Latest From ACLU of Washington

The latest content and updates from the ACLU of Washington website.

Published: 
Friday, September 17, 2010
I watched the Storm’s championship-clinching game last night with my 11-year-old daughter.  To her it was an exciting game, to me it also was a political event.  I’ve been a Title IX advocate for 25 years, and I still can’t contain my sense of accomplishment when I see prominent coverage of women’s sports. (And I still sometimes get choked up when I see a team of girls swarm a soccer field or a basketball court). Read more
Published: 
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Testimony from former members of Maj. Witt’s unit, the 446th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, filled the third day of the trial. Leading off was Jill Robinson, who spent 23 years in the Air Force. Inspiring her service was a recruiting poster for the Air Force Reserves that featured Maj. Witt on the cover. Read more
Published: 
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Day 2 of Witt v. Air Force started with testimony from Darren Manzella, who served in the Army for six years as a health care specialist after enlisting in 2002 and was twice deployed to the Middle East. His testimony focused on the need for honesty about oneself in building a team, saying “In the military, trust is essential.” Read more
Published: 
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
“Dynamic officer” … “A vital team player” …”Exceptional flight nurse” … “Excellent role model” … “Always ready to support the mission.” ACLU of Washington Legal Director Sarah Dunne led off her opening argument with these words from Air Force performance reviews for Major Margaret Witt at different times. Read more
Published: 
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
After opening statements, Jim Schaffer, current Spokane Fire Department Captain and former 446th unit member, began his testimony. Before retiring from the Air Force in 2006, he and Major Witt served on the same flight crew on a number of missions and were deployed together a number of times. Schaffer spoke about Mjr. Witt’s stellar career and told stories of how her calm, cool, and collected nature, plus with her ability to include all team members, help their team succeed and save lives. He told of a particular occasion where a Dept. of Defense civilian went into cardiac arrest while aboard a plane, and Maj. Witt’s ability to accurately assess the situation made sure that the person survived. Read more
Published: 
Monday, September 13, 2010
Prescription opiate abuse (powerful pain killers) is a serious problem requiring smart policy solutions. Two policies intended to curb abuse of these powerful drugs highlight the right and wrong approach for dealing with the issue. Read more
Published: 
Friday, September 10, 2010
News Release, Published: 
Friday, September 10, 2010
The landmark case of Major Margaret Witt, a decorated U.S. Air Force nurse dismissed on grounds that she engaged in homosexual conduct, went to trial on Sept. 13 in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.  The ACLU of Washington is representing Maj. Witt in challenging her discharge under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Pictured above: Major Witt (far right) deployed in Oman.
Published: 
Friday, September 10, 2010
The ACLU of Washington is privileged to have hundreds of dedicated volunteers help us out every year.  Indeed, the ACLU relies on individuals who care passionately about civil liberties and are committed to doing something to make sure the Bill of Rights is more than just a piece of paper.  We couldn’t do our work of defending and extending liberty without their efforts! Volunteers work with the ACLU for many different reasons and in many different ways.  Volunteers help with our public events in the community and provide information at our tables. In our office, they help with mailings, answer phones and greet people at our front desk, and – with special training – answer our legal intake lines.  Without these individuals, the ACLU of WA could not have the reach and scope that it does. Read more
Published: 
Thursday, September 9, 2010
AG Says We Don’t Need Death Penalty: With an execution looming, state Attorney General Rob McKenna weighs in on the death penalty – and you might be surprised what he has to say.  "I could live without it frankly," McKenna tells KIRO Radio. "I think it's very expensive, and the delays are inordinate, delaying closure for the victims' families." New Voice for Marijuana Reform: In a recent op-ed in the Seattle Times, former U.S. Attorney John McKay declares that the U.S. war against marijuana has failed and actually threatens public safety and rests on false medical assumptions.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
In the wake of the tragic shooting of a Native American wood carver, the ACLU-WA told Seattle leaders they must provide leadership in preventing overreactions by police. Among other changes, officers must be trained to understand that “appearing different” doesn’t make someone a threat to public safety.
Published: 
Friday, September 3, 2010
Do you think Arizona, with its “papers please” law, is the only state where law enforcement officials are approaching travelers and asking about their citizenship? Think again. Federal immigration officials are asserting the authority to ask individuals about their citizenship far away from any border crossing or port. And they regularly question people as far as 100 miles away from any border. Nine of the most populous U.S. cities and two-thirds of our nation’s population reside within this “Constitution-free zone.” Read more
Published: 
Friday, September 3, 2010
On September 2, 2010, the Seattle Times ran an op-ed discussing startling details about longstanding racial disparities in Washington’s criminal justice system. The op-ed is written by NAACP Legal Defense Fund attorneys John Payton and Ryan Haygood. Way back in 1980, Washington state “officials asked themselves a hard question about why the state led the nation in the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans.”  Fast forward to 2007 and you can see how the problem still exists. The state’s own Sentencing Guideline Commission reported in 2007 that African Americans were 3% of the state’s population, but “received 14.91% of all felony convictions and were the most over-represented racial group ….” Read more

Pages