Civil Liberties Articles & News - Veterans For Common Sense

Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) was formed in August 2002 as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization by war veterans who believe that we, the people of the United States of America, are most secure when our country is free, strong, and responsibly engaged with the world. Our mission, based on the pragmatic ideals of the American patriot Thomas Paine, is to raise the unique and powerful voices of veterans so that our military, veterans, freedom, and national security are protected and enhanced, for ourselves and for future generations.

"We owe a debt to all who served and when we repay that debt to those bravest Americans among us, then we are investing in our future."
~ Barack Obama, August 3, 2009

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Disabled Iraq War Veteran with Service Dog Beaten by McDonalds Employee

October 30, 2009, Brooklyn, New York (Courthouse News Service) - A disabled Army captain who was wounded in Iraq claims McDonald's employees beat him with garbage can lids after he brought his service dog to the restaurant. Luis Montalvan says the attack came as he was photographing the restaurant after he repeatedly complained about the treatment he received there.

Deployment at All Costs: Military Arrests Mom, Sends Child to Protective Serivces

Soldier mom refuses deployment to care for baby

November 16, 2009, Savannah, Georgia (Associated Press) – An Army cook and single mom may face criminal charges after she skipped her deployment flight to Afghanistan because, she said, no one was available to care for her infant son while she was overseas.

Fort Hood Fallout: Camp Lejeune Whistle-Blower Fired

A psychiatrist who tried to prevent Fort Hood-style violence among Marines about to "lose it" instead loses his job

November 16, 2009 (Salon) - Last April, two Marines at Camp Lejeune predicted to a psychiatrist that some Marine back from war was going to "lose it." Concerned, the psychiatrist asked what that meant. One of the Marines responded, "One of these guys is liable to come back with a loaded weapon and open fire."

New York Times Profiles VA and Secretary Shinseki

No Longer a Soldier, Shinseki Has a New Mission

November 11, 2009 (New York Times) - It was a sad homecoming of sorts. On Tuesday, Eric Shinseki, the secretary of veterans affairs, returned to Fort Hood, Tex., where he was a division commander in the mid-1990s, to pay tribute to two veterans affairs employees who died in the shootings there last week.

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Civil Liberties Articles & News

Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) posts articles, news and other related items about Constitutional civil liberties. This section focuses on torture, rendition, domestic spying, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and other Constitutional issues, most often involving the Department of Justice (DoJ), yet sometimes involving the Department of Defense (DoD), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and other agencies.

Learn about VCS's FOIA requests here.

Mullen to Give Thoughts to Senate Panel on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy

Written by Roxana Tiron

Thursday, 17 September 2009 09:35

September 15, 2009 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed on Tuesday to provide senators with his thoughts on a controversial law prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the military.

Written by Marisa Taylor

Thursday, 17 September 2009 09:32

September 16, 2009 - Signaling a shift in the U.S.'s handling of overseas interrogations, FBI director Robert Mueller reassured Democratic lawmakers Wednesday that his agents would never turn over detainees to the CIA for rendition, despite the bureau's heightened role in the questioning of terrorism detainees.

Written by Jeff Clabaugh

Thursday, 17 September 2009 09:29

September 14, 2009 - CACI International Inc. won dismissal of lawsuits filed in 2004 accusing its employees of torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Bagdad.

Written by ACLU

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 09:42

September 16, 2009 - In a letter sent to Senate Judiciary Chairman Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Monday, the Department of Justice called for the reauthorization of three expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, but also expressed that the Obama administration is open to reforming those and other provisions. The Patriot Act was rushed through Congress just 45 days after September 11 and has led to egregious government misconduct. Three surveillance provisions - the John Doe roving wiretap provision, Section 215 or the "library records" provision and the "lone wolf" provision - are up for renewal this year and will expire on December 31 if Congress does not take action.

Written by Ray McGovern

Wednesday, 16 September 2009 09:29

September 15, 2009 - Editor's Note: Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern will be part of the "Five for Peace" workshops to be held in New Mexico - at Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque - on Oct. 9, 10 and 11, arranged by Veterans for Peace. The presenters (Ann Wright, David Swanson, Cindy Sheehan, Elliot Adams and McGovern) were asked to provide background on their workshops, including what a participant could expect to learn and references for further study.

Since McGovern has found that, sadly, very few Americans have taken time to read the damning documents from the Justice Department and the CIA, even after President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder stuck their necks out to make them public, he has made some advance reading a requirement for taking part in the Torture and Intelligence workshop.

Below is a short précis in which McGovern seeks to distill the evidence now available about torture, explain why Americans cannot afford to act like "obedient Germans," and speculate why the President seems reluctant to let justice take its proper course regarding CIA functionaries and contractors - as well as Bush administration insiders:

The Workshop on Torture and Intelligence

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