Essays on American Civil Liberties Union

U.S. Senator, Missouri

2011-Present

Personal Background Martial Status: Married to Abigail Blunt Education: B.A. History, Southwest Baptist University (1970) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt M.A. History, Missouri State University (1972) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Previous Experience: Clerk of Greene County, Missouri (1972-1984) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Missouri Secretary of State (1985-1992) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt President, Southwest Baptist University (1993-1996) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt U.S. House of Representatives (1996-2010) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt

Committee Assignments:

Appropriations Committee 2011- present https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Commerce. Science, and Transportation Committee 2011-2016 https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Rules and Administration Committee 2011- present (became chairman 2015) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Joint Committee on the Library 2015- present https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Joint Committee on Printing 2015-present (vice chairman) https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt Committee on Armed Services 2013-2014 https://ballotpedia.org/Roy_Blunt

Sponsored Legislation

2016 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/browse?sponsor=400034#bill_type[] ...

(Professor/Instructor) (Course/Major)

The US Constitution allows Congress the power to deploy the ‘militia’ with the objective of “executing the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.” In addition, it ensures that the states are protected against aggression to overthrow the “republican government” and, upon the request of the state government, against civil disturbances. These constitutional tenets are seen in the 1807 Insurrection Act prior to and after the adoption of 1878 Posse Comitatus Act. The latter bans the deliberate engagement of any component of the Army or the Air Force unless allowed by the ambit of Congress ...

The practice of “Extraordinary Rendition” has been widely publicized and criticized. It involves the covert transfer of alleged terrorists, who are citizens of other nations, from one country to another country in which the questioning of imprisoned persons involve extreme measures because pertinent international laws there are either lax or do not exist. In actuality, these countries have low regard for the humane treatment of prisoners, more often times than not, prisoners who are victims of “Extraordinary Rendition” are tortured. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), “the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States and other U.S. ...

Thesis

Racism is still a very big problem in the world and America in particular. The gains of the civil rights of the 1960's have been washed away, partly, by the rise of the ‘political correctness' era that designed things to be said in a certain way, and, a pluralistic ignorance that came out as an offshoot of political correctness, where, people speak about racism in acceptable terms while believing in the opposite to avoid appearing insensitive and racist. Just as racism was rampant in America in 1930’s as brought out in the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, ...

Introduction

According to Baker, the American justice system is in need of an evolution, which will bring the courtroom into the 21st century. Baker was speaking about the use of technology within the courtroom, but the availability of DNA has made it quite clear the American justice system needs to look forward to the future and consider all possibilities to improve the system as a whole. This paper will discuss the use of DNA in American justice system helped investigators to detect crime in a way easier than in the past.

History

DNA is more formally referred to as deoxyribonucleic acid, ...

One of the points we take pride in as Americans is being the land of the free. While we like to hold this idea up as a reason we are a great country, we currently house over 20% of the world’s prison population, while only having 5% of the world’s population according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) web site. This means that 1 out of every 110 adults is currently incarcerated. Between the years of 1978 and 2014 the prison population has risen a staggering 408%, and will most likely continue to grow. These numbers ...

The giant technology company, Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were involved in a fight that gathered attention from all over the world. The standoff regards the breaking of an encryption of the terrorist responsible for the San Bernardino attack. The government claimed that unlocking the phone was important in their investigation of the family and the terrorist group he may have been involved in. Apple declined the request to create a backdoor for the encryption since it would be a violation of privacy. However, the government would consistently insist that it would use the backdoor tool only ...

The American Civil Liberties Union is a national interest group that is organized throughout the states with the goal of influencing public policy. As an interest group, the ACLU of Washington has a strong interest in the civil liberties of citizens of the state. The ACLU seeks to ensure civil liberties are recognized and acknowledged.

Representation

The ACLU of Washington represents its members before the government. They provide a path for its members to voice their concerns to those who govern and have them listen . There a variety of groups that ACLU of Washington represents that include men and women ...

Along with the vehement development of technologies the ways for committing crimes become more sophisticated as well as the targets and their realization become more accessible. The main goals of law enforcement units are to investigate the crimes and bring the criminals to justice on the one hand and to prevent the society from being a victim of crimes on the other. The methods of crime investigation are powerfully supported by new computer techniques, more full and detailed databases which make the investigation and prevention of crimes against individuals, groups of individuals and their property more successful. The ...

We live in an age of medicine filled with technological wonders – and difficulties. Andre and Velasquez (2010) state that “medical technology has given us the power to sustain the lives (or, some would say, prolong the deaths) of patients whose physical and mental capabilities cannot be restored, whose degenerating conditions cannot be reversed, and whose pain cannot be eliminated.” This poses a medical and ethical dilemma that has pitted us one against the other – should we allow the people in these positions to choose to die, or do we have a moral obligation to preserve life at all ...

Introduction: Is there a problem in the Corrections system when it comes to imprisonment of the elderly?

The problem of mass incarceration of elderly citizens has become a growing problem for the U.S. Corrections System in recent years. This problem has been attributed to the financial deficiency and the after-effects of recidivism by offenders who spent over 15 to 20 years in prison. The social security and pensions allowed by the U.S. State and Federal Governments has provided for the needs of the elderly until the years of recession that took the nation by storm in the last decade. The cost of commodities has increased astronomically and with no stable medical facilities, the elderly in our nation ...

English

Introduction With the growing security threats in the United States such as the 9/11 attacks that claimed the lives of many Americans and foreigners, the National Security Agency put in place security measures that will ensure that the United States’ government is able to monitor its citizen’s communication. Despite the security concerns, the American constitution defends the rights and freedoms of speech of the people by upholding the principles of free living. Consequently, there have been varied reactions on the government’s efforts to monitor the communication in the interests of national security. These opponents of the ...

With the growing security threats in the United States such as the 9/11 attacks, which claimed the lives of many Americans and foreigners the National Security Agency put in place measures that ensure that the United States government monitors the communications of its citizens. Despite the security concerns, the American constitution defends the rights and freedoms of speech. Consequently, there have been varied reactions on the government’s efforts to monitor the communication in the interests of national security. These opponents of the governmental monitoring believe that most of the government’s enemies are outsiders. Nevertheless, proponents argue that ...

I. Introduction Over the last several years the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana has grown to become one of the hottest public policy debates in the United States and Canada. Issues involved in the debate not only encompass the legal question of an individual’s right to privacy and whether adults should be allowed to “smoke a little weed” in their own home; but also community concerns of addiction and how to regulate marijuana use to control for any potential health and safety risks. Furthermore, the conversation also includes question of whether there are any economic benefits ...

The rights of immigrants have been violated in many occasions in different countries all over the world. The immigrants are treated discriminatively in various aspects, such as minimum wage, working conditions, health polices, among others. The situations are worse in some countries than others. For example, numerous cases of immigrant mistreatment have been reported in the Middle East. Some go to the extent of killing the immigrants for flimsy reasons. There various way that can be adopted nationally and internationally to stop violation of human rights in the case of immigrants. First, the international labour organization advocate fair ...

Crime Scene Investigating (CSI) follows teams collecting and securing evidence, conducting lab experiments, interviewing witnesses and applying forensic evidence to solve crime mysteries. In CSI Miami Season 1, episode 10 (dubbed A Horrible Mind) involved an investigation of a homicide of an unorthodox professor, whose tortured body was found hanged as if by a cult. The victim was a cultural anthropology lecturer, who attracted revulsion from his colleagues and parents, but was well-appreciated by his students, mainly because of his controversy-laden course. In the investigation, which was trained on the professors’ cult-like students, the episode brings to the fore entrenched racial/religious tensions ...

PATRIOT Act

Signing of the patriot act into law took place on October 26, 2001 by President George W. Bush; it was a tool meant intercept and obstructs terrorism (Brodt, Steven, and Brian Byers, 2005). The act was passed when fear, hatred, anger and distrust flourished in the dawn of the unprecedented terrorist attack of September 11. The law has a broad scope of measures that are aimed at improving surveillance on terror activities, combating money laundering, sharing information and improving national security (Brodt, Steven, and Brian Byers, 2005). The patriotic act had insinuation of its kind in the United States. The implications ...

Discussing Racism in the American Criminal Justice System

ASTRACT Racism is a serious issue that is deeply imbedded in the American Criminal Justice System. In fact, unfortunately, that racism has existed and almost as long as the United States has been its own country. The presence of that racism is heavily and perpetually debated. Today we see questionable racial attitudes of law enforcement, racially motivated, policies, and disparities in criminal sentencing has only bolstered the arguments. From highly publicized cases, like Trayvon Martin in Florida and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, as well as, the strict new laws, founded on racism, in the state of Arizona. That ...

Abstract

Infants are increasingly being infected with HIV virus every year due to mother to child transmission. Funding and advances in antiretroviral therapy have generally made the reduction and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV accessible and affordable but infants are still being born and infected with HIV. There is a 15-50% chance of HIV transmission from the mother to the newborn in the time of breastfeeding, pregnancy, labor and delivery, if appropriate measures are not undertaken. In interpretation of parental requisite role of protecting the infant, there has been a heated debate on whether mandatory HIV testing for ...

English

Nowadays, internet plays a major role in our society. It provides information that is very useful either for education purpose or social awareness. Internet also serves as a gateway for faster and easier way to communicate with people regardless of where they are. However, many claim that governments must impose censorship over the internet as it can be a medium of unwanted incidents such as internet crimes, pornography, or a risk for children to be exposed on negative internet contents. On the other hand, much of these negative claims can be avoided in many ways. Internet censorship may not be needed to ...

Abstract

This is a stakeholder analysis of Miami-Dade Police department. It is done by Major Camille Ingram the commander of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau. This is done in accordance to a request made from Major Warren. It will employ the use of the nine step mechanism to do a proper stakeholder analysis and also prepare a stakeholder map. This is done in provision for the imminent Democratic- Republican National Convention. The analysis will provide a more practical view on the police department and prescribe better ways on how issues can be dealt with ensuring the police department meets its goals and objectives. The initial ...

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History With the crime rate steadily increasing in the United States, there have been talks of reinstating death penalty or capital punishment. This issue has sparked debate among people from different institutions. Capital punishment, however, is not something new. Historically, capital punishment was already used in ancient Babylonia (which is now called Iraq) as early as the 1700s B.C. and the specifics are written in the Code of Hammurabi, a legal document stating 25 crimes, including adultery but excluding murder, punishable by death (Guernsey ...

Introduction

The world is facing risks as we all face the new millennium. Many terrorists are using harmful weapons such as the weapons of mass destruction. These may include dirty bombs, bioterrorism and even chemical weapons. The United States is one of the countries that terrorists are targeting to spread their acts. That is why we need to be aware about how we can respond with terrorism. As such, the United States government has been working to fight these terrorists by creating laws that would prevent and fight destructive weapons such as mentioned above. Numerous accounts have been documented regarding ...

Illegal Drug Use Laws

Abstract Drug laws and their enforcement is a controversial issue in America. Drug swoops, arrests, incarcerations and other forms of punishment for convicted drug offenders have been the main bone of contention. Intrinsically, drug laws such as the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (1938), the Controlled Substance Act (1970) among others are crafted without the intention to apply selectively and discriminately to different races and social classes. However, studies by federal and private agencies have revealed that the laws apply or are enforced unfairly to some races and especially on African Americans. For instance, the ratio of African American ...

Abstract

Racial and ethnic stereotyping often links individuals and certain groups of persons from the public with suspicious activities most of which are criminal related. Hence, there will be profiling of individuals linked to such activities. For example, after the September 11 terrorist bombing in the United States, there was profiling of virtually all the Arabs and Muslims living, working, and immigrating to America. This is because the suspects were of Muslim and Arab origin (Bjerk; American Civil Liberties Union). Persons and institutions charged with the responsibility of ensuring public security and safety mostly do racial profiling. However, as ( ...

First it has been classified, by most international organizations, as the worst form of violation of human rights. Secondly it is subjective to the judicial processes such that innocent people are executed and thirdly there exists no credible evidence that death penalty deters crime which is the sole reason for any punishment. Next, it has been established that the death penalty is completely subjective of a judicial process. This has led to many innocent people been executed. In the United States of America it has been argued that up to 39 people have been wrongfully executed between 1992 and ...

Background

The Supreme Court ruled against the constitutional law that defined certain forms of abortion as illegal, thereby, legalizing them in this 2000 landmark case (Baldwin, 1). “Partial birth” is a form of abortion where a physician delivers a fetus vaginally before killing it, or the intentional vaginal delivery of a live unborn before killing the fetus, according to the statute. However, the Nebraska law defines partial birth a set of procedures employed by a physician to perform third trimester abortions. The case involved a specialist physician in late abortions, Leroy Carhart against the Attorney general of Nebraska seeking to reverse the statute against partial birth citing ...

Civil liberties can be defined as rights guaranteed to the citizens or people who are residents of a nation or territory as a matter of fundamental law. They are different from human rights, which are accorded to all people irrespective of where they live (Walker, 2000). Civil liberties are rights for which a national government possesses a contractual obligation to protect. Civil liberties are backed by a bill of rights found in a country’s constitution. On the contrary, human rights are merely implied by one’s status as a person whether the government has made an agreement to safeguard them or not. The civil liberties ...

Introduction

Death penalty which had been abolished in 1970s was quickly restored during 1970s itself. There have been charges of racial discrimination in the application of death penalty both before and after abolition and restoration of death penalty. Research on the subject suggests a pattern of racial discrimination. Since 1976, percentage of blacks executed has been 35 while, the blacks form just 12 % of the total population. Research indicates that blacks are four times more likely to receive death penalty than if the defendant is white. In 2000, percentage of blacks on death row statewide were 46 % in Alabama, 36 % California, ...

This central question emanated during a case that involved Association of Molecular Pathology versus Myriad Genetics. These lawsuits, organized by American Civil Liberties Union representing several other professional organizations were opposed to human gene patents (ACLU, 2013). Patent law sounds arcane but in this case, it affects huge investments in terms of billions of dollars channelled to research. The plaintiffs wanted to invalidate human gene patents based on a number of reasons. They believed that these patents impeded valuable research. The Association for Molecular Biology argued that approximately 20 per cent of human genome is patented and due to this ...

English should be made the Official Language of the USA

English should be made the Official Language of the USA The United States of America is home to people of diverse cultures, professions, religions, social beliefs, etc. And true to its name, it has been the global embodiment of ‘unity in diversity’. A major factor which has bound together the people of this nation is the English language. More than 95% of the citizens speak the language fluently and use it for all practical purposes, even if it is not their native tongue. The government too functions with English as the medium of communication. From the Constitution, to ...

English should be made the Official Language of the USA

English should be made the Official Language of the USA The United States of America is home to people of diverse cultures, professions, religions, social beliefs, etc. And true to its name, it has been the global embodiment of ‘unity in diversity’. A major factor which has bound together the people of this nation is the English language. More than 95% of the citizens speak the language fluently and use it for all practical purposes, even if it is not their native tongue. The government too functions with English as the medium of communication. From the Constitution, to ...

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Gay is man who is aesthetically, romantically and sexually attracted to other men, and who earns emotional and sexual partnership with other man. Earlier the word gay used to mean homosexual men and homosexual women, as well as the entire LGBT community. Strengthening the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and transsexual people, lost the sense of this wide use of the word, so that today it means only gay men.

Gay population through history

The oldest source that testifies to the gay couple is Khnumhotepa and Niankhkhnuma tomb, which was built during the Fifth dynasty (2498-2345 BC) Old Kingdom necropolis in the ...

One of the biggest social justice and welfare issues concerning the nation today is the welfare of its children. What everyone can agree upon is that child welfare is of the utmost importance. What people cannot agree upon is how best to increase the health and welfare of the nation’s children. One topic in the hot-seat of the nation’s current debate on child welfare is whether or not gay and lesbians should be allowed to adopt children. According to a 2006 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) book, in 2006 there were 500,000 children in the American foster ...

Short and Long-Term Policies: Prisoner Overcrowding 3

Prison Overcrowding Reduction Policy Stakeholders 4 Prison Overcrowding Reduction: Short-Term Goals and Solutions 5 Prison Overcrowding Reduction: Long-Term Goals and Solutions 8 Creation of Jail Capacity Management Boards and Oversight Committees .8 Alternatives to Incarceration .9 Private For-Profit Prisons 11 Conclusion 12

References .13

Short and Long-Term Policies:Prisoner Overcrowding Overcrowding in jails and prisons is a complex problem that is difficult but imperative for the nation to solve. The United States has the highest rate of incarceration in the world; while countries similar to the U.S. have an average rate of 100 prisoners per 100, ...

Introduction

A prison is a place where law breakers are confined or interned by concerned authority. Prisons are denied the freedom of movement and free interaction with other people. In many countries, prisons are governed by the government. Nevertheless, increased prisoners population and an attempt to cut costs has led to privatization of some prisons. This has brought about mixed reactions with some parties arguing against the privatization move whilst others arguing in favour of privatization of prisons. Privatization of prisons is an arrangement in which prisoners are confined by third parties which are normally contracted by the ruling government. The ...

Abstract

This paper looks at the nonlethal and less-than-lethal options of force for law enforcement officers. The weapons explored include pepper spray, tasers, and impact projectiles. Also discussed are new inventions that will become available soon. For instance, a thermal gun, an electromagnetic gadget that causes the person to have an epileptic fit, and a variety of nets are currently in progress. This paper discusses a key concern with the use of these weapons: one of safety. Each weapon has its advantages and disadvantages of use. A foremost concern is the overuse of these weapons on children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Included ...

The United States (U.S.) was attacked on 9/11 in such a way that even surpasses the attack on Pearl Harbor. At least during WWII the country knew who its enemies were. However, although the terrorist group(s) that attacked and caused the collapse of the Twin Towers are known, they are hidden. That leaves the U.S. Government scrambling to find these concealed enemies that are either still on U.S. soil or planning more attacks from abroad. It will be necessary to look at the ethical dilemmas involved with the USA PATRIOT Act (“Epic.org”, n.d.), in regards to authorization of ...

The history of racism and discrimination is a common occurrence in various parts of the globe since the early civilizations. Many people were persecuted because of their religion, race, belief, and sometimes, because of their skin color. Westerners had developed this thinking when the colonialization period took place, and as they navigated towards the east. Each country has its own history of racial discrimination and even though it is deemed as an act against human rights, there are still racist thinking amongst people especially if certain events that has been perpetuated by a specific race or group. These days, people who ...

The United States has long maintained a formal program of extradition in which an individual is transferred from the United States to another nation regarding the investigation of a criminal matter. Generally, this is accomplished pursuant to procedures established by treaties and done at the request of the other nation. This form of extradition is also known by the term “rendition.” Less frequent is the form of rendition that is also termed as “extraordinary rendition” or “irregular rendition.” This is the extrajudicial transfer of a suspect to another nation for interrogation or in context with an investigation regarding terrorism. The United ...