The Gay Rights Question in Contemporary American Law offers an unusually nuanced analysis of the most pressing gay rights issues. Does antigay discrimination violate the Constitution? Is there any sound moral objection to homosexual conduct? Are such objections the moral and constitutional equivalent of racism? Must state laws recognizing same-sex unions be given effect in other states? Should courts take account of popular resistance to gay equality? Koppelman sheds new light on all these questions. Sure to upset purists on either side of the debate, Koppelman's book criticizes the legal arguments advanced both for and against gay rights. Just as important, it places these arguments in broader moral and social contexts, offering original, pragmatic, and workable legal solutions.

Кл.слова:
законодавство -- ґендер -- гомосексуальність -- гомофобія

Before September 11, 2001, few Americans had heard of immigration detention, but in fact a secret and repressive prison system run by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has existed in this country for more than two decades. In American Gulag, prisoners, jailers, and whistle-blowing federal officials come forward to describe the frightening reality inside these INS facilities. Journalist Mark Dow's on-the-ground reporting brings to light documented cases of illegal beatings and psychological torment, prolonged detention, racism, and inhumane conditions. Intelligent, impassioned, and unlike anything that has been written on the topic, this gripping work of investigative journalism should be read by all Americans. It is a book that will change the way we see our country. American Gulag takes us inside prisons such as the Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, the Corrections Corporation of America's Houston Processing Center, and county jails around the country that profit from contracts to hold INS prisoners. It contains disturbing in-depth profiles of detainees, including Emmy Kutesa, a defector from the Ugandan army who was tortured and then escaped to the United States, where he was imprisoned in Queens, and then undertook a hunger strike in protest. To provide a framework for understanding stories like these, Dow gives a brief history of immigration laws and practices in the United States--including the repercussions of September 11 and present-day policies. His book reveals that current immigration detentions are best understood not as a well-intentioned response to terrorism but rather as part of the larger context of INS secrecy and excessive authority. American Gulag exposes the full story of a cruel prison system that is operating today with an astonishing lack of accountability.

Кл.слова:
ув'язнення -- іміграція

Lopez focuses on two related events in 1960s California politics that prompted the brown-power movement that fuels contemporary Latino consciousness. When Mexican American high-school students in East Los Angeles launched a protest against the horrid conditions in their schools, school officials and local politicians sought to punish a few students to discourage spreading discord. About the same time, a group of Mexican protestors were charged with conspiracy involving fires set during a speech by then governor Ronald Reagan at a Los Angeles hotel. Lopez argues that the conspiracy charge, the backlash against the Mexican students, and subsequent trials challenging the status quo of California race relations also challenged the until-then popular notion among Mexicans that they were white and sparked the brown-race consciousness. Lopez explores the intersection of the law and racial politics that points out the glaring racism extant in practices of the time. This is a penetrating look at racial politics and evolving race consciousness among Latinos. Vernon Ford Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Кл.слова:
судочинство -- расизм