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Rights gone wrong

March 21st, 2008 Kathy K. - Central

Reading Bill of Wrongs: The Executive Branch’s Assault on America’s Fundamental Rights by Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose reminds me how much I miss Molly Ivins’ humor and political insight.  She died in January, 2007.

The book was both depressing and encouraging at the same time.  Although the government plunders our rights, there are people courageous enough to stand up and fight back.  The eight chapters tell how the Bill of Rights has come under assault.  For example, protesters were removed from presidential speeches.  The rights of the accused were ignored.  A German Muslim of Turkish descent was held and subjected to torture by the US Military.  Secular public education is devalued when a school board tried to outlaw evolution & replace it with “intelligent design”.  Journalists have been jailed for shielding sources.  Librarians were silenced by Kafkaesque government secrecy rules.  The FBI displayed incompetence when it arrested a lawyer who happens to be Muslim for being a part of the 2004 bombing in Spain.  How is it that our government is determined to protect us against terrorists, yet trashes the Bill of Rights?  Thankfully, we still have people who are willing to stand up for what is right.

Even though I liked some of her other books better, such as Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush’s America, I still recommend this book.

Entry Filed under: Nonfiction