Civil liberties headlines for October 16, 2008

From free speech to gun rights, below are news headlines involving outrages, developments and occasional victories that may be of interest to people who care about personal liberty, all gathered in one place.

Canadian bloggers ignore election results ban
Canada's 70-year-old law to control the release of voting results on election night has again stumbled in the age of the Internet. Within minutes of polls closing on the Atlantic Coast, bloggers were making the results known in parts of the country were voting was still going on.

ACLU: Federal death row inmates denied health care
Death row inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, are routinely denied access to medical, dental and mental health care, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday in a letter to a governmental official.

Gathering Pupil Data for Military Is Criticized
A new Department of Education policy that gives military recruiters centralized access to high school student data is drawing fire from the New York Civil Liberties Union, as well as some parents and students.

Va. officials ban campaign clothing at polls
Virginia voters won't be allowed to wear clothing featuring John McCain or Barack Obama when they head to the polls on Nov. 4. The State Board of Elections on Tuesday voted to ban clothing and hats as well as buttons and other paraphernalia that directly advocate the election or defeat of a specific candidate or issue.

B.J. Lawson, the hybrid candidate
An odd amalgam of progressive stances and Libertarianism, Lawson has hammered his opponent on his support for controversial anti-civil liberties legislation, his tacit approval of Homeland Security's proposed National Agro and Bio-Defense Facility and, by extension, his campaign largesse partially padded by defense contractors.

College campuses curtail free speech
On college campuses throughout the United States, students are finding their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech imperiled by overzealous administrators.

Mexican lawmaker's pot proposal up in smoke
A Mexico City lawmaker's proposal to legalize marijuana is going up in smoke. Members of Victor Cirigo's own leftist party, which governs Mexico's capital, are criticizing his proposal to decriminalize the sale of up to five grams of marijuana, possession of up to 30 grams, and cultivation of no more than five cannabis plants.

UK government health organization spends £12,000 treating staff privately
At one NHS trust, workers spent money on private physical therapy rather than rely on the care provided by the state.

UN's head of anti-drug trafficking warns against legalization
Shockingly, an international bureaucrat who makes his living chasing after illicit narcotics doesn't want governments to take away his bread and butter.

CTA gives $1M more to fight gay marriage ban
California's largest teacher's union has given another $1 million to defeat a Nov. 4 ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in the state.

Group demands W.Va. session to ban gay marriage
As the general election approaches, a Christian evangelical group has issued an ultimatum to Gov. Joe Manchin: call a special session to pass a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, or face the wrath of voters.

Gun rights advocate will be prosecuted in Waterside case
Norfolk, Virginia, will prosecute a trespassing charge against Hampton resident Dan Moore after he was ordered to leave Waterside last week for wearing a gun on his hip, and according to police, refused to leave.

In many US airports, guns are OK outside security
An Associated Press survey of the 20 busiest U.S. airports found that seven of them — Philadelphia, Detroit, Phoenix, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and San Francisco — let people with gun permits carry firearms in the general public areas of the terminal.

Contact J.D.: civilliberties (at) tuccille.com