Stories from the ACLU of Washington

A decade ago, I had just turned ten years old.  I had heard the term “terrorism” before, but always thought it was something that only happened in other parts of the world or in the past.  On September 11th, 2001, that all changed.  That morning, I awoke to a new world, the one that has encompassed the lives of my peers and me for the past decade.

Washington remains the only medical marijuana state not to have a patient registry. Washington’s medical marijuana law also fails to provide patients any protection from arrest.  Law enforcement resistance to providing arrest protection has been based in part on the absence of a state-run registry. Lawmakers tried to remedy this situation in the 2011 legislative session by including a cutting edge, privacy protecting patient registry in SB 5073 (sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, 36th District). 

Ever since 9/11, the ACLU has insisted that our nation must protect both security and freedom. True patriotism means affirming a commitment to the principles of the Bill of Rights and the values of liberty that are essential to our democratic way of life.

This past weekend, I attended the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in downtown Seattle.  PAX draws a huge crowd of enthusiastic gamers from around the world eager to see what their favorite video and tabletop game studios will dream up next.  But beyond the videos, costumes, and contests, PAX hosts a series of panels and presentations that provide insight into why gaming matters.  These discussions revealed fascinating connections between the gaming world and the challenges to civil liberties that we face elsewhere in life.

Our colleague Harvey Grossman from Illinois was in Seattle yesterday to present the ACLU’s arguments at a federal appeals court hearing seeking to hold telecoms accountable for aiding the National Security Agency in its illegal spying program.  Here’s the ACLU of Illinois press release explaining the lawsuit and why it matters. 

Check out the fresh-on-the-newsstand print version of the Seattle Weekly for the article about the mayor of Mt. Vernon’s anti-Spanish bias – but with the more pungent headline “Como se dice ‘bullshit’?”  And props to the Skagit Valley Herald – a great exemplar of local journalism – for breaking the story and following up on its reverberations in the community.

The Washington Supreme Court issued a great and unanimous ruling for disabled students this Thursday in a case (Dowler v. Clover Park School District)  in which the ACLU-WA submitted a friend-of-the-court brief.  The facts in the case were horrendous, and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was being used to stop the students from getting relief. 

The Seattle Times cover story on marijuana grow operations on Native American land highlights the fact that lots of marijuana is being grown outdoors in Washington -- as this blog has pointed out previously. The problem of large outdoor marijuana grows is a prime example of why we should be taking a new approach to marijuana policy in our state.

Too often, user privacy is an afterthought in the design of computer software and online services.  For companies, the costs in lost consumer confidence, fines, and corrective measures can be substantial. Everyday users pay a price as well, and for victims of domestic violence, political protesters, whistleblowers, and others whose safety and livelihood could hinge on their privacy, those costs can be devastating.

As a college student, I could have spent my last summer before graduation doing any assortment of activities. I could have embraced living in Seattle by getting a job in a hip coffee shop. I could have traveled, trying to see the world before I get a job that requires me to stay in one place. Or I could have taken a full load of classes, trying to get ahead on credits so that I could add an extra major or try classes for which I wouldn’t normally have time.