Tougaloo College, ACLU student chapter.   For most of the people in TC-ACLU, it was their first time being at a march.  Emotions were high with enthusiasm, and a little apprehensive. We all car pooled to the March’s starting point, Fairish Street Park.  On the way we were sign and laughing and saying chants we heard, wondering what was in store for us.

A life sentence for allegedly stealing $11.00.  That's the sentence that two sisters, Jamie and Gladys Scott, received in 1993.   Their case illustrates how dangerous Mississippi's criminal justice system is, especially for people of color and low-income in our state.  Mississippi's culture of conviction swallows people whole, handing out excessive sentences for minor crimes.  And regardless of how minor one thinks stealing $11.00 is, certainly life in prison is a punishment that doesn't fit the crime.

'Family values' is one of those terms whose meaning largely depends on who's using it. My family values may be different from your family values.  But if the term has any consistent meaning at all, it surely includes the idea that family members, not politicians, should decide what is and isn't in their own best interests.

I can’t believe that five years have passed since Hurricane Katrina devastated Gulf Coast communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.   And although groups and advocates who were experienced in disaster recovery told us that it would take at least ten years to rebuild, I never imagined that five years later, we’d still face the same challenges. The fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Are we celebrating growth and recovery, commemorating a tragedy, or both? As I viewed Trouble The Water this week, I was mixed up inside. The ACLU of Mississippi partnered with

Couples who share responsibility for making healthy decisions about their birth control methods should be supported. That’s why we were deeply concerned when men who sought to purchase emergency contraception for their female partners were turned away by pharmacists at Walgreens in Texas and Mississippi. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved emergency contraception for sale behind the pharmacy counter for men and women ages 17 and older. Time is of the essence when accessing emergency contraception. Experts stress that emergency contraception is most effective the sooner a woman takes it, and its effectiveness decreases every 12 hours. It is therefore crucial that a customer can get access to emergency contraception as soon as it is needed. A couple who is trying to quickly access emergency contraception to prevent an unintended pregnancy should be supported by the pharmacy, not shunned.

July 1st , 2010 was a very interesting day in the life of the so called ‘War on Drugs’ in Mississippi. Over-the-counter drugs containing ephedrine or pseudophedrine were put behind the counter, requiring a prescription to purchase.