Atlasian Civil Liberties Caucus (ACLC)

[Speed of Sound]

We also should have something showing our support for Gay Marriage, and only that, nothing less, and something on Affirmative Action, against it I would presume.

We should support civil unions. Gay marriage should be decided by individual churches.

i agree. separation of church and state means that the gov. has to stay out of church buisness as well.

[Akno21]

We also should have something showing our support for Gay Marriage, and only that, nothing less, and something on Affirmative Action, against it I would presume.

We should support civil unions. Gay marriage should be decided by individual churches.

i agree. separation of church and state means that the gov. has to stay out of church buisness as well.

Fine, but then we should support civil unions for all couples, gay or straight, and take government out of marriage.

[Ebowed]

We also should have something showing our support for Gay Marriage, and only that, nothing less, and something on Affirmative Action, against it I would presume.

We should support civil unions. Gay marriage should be decided by individual churches.

i agree. separation of church and state means that the gov. has to stay out of church buisness as well.

Fine, but then we should support civil unions for all couples, gay or straight, and take government out of marriage.

I'm actually of the idea that all couples should get civil unions, and marriage should be defined by the church, as long as there is no polygamy/bigamy is involved.  However, we will need to make an exception for unions where one person is much older than the other (say, a gap of... 20 years?), and also a ban on incestuous civil unions.

(Note that I do not support the legalization of prostitution.  However, I'm pretty confident the majority of this caucus does, and I couldn't find a better way to work gambling into one of the planks.)

I propose that the reference to prostitution be removed from the Sexual Freedom plank, and that we add the following plank to the platform:

Monetary Freedom
The ACLC supports the legalization of gambling and prostitution throughout Atlasia, with some regulation from the government.  We believe that the best way to keep prostitution safe is to have brothels constantly monitored, with mandatory STD tests for all people involved.  We believe that an age limit of 18 for participation in prostitution and gambling would be appropriate.

I propose that the following plank also be added:

Drug & Alcohol Freedom
The ACLC supports lowering the drinking age to 18, and opposes efforts to ban smoking in privately owned restaraunts.  We believe that the use of cigarettes in each restaraunt should be up to the owner of the business.  The ACLC also supports the full legalization of marijuana, for both medicinal and recreational uses, and supports the administered use of hard drugs for medicinal purposes.

And this:

Racial Freedom
We believe that the use of race or class as university admissions factors is blatantly unconstitutional.  We oppose racial profiling, racial quotas for schools and workplaces, hate speech legislation, and hate crimes legislation.

more later

[Ebowed]

Right to Bear Arms
The ACLC unequivocally supports the right to keep and bear arms.  We oppose "assault weapon" bans and other forms of control that would ban rifles and pistols.  We also support keeping low potency explosives legal, as recently amended in the Atlasian Constitution.  We believe that fireworks should be legal in Atlasia every day of the year.

Pornography and Female Nudity
We believe that pornography, depicting consenting persons over the age of 18, should be available for the public.  Anyone who is aged 16 or over should be able to purchase it.  Any facilitator or producer of child pornography should be punished to the full extent of the law.  We also support the right of females over the age of 18 to be topless in public.

I propose to remove pledge plank & replace it with something like

Pledge of Allegiance
We oppose any forced pledges of nationalism in public schools or workplaces.  The ACLC believes that forcing persons to recite anything that they do not want to recite is an invasion of civil liberties.

[Emsworth]

Ebowed',s suggestions seem excellent; I support all of them.

My only suggestion relates to the Racial Freedom section. As it stands, it opposes the use of affirmative action in "schools and workplaces" and states that the use of race as a "university admissions factor" is unconstitutional. I feel that we should qualify the statement to say that this applies only to public and governmental institutions. A private university should be free to use whatever factors it wants to, including race. So I would suggest:

Racial Freedom
We believe that the use of race or class in public university admissions is blatantly unconstitutional.  We oppose racial profiling, racial quotas for public schools and government workplaces, hate speech legislation, and hate crimes legislation.

[Rob]

Racial Freedom
We believe that the use of race or class in public university admissions is blatantly unconstitutional.  We oppose racial profiling, racial quotas for public schools and government workplaces, hate speech legislation, and hate crimes legislation.

I fully support this plank.

[Frodo]

I realize this is a little late in the game, but can I join the ACLC?

[Rob]

I realize this is a little late in the game, but can I join the ACLC?

Welcome, Frodo!

[A18]

Racial Freedom
We believe that the use of race or class in public university admissions is blatantly unconstitutional.  We oppose racial profiling, racial quotas for public schools and government workplaces, hate speech legislation, and hate crimes legislation.

I fully support this plank.

I support the second sentence. The first I oppose. Although the use of race is blatantly unconstitutional, class is another matter.

[Q]

I, too, would like to welcome Everett and Frodo to our group.  I think you are registered in CA and VA, respectively (the voter roles are somewhat out-of-date), so your respective Regional Chairs are Goldwater (Pacific) and Akno21 (Mideast).

A18, or John Wilkes Booth (deliverer of the most famous utterance of your current name), you are welcome to join as well.


As far as platform goes, what about the death penalty?  Goldwater, I believe, voiced his opposition to a blanket anti-capital punishment stance, and I must agree with him.  While I actually support capital punishment for just about every premeditated homicide, I'm willing to concede here, but some discussion on any cases in which we might not be opposed to the death penality might be productive.  How about for espionage?  Extradition to countries that do have capital punishment?  Etc.  Might I also suggest that judges and juries be given life sentences with no possibility of parole as sentencing options - rather than having to choose between death penalty and prison with possibility of parole (as is sometimes reality in the U.S.)

[Ebowed]

I don't know about my fellow anti-death penalty caucus members, but I support life in prison without the possibility of parole for first degree murder and espionage.  I pushed an initiative in the Southeast that made life without parole an option in Texas, which passed 5-4.  We should work to make sure similar initiatives pass in other Atlasian states where this much needed option is not available.

[Akno21]

I don't know about my fellow anti-death penalty caucus members, but I support life in prison without the possibility of parole for first degree murder and espionage.  I pushed an initiative in the Southeast that made life without parole an option in Texas, which passed 5-4.  We should work to make sure similar initiatives pass in other Atlasian states where this much needed option is not available.

I agree. As a civil liberties group, I feel we must take a stand against the death penalty, mainly because the consequences are disasterous if someone is executed who is later proved to be innocent. The Government murdering an innocent man seems like a big infringement on civil liberties to me, bigger than a while in prison.

[A18]

How about hard labor? If it turns out this person is innocent, he can be compensated and set free.

[Bono]

I think we should add a complementary plank that we support these decisions to be taken at the level of government closer to the people. (ie. local instead of regional, regional instead of federal)

[Max Power]

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I agree here.

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Define 'hard drugs'.

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Agree.

[Max Power]

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I agree, except for the last one. It does not indicate which god, or which religion's god.

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I agree here as well.

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I believe an age of consent stance should be added. Other than that, good work.

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Good, but I believe we should allow the death penalty for terrorists.

[Bono]

I think we should add a complementary plank that we support these decisions to be taken at the level of government closer to the people. (ie. local instead of regional, regional instead of federal)

ahem

[Max Power]

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Disagree. The assault weapons ban was there for a reason. They are guns made to kill. I agree with the rest, though.

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Agree, but why just allow them to go topless? That's kind of intruding on people who wish to go nude in public's rights.

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I agree.


And Bono, I agree with your idea.

[Speed of Sound]

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Disagree. The assault weapons ban was there for a reason. They are guns made to kill. I agree with the rest, though.

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Agree, but why just allow them to go topless? That's kind of intruding on people who wish to go nude in public's rights.

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I agree.


And Bono, I agree with your idea.

i would like to second everything said here.

[Rob]

I think we should add a complementary plank that we support these decisions to be taken at the level of government closer to the people. (ie. local instead of regional, regional instead of federal)

ahem

We believe that these decisions should be made at the local or state level as often as possible. Our stances on these issues are strongly held, but we support the right of the people to make their own decisions at a level closer to them.

[Q]

I was just reading the platform of the Progressive Caucus.  I think we need to be careful to distinguish ourselves from that group (of which I know several of our members are also members).  We want the ACLC to be a unique organization with a unique mission.

Progressive Caucus platform: http://www.progressnj.com/atlaswiki/index.php/Progressive_Caucus

[jokerman]

I was just reading the platform of the Progressive Caucus.  I think we need to be careful to distinguish ourselves from that group (of which I know several of our members are also members).  We want the ACLC to be a unique organization with a unique mission.

Progressive Caucus platform: http://www.progressnj.com/atlaswiki/index.php/Progressive_Caucus

Yeah, like on school prayer and other religious freedoms. 

[KEmperor]

Prayer is not a government issue.

[Emsworth]

I agree, except for the last one. It does not indicate which god, or which religion's god.

That's irrelevant. It still assumes that a god exists.

[Q]

I know it's been a while, but how about we continue the platform discussion.

I've looked through every one of the comments in this thread, and I've incorporated as many of your changes and addressed as many of your concerns as was possible, given the contradictions among them.

I submit the following as a second draft.


Proposed ACLC Platform (Second Draft)

The mission of the Atlasian Civil Liberties Caucus is to advocate for the protection of the fundamental rights of the People.
The ACLC stands for individual sovereignty.  We believe that decisions regarding matters that affect the individual should be made as close to the individual as possible, and that individual destiny should not be subject to the whims of an intrusive government.

We value the input of our members in creating a list of rights we believe should be defended.  Individual members, however, may disagree with specific provisions of the platform, which is an evolving document that does not constrain our organization or our members.


Religion

Establishment of Religion
The ACLC believes that the government must maintain the strict separation of church and state. We believe that the government should neither endorse nor inhibit religion. Instead, by maintaining a neutral, secular stance, the government can equally and impartially protect all religious views.

School Prayer
The ACLC deems that students should be free to pray in schools if they so choose. However, we do not feel that the government should write prayers, or formally set aside time specifically for praying.

Pledge of Allegiance
We oppose the mandatory or coerced recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, or other pledges of nationalism or allegiance to region or state, in schools and workplaces.
We hold that the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unwise and unconstitutional. We feel that it is inappropriate for the government to link one's allegiance to country with one's religious beliefs. We therefore support the removal of the phrase from the pledge.


Speech

Freedom of Speech
The ACLC holds that the ability to express one's views without retaliation from the government is a hallmark of a free society. We believe that freedom of speech and of expression is vital, and that the government should not endeavor to hamper it. We feel that even the most controversial opinions are constitutionally protected, and should not be banned or restricted by the government.

Freedom of the Press
We deem that a free press is vital in a republic such as Atlasia, as it serves to keep the government in check. Efforts to censor the media are contrary to the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. Therefore, the ACLC opposes governmental regulation of media content.

Freedom of Assembly
The ACLC holds that the right to peaceably assemble is important. We feel that no organization should be denied the right to protest simply because its opinions differ from those of a majority of the society. Furthermore, we oppose "free speech zones," which violate the right to assemble peaceably.


Reproductive and Sexual Autonomy

Contraception and Abortion
While the ACLC recognizes that contraception and abortion are distinct concepts that have discrete magnitude of impact on the creation of life, we support the right of a any person to use contraception as well as the right of a woman to procure an abortion. We feel that the government should not attempt to impose its moral values on the People by banning contraceptives or abortions; instead, the decision should be left to the woman.

Sexual Freedoms
The ACLC believes that the state does not belong in the bedrooms of the People. We believe that the government should not prohibit sexual relations between consenting adults.


Justice

Surveillance
The ACLC opposes any effort to turn Atlasia into a surveillance society. We feel that the government should use wiretaps and other surveillance tools only with a warrant issued upon probable cause signed by a judge. We feel that the arbitrary and capricious monitoring of law-abiding citizens is incompatible with a free and democratic society.

Enemy Combatants
The ACLC opposes holding individuals as "enemy combatants." We feel that incarcerating such individuals without charge and without the effective assistance of counsel contravenes the Constitution and violates a fundamental principle of justice: "innocent until proven guilty."

Right to Counsel
The ACLC holds that every defendant is entitled to the aid of counsel. If a defendant cannot afford a lawyer, the ACLC believes that the government should provide one for him or her. We believe that the police should not attempt to deny a suspect the aid of counsel by failing to issue the Miranda warning or by otherwise concealing the suspect's rights.

Rights of Convicted Felons
The ACLC recognizes that convicted felons cannot be granted the same battery of rights as unincarcerated persons, for allowing them all such rights would infringe upon the rights of others.  In committing such a crime, a citizen forfeits certain rights when he or she violates the rights of others, and punishment by the temporary suspension of those rights is an acceptable result.
However, we believe that those convicted of any crime still have some rights as an Atlasian citizen.  We believe that upon termination of a period of incarceration, an Atlasian should not be denied the right to vote as a result of that incarceration.

Sentencing
We support that judges and juries be granted life sentences with no possibility for parole as a sentencing option.


Additional ACLC Positions

Right to Bear Arms
The ACLC supports the right of the People to keep and bear arms, and thus we oppose any ban of handguns.  We believe that fireworks should be legal in Atlasia every day of the year.

Monetary Freedom
The ACLC supports the legalization of gambling and prostitution throughout Atlasia, with some regulation by the government.  We hold that the government should legalize prostitution among consenting adults, but we recognize that certain regulations of prostitution may be necessary in order to protect the public health.  We believe that a minimum age of 18 for participation in prostitution and gambling would be appropriate.

Drug and Alcohol Freedom
The ACLC supports lowering the drinking age to 18.  We oppose mandated smoking bans in privately-owned businesses and instead hold that any decision to limit smoking should be up to the owner of the business.  The ACLC also supports the full legalization of marijuana, for both medicinal and recreational use.

Racial Freedom
We believe that the use of race or class in public university admissions is unconstitutional.  We oppose racial profiling, racial quotas for public schools and government workplaces, hate speech legislation, and hate crimes legislation.

Pornography and Female Nudity
The ACLC holds that pornography, depicting consenting persons over the age of 18, should be available for the public.  We support some restrictions on production, but not on the viewing, of pornography.  Anyone aged 16 or over should be able to purchase pornography.  While we hold that any individual should be free to observe any form of pornography that he or she wishes, we believe that any producer of child pornography should be punished to the full extent of the law.  We also support the right of females over the age of 18 to be topless in public.

Needs work:
We hold that government should not decide who may marry; rather marriage, and the nature and regulations thereof, should be defined solely by the entities that perform marriages.  We thus support civil unions as the only government-recognized affirmation of … (?).  This includes the right of two people of the same gender to enter into a civil union.  (Incest; age limits; polygamy; etc.?)