Winter 2006 ACLU News
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AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NORTHERN CAL I FORNIA 6 2 0 0 BECAUSE FREEDOM CAN’T PROTECT ITSELF WINTER newsVOLUME LXX ISSUE 1 WHAT’SAC INSIDE LU PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 CENTER SPREAD PAGE 10 New Board Members: Free Speech for Labor: Rave Reviews: Death Penalty on Trial: South Bay Civil Liberties: ACLU-NC Election ACLU Puts Stop to Gag Order Students and Teachers ACLU Steps up Campaign San Jose Office Opens its Doors Results Are In Applaud ACLU Retreat against Capital Punishment BILL OF RIGHTS DAY ON EVE OF EXECUTION By Yasmin Anwar ess than 36 hours before Stanley Tookie Williams execution, the ACLU of Northern California presented some of the nation’s Lmost powerful and poignant voices against the death penalty at its 2005 Bill of Rights Day celebration. More than 700 members and supporters of the ACLU of audience members faxed letters to U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein Northern California (ACLU-NC) gathered at the San Fran- asking her to oppose “cloture”—a Senate term for overriding a RICHARD RESSMAN cisco Marriott on Dec. 11 to commemorate the enlightened filibuster and thus ending debate—of the USA Patriot Act. Sister Helen Prejean accepting the Chief Justice constitutional amendments that drive the organization’s mis- Others faxed and sent letters in support of a bill to put a Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award from Sean Penn. sion to protect individual freedoms and civil rights, and to hold on executions while the California Commission on the honor those who defend them. Fair Administration of Justice investigates problems with author of “Dead Man Walking,” for her work against capital It was one of the largest Bill of Rights Day turnouts in recent the state’s criminal justice system, particularly in the face of punishment; Monterey Chapter veteran Michelle “Mickey” years. In between listening to eloquent speeches, provocative mounting wrongful convictions. Welsh for her outstanding service to the ACLU-NC; and the poetry and pleas to get involved in key campaigns, dozens of Bill of Rights honorees included Sister Helen Prejean, affiliate’s Yolo County chapter for its creative outreach efforts. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 CA VICTORY ON PROP 73 SHOWS PAID on-Profit on-Profit N U.S. Postage Organization Permit No. 4424 San Francisco, POWER OF GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM By Yasmin Anwar t was the afternoon of the Nov. 8 special election and Shay- at a bar in Old Oakland, anxious about what lay ahead. Ina Gelender, field coordinator for the ACLU of Northern Periodically, someone at the gathering would check their California’s campaign to defeat Prop 73, was exhausted. For laptop and yell out the latest precinct returns. The suspense weeks, she had been recruiting and training volunteers, run- was killing Gelender. “I wanted to know, and, of course, to ning phone banks, organizing sandwich board demonstrations win,” she said. She went home, still not knowing the outcome, and helping chapters to get involved. and after midnight fell into a heavy sleep. Volunteers trickled in to the Planned Parenthood office to Early the next morning, she jolted awake. She could hear make final desperate calls asking people to vote against the the radio in the next room, and hollered at her partner to give measure that would require doctors to notify parents 48 hours her the news. When she heard Prop.73 had been defeated, before terminating the pregnancy of an unwed minor. Their Gelender shrieked with glee. orders were to call opponents of the initiative three times until “It was like weathering a night of punishing and scary storms and they confirmed that they had cast their then waking to a bright clean day and dis- “no” ballot. Gelender needed to keep all covering no damage had been done to your her helpers fed and in high spirits. TOTAL “NO” VOTES home, everything was in tact,” she said. When the polling stations were all 3,465,629 (52.6 percent) For Gelender and others heavily in- closed, Gelender closed shop and walked volved in the campaign, the Prop 73 de- TOTAL “YES” VOTES with a friend into darkness. Her job was feat shows what can be done with finite 3,130,062 (47.4 percent) over. Now it was up to the voters. They resources, determined volunteers and a headed for a “Vote No on Prop 73” party strong campaign message. CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 WWW.ACLUNC.ORGWELCOME TO THE ACLU NEWS. READ MORE AT WWW.ACLUNC.ORG ACLU-NC PRIVACY POLICY ACLU SUPPORTER SEEKS CLOSURE IN To our members… HOLOCAUST INSURANCE CLAIM Direct mail appeals to our members and the By Stan Yogi general public provide opportunities to describe complicated legal and political issues in ways not n April 2003, ACLU supporter Gilbert Bendix learned award from discretionary funds for his efforts. possible in other media. They enable us to explain, Ithat an international insurance commission was mak- In November 2005, another life insurance company in detail, the benefits and provisions of the Con- ing public the names of 363,232 Holocaust victims who informed Bendix that his father had taken out an earlier stitution and the Bill of Rights, the complex ways were covered by German life insurance policies but whose policy in 1927, thereby entitling Bendix and his sister to our rights can be protected in the modern world, records had been concealed for decades. another payout. and the costs of preserving those rights. We use the Bendix, who in 1936 immigrated to America from Nazi As he completed paperwork for this final claim, mail to inform people of the importance of our Germany, realized that relatives might have been insured Bendix recognized his subconscious motivation: “I legal work and to solicit funds that enable us to and that he and other heirs was looking for closure, continue our litigation, public education and leg- could file claims for ben- for the ability to look the islative lobbying. efits. “I had put Germany past in the face,” he said. Sometimes, as part of our member recruitment behind me long ago,” “There are at least two program, we exchange or rent our list of members’ Bendix explains. “I didn’t new generations of Ger- names to like-minded organizations and publica- want to have anything mans, and most of them tions. to do with them. I didn’t have made a sincere ef- The ACLU never makes its list available to par- want their money, but I fort to deal with the sins tisan political groups or those whose programs are didn’t want the thieves to of the fathers. Accepting incompatible with the ACLU’s mission. Whether get away with robbing the that money could settle by exchange or rental, the lists are governed by corpses of my relatives.” more than a financial strict privacy procedures, as recommended by the On the list of insured, debt. Maybe I could have U.S. Privacy Study Commission. Lists are never he discovered names that found closure if it weren’t actually given into the physical possession of the matched three of his for Cambodia and Rwan- organization that has rented them or exchanged grandparents. He filed da and Bosnia and now for them. No organization ever possesses our list complicated claim forms Darfur. No closure. Pur- and no organization will ever see the names of the requiring the drawing of gatory will not end in the members on our list unless an individual responds family trees spanning four Gilbert Bendix foreseeable future. We’re to their mailing. generations and researching a flawed species.” While direct mail appeals—under strict priva- the whereabouts of all surviving heirs. Since his grand- After coming to this realization, Bendix decided to cy guidelines —form the basis of our new member parents’ names were not distinctive, though, all Bendix’s donate the insurance proceeds to a human rights or- acquisition program, and are key to our growth, work could easily have been for naught. ganization. As he pondered which organization would we understand some members do not wish to re- More than 18 months passed before Bendix heard from receive the gift, he received materials from the ACLU ceive solicitations from other groups and we gladly a German life insurance company, not about his grand- explaining the gift annuity program, through which honor requests from our members to be removed parents but about supporters make irrevocable contributions and receive from the process. “ MR. BENDIX DEMONSTRATES his father, who had income for life. Bendix decided to establish a gift annu- HOW AN INDIVIDUAL CAN taken out a policy ity with appreciated securities that more than matched If you do not wish to receive materials from other MAKE A DIFFERENCE in 1930. After the amount of his insurance proceeds. In doing so, he organizations, please complete this coupon and send Bendix proved his avoided significant capital gains he would have realized it to: BY TRANSFORMING father’s identity, the had he sold the securities. “Since financial benefits will company claimed accrue to me by donating appreciated stock instead of ACLU-NC Membership Department UNSPEAKABLE SUFFERING the policy was re- the cash,” Bendix said, “I could increase the amount 1663 Mission Street, Suite 460 INTO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.” deemed in 1935. donated above the German payments and still break San Francisco, CA 94103 – DOROTHY EHRLICH, However, under even.” q I prefer not to receive materials from EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ACLU the international By establishing a gift annuity, Bendix also generated a other organizations. Please eliminate agreement compel- matching grant through the ACLU’s Legacy Challenge my name from membership exchange/ OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ling the release of program, in which a generous ACLU supporter is match- rental lists.