Since the world is less-than-desirable when it comes to civil rights as of late, I recommend the book In Defense of Our America: The Fight for Civil Liberties in the Age of Terror by ACLU Executive Director and lawyer Anthony D. Romero and author and journalist Dina Temple-Raston. It won’t instantly solve issues, but it will certainly give you the energy, tools, and inspiration to help you defend civil liberties.
Originally released September 2008, In Defense of Our America follows ACLU’s journey as they fight for civil rights during a post-9/11 America.
With stories told by real-life Americans impacted by national security as a result of the Bush administration’s “War on Terror”. To no surprise, this mostly affected those who are different from the status quo: Muslim Americans, immigrants, activists and other citizens who were faced with surveillance or discrimination by the government.
From a critical and comprehensive look at the the country’s “PATRIOT Act” to Guantánamo Bay detainees being wrongfully held without charge or due process to the racial profiling of Arab Americans, South Asian Americans, and many Brown and Black folks, the book offers up a crucial examination of checks and balances of government and a push back against unconstitutional policies.
It may have been released 18 years ago, In Defense of Our America is a call to civic engagement, showing that sacrificing civil liberties does not make America better place — it does the exact opposite.
