By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 5:04pm
I'm incredibly saddened by the passing of John A. Payton, head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). Our nation has lost a brilliant warrior for justice, and I've lost a dear friend and colleague in the movement.
I first had the pleasure to meet John during the Clinton era. What I most remember about him is his great respect for humanity, his intensity in using the law to achieve justice and his unparalleled love for his wife.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 1:52pm
Today, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to retroactively applying the new Fair Sentencing Act guidelines to individuals sentenced before the law was enacted.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 12:40pm
The events of last weekend are tragic in so many ways, on so many different levels. The ACLU grieves deeply with the rest of the nation for all who were killed or injured in this senseless attack on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others, and we wish a full recovery for all the wounded who are still struggling. There is no place for such violence in our democracy.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 4:03pm
As I write this, the Defense Authorization bill is on its way to President Obama's desk. The bill contains dangerous, sweeping worldwide indefinite detention provisions.
Leading members of Congress have already indicated that they believe that these provisions could be used by this and any future president to indefinitely detain people without charge or trial — even American citizens and others picked up within the borders of the United States.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 4:17pm
This month, a civil rights milestone — the 44th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the ACLU case, Loving v. Virginia, which struck down state bans on interracial marriage — will be heralded in a new documentary that will have an exclusive congressional screening. The Loving Story superbly chronicles the story of Mildred and Richard Lovings’ courageous fight and the Supreme Court decision that bears their name.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 1:21pm
Today, a memorial service was held for civil rights pioneer Dorothy Height. Laura Murphy, Director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, reflects upon Dr. Height's activism.
The passing of Dr. Dorothy Height was a huge loss to the nation, particularly to American women. She inspired me and so many women leaders because she embraced and nurtured her sisters and daughters in the movement. I lost a role model and a mentor who, whenever we met, always clasped my hand in hers, looked me in the eyes and said, "Carry on."
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 5:19pm
Today we let federal lawmakers know that Arizona’s racial profiling law, S.B. 1070, is about much more than just the state of Arizona and its immigrants. It’s about how we see ourselves as a nation.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 6:17pm
Earlier this week, Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post wrote a column outlining why he thinks African-Americans should embrace gay rights, specifically the freedom for committed and loving gay and lesbian couples to marry.
As an African-American woman who has been active in my support for the LGBT community for decades — both with the ACLU and outside the organization — it comes down to the very basic truth that for equality to have real meaning, fairness and equal treatment under the law must extend to everyone. This is what informed ACLU fights against discriminatory laws like "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and DOMA that I helped to lead in the 1990s in the organization's Washington Legislative Office. Importantly, it is also what the struggle for the freedom to marry is rooted in.
