Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Constitutional    3. Gender Studies    4. General    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Constitutional & administrative law    8. Gay & Lesbian studies    9. Social Science / Gender Studies    10. USA   

Reviews (2)

Non-fiction rarely reads this well
Normally, the terms "page-turner" and "non-fiction" aren't found in the same sentence; one or two exceptions, such as Walter Lord's WW2 books come to mind.But this fascinating true-crime story of an actual "Murder on Maryland's Eastern Shore" is unique in its presentment of the facts of the case and its rich, authoritative description of rural Maryland life during the Depression.
Murder, Communists, and the Legal Process on Maryland's Eastern Shore in the 1930's
Was a Negro lynched for a heinous murder of a family of four on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1931 or did justice prevail through the legal system despite the active involvement of the Communist Party? Moore has interwoven meticulously researched information about the murders and trial with his own legal expertise to produce a fascinating perspective of this tragic event that occurred in a peaceful rural town in the America of the 1930's. He has objectively portrayed the wide-reaching and long-lived interest in this fascinating case which involved not only the Green Davis family and Euel Lee but the Communist Party, the outspoken defense attorney Bernard Ades, and the involvement of a cast of 'minor characters' as diverse as H.L. Mencken and a young Thurgood Marshall. This book is not only a 'good read' but a must for anyone who is interested in events that form the history of small town America during the early part of the 20th century. This book captured my interest from the beginning and made me want to finish it in one sitting!
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Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. United States - State & Local - South   

Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Government - General    4. History    5. History: American    6. Law    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Philosophy    9. Territory, National    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. American studies    13. Political geography    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Civil rights    2. Constitutional amendments    3. Tax administration and procedure    4. Taxation    5. United States   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Civil Rights    3. Discrimination in housing    4. General    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Government policy    7. History    8. History: American    9. Housing policy    10. Minority Studies - General    11. Sociology    12. Sociology - Urban    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    16. Equal opportunities    17. History / United States / 20th Century    18. Housing    19. Political Science and International Relations    20. USA   

Reviews (1)

good compendium of readings
A good compendium of readings for someoneinterested in the serious study of humanrights.It was used as a textbook in aclass at the University of Maryland.The appendix includes several importanthuman rights documents. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. General    3. Politics/International Relations    4. Sociology    5. Human rights    6. International human rights law   

Editorial Review

In this "meditation on law, religion, and morality," originally delivered as part of Harvard's annual Massey Lectures series, which has attracted speakers from Richard Rorty to Toni Morrison, Stephen L. Carter dwells on themes from his larger books, including Read more

Reviews (3)

Three Meditations on Law, Religion and Loyalty
This erudite writer is one of my favorites.Having enjoyed his previous writings, this one is no exception. Account for Diversity
I did not find the book helpful with providing clarity on very difficult issues about the relationship between church and state in regard to religion. GRASPING THE OBVIOUS
The Dissent of the Governed edits and expands three lectures which Carter presented at Harvard University in 1995.They found print in 1998, though the book came into general sales only last year.Having followed Carter since The Culture of Disbelief, appreciating him, arguing with him, sometimes disagreeing with him, I opened Dissent with expectation and some trepidation.Would ideas dating from six years ago speak to the America of the twenty-first century?The answer is yes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Allegiance    2. Civil Rights    3. Government, Resistance to    4. History & Theory - General    5. Jurisprudence    6. Law    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Patriotism    9. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    10. Religion and politics    11. Religion, Politics & State    12. Resistance to government    13. Demonstrations & protest movements    14. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    15. Law / General    16. Political structures: democracy    17. USA   

Reviews (2)

A must read
If you're interested in attending law school, if you're interested in the story of the civil rights movement, if you're looking for inspiration, if you're in search of a calling, if you enjoy drama or comedy, or if you simply enjoy a good book -- read Crusaders in the Courts.I was moved, outraged and inspired.Jack Greenberg brings the journey of these brave men and women (including himself) to life.The book is written very well and it is very accessible.If you're a teacher, tell your students to read this book.If you're a parent, your children should read it.The book puts the movement in perspective and introduces a whole new generation to the wonders of a band of lawyers committed to changing the future.

Memoir of a hero of the civil rights movment
This book is the only one written by a lawyer who argued in Brown v. Board of Education. Before his 28th birthday, Jack Greenberg argued the first of more than 40 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Starting as Thurgood Marshall's assistant, he became Marshall's chosen successor as head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. His cases involved sit-ins and freedom riders, school segregation, capital punishment and affirmative action.He represented Martin Luther King in Birmingham and in his march from Selma to Montgomery. Much more than a book about the law, "Crusaders" describes the personalities, inter-organizational conflicts,and the conflict within the Legal Defense Fund over his refusal to represent Angela Davis. It also discusses the boycott of his class at Harvard Law School by black students because he was white, It includes new material about school integration of Roma (Gypsies) in Eastern Europe, the Supreme Court's recent affirmative action decisions, and his observations about schools today and their failure to educate black children.A fascinating analysis about how law develops and a good read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Civil Rights    4. Civil rights movements    5. General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Law    9. Law and legislation    10. Legal History    11. Legal Profession    12. Legal status, laws, etc.    13. Race discrimination    14. United States   

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Civil Rights    3. Compensation (Law)    4. Constitutional    5. Ethnic Issues    6. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    7. Legal status, laws, etc    8. Reparations    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. United States    12. Law | Law & Society    13. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Racism & racial discrimination    16. Social Science / African-American Studies    17. USA   

Reviews (1)

Fascinating legal review pre-Lawrence.
This is a fascinating book, targeted at lawyers, but readable by the informed lay person.Koppelman begins with an overview of Romer, in which the Supreme Court held that a Colorado state constitutional amendment violated the United States Constitution by providing that "neither the state nor any of its subdivisions could prohibit discrimination on the basis of homosexual, lesbian or bisexual orientation, conduct, practices or relationships." Justice Kennedy wrote that the Amendment "has the peculiar property of imposing a broad and undifferentiated disability on a single named group," and Koppelman summarizes the decision as saying "if a law targets a narrowly defined group and then imposes on it disabilities that are so broad and undifferentiated as to bear no discernible relationship to any legitimate government interest then the court will infer that the law's purpose is simply to harm that group, and so will invalidate that law." *
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Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Gays    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Legal status, laws, etc    6. Legal status, laws, etc.    7. United States    8. Constitutional & administrative law    9. Gay & Lesbian studies    10. Jurisprudence & General Issues    11. Law / Civil Rights    12. USA   

Reviews (2)

Incredible Book
Through Unlikely Heroes, as well as Taming the Storm, his biography of Alabama federal Judge Frank Johnson, Bass brings to public light the role played by southern judges in the civil rights movement. This book truly does justice to Judges Wisdom, Rives, Tuttle, and Brown for their immense contributions to the civil rights movement. This is a great book!

A brillianthistory of turbulent times.
Jack Bass has written an outstanding history of an often unacknowledged but essential component of the civil rights movement.This book is the story of a group of southern judges appointed to the Court of Appeals withjurisdiction over the deep South during the 1950's and early '60's.Whilethe Supreme Court, led by Chief Earl Warren appropriately got the headlinesfor their groundbreaking decision in Brown vs Board of Education, the taskfell to this Court to wrestle with the meaning of "deliberatespeed" and more importantly (and also more of a challenge) to actuallyimplement this decision in their home states.Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)    3. Discrimination in education    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History    6. History: American    7. Law and legislation    8. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Southern States    11. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Blacks    12. United States    13. United States - Civil War    14. United States.    15. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    16. Central government    17. Political Science / Civil Rights    18. USA    19. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

In Defense of Generalities,Light
In parables and aphorisms the author likes to speak. Its title notwithstanding, this book is not an empirical study of statistical probabilities, profiling, or stereotyping. It is a philosophical defense of the use of generalities, painting with broad strokes so to speak, in daily intercourse and social constructs. The defense is of nonspurious, nonuniversal generalizations in lofty, and some not so lofty, decisions all of us make and employ in survival as individuals, as a species, and as a society. But, to appropriate from George Orwell's "Animal Farm," some generalities are more equal than others. Some generalizations are more pernicious than others; so while quite salient, still they must be considered to be exceptions to the general rule that generalizations are socially acceptable, legal, and indeed, just. These exceptions, of course, are race and gender. First the author builds a strong case justifying the use especially of race/ethnicity in generalizing for purposes of distinguishing airline passengers exhibiting terroristic characteristics from those who do not. Examples include the now hackneyed young, middle eastern male, paying cash for his (and everyone else's) one way ticket to Nirvana. But then, possibly as an implicit (certainly in no way explicit) concession to the politically correct faction of society, the author proceeds to tear down his own argument in favor of using race/ethnicity in this particular case to avoid a repeat of the tragedy of 9/11, in favor of eschewing race/ethnicity, because we can just vet everybody at the airport; the only inconvenience being that everybody must arrive 30 minutes earlier. Excuse me! This is a WAR, not a few pounds ofpot, we are talking about - a jihad declared not by Western civilization, but on Western civilization, precisely by a specific group of deviants whose race/ethnicity even the author concedes is highly salient to their early identification for purposes of avoiding another 9/11. To employ another aphorism the author blithely ignores -"all's fair in love and war." Why then should we, whose very existence our enemy is trying to obliterate, afford the enemy the aid and comfort of turning a blind eye to their common origins, when declining to do so would save our own hides? To borrow another aphorism I recently read, "the Constitution is not a mutual suicide pact." To blazes with our inconvenience and the enemy's rights; if generalizations are just, as according to the author they are, and if ethnicity is a salient generalization in the case of the profile of middle eastern terrorists, as the author so concedes, let those who meet the profile of the enemy suffer the indignity and inconvenience of being pulled from the passenger line. The author, it must be remembered, is the one who rails in favor of generalization in derrogation of "individuation." So let it be. To coin a final aphorism, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander."

Very good introduction to the how's and why's of profiling
This book is an excellent introduction to the concept and application of profiling based on generalizations.The phrase that the author uses repeatedly throughout the book is "nonspurious nonuniversal generalization."Nonspurious = statistically significant, nonuniveral = not applying to everyone in a group, generalization = self-explanatory.The author uses dog attacks to illustrate this concept.Take the assertion, "Pitbulls are dangerous."Although a small percentage of pitbulls are responsible for attacks on humans (nonuniversal), this percentage is statistically much greater (nonspurious) than for other dogs.Knowing this factual information, are we justified in labeling pitbulls "dangerous."These are the kinds of issues that the author discusses in his book.The topics he covers range from the fairness of forced retirement of pilots at age sixty, the debate over a judge's power over sentencing, and of course, racial profiling.The author does an outstanding job for the most part in discussing these issues and proving his point, but I thought he did not defend his views on racial profiling with respect to airport security very well. I don't think he accurately assessed the potential cost to society in arguing against the inclusion of "Middleeasterness" as part of a larger profile. In other words, are we willing to forgo including "Middleeasterness" as part of a larger profile thereby increasing the potential of not identifying a terrorist? The author's discussion of this point is lengthy, but in summary, he opposes this particular kind of profiling in airports, but I don't think his argument was completely justified (and this is coming from me who was stopped repeatedly after 9/11 because of my Middle Eastern appearance).All in all, this is a great book, and it will certainly get you thinking about some of the most important issues facing the US today. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Constitutional    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Jurisprudence & General Issues    6. Law / Civil Rights   

Reviews (1)

Very informative but dry
This book is a decisive history of Thurgood Marshall's actions and the effects that he had on the civil rights of African-Americans while he worked with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP).His successes, failures, and discussions of his effects make it avery informative book.It is quite obvious that the author spent a greatamount of time researching his topic of choice.The book is absolutelyfull of quotes from people of the time and very detailed factual accountsof events. Unfortunately, the content is not written in an extremelyappealing matter.It tends to drone on and on about various cases andactions which have no major significance in history nor in the life ofMarshall.If you can read through the dry spots, though, its a great book. You can really get a felling for the social climate of the era as well asthe thoughts and feelings of Marshall himself.As a research tool, thiswas definitely the most valuable book I came across.If I was rating thisbook based on its information it would be an easy five.Ultimately, it isa good book for pleasure reading but not the best.I would have to saythat Juan Williams' Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary is the best. If you are interested in Marshall's career, though, you want to look atTushnet's other book Making Constitutional Law : Thurgood Marshall and theSupreme Court, 1961-1991. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1908-1993    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Business/Economics    5. Christianity - Literature    6. Civil Rights    7. History    8. Judges    9. Lawyers & Judges    10. Marshall, Thurgood,    11. People of Color    12. Religion    13. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights    14. U.S. Supreme Court    15. United States    16. Constitutional & administrative law    17. Human rights    18. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    19. Law / Legal History    20. Law | Civil Rights Law    21. Marshall, Thurgood    22. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    23. Second World War, 1939-1945    24. Social history    25. USA   

Reviews (1)

Love the book, but who the hell is that firebush
Mofo on the cover? I would've given it 5 stars except for that unpatriotic redhead, who I hear is the "nasty side of politics". heehee. Just kidding! that's our mans D Blaze!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Civil Rights    3. Freedom of expression    4. General    5. Law    6. Political Freedom & Security - General    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Protest movements    10. Radicalism    11. Sociology - General    12. United States    13. Political oppression & persecution    14. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Reviews (5)

Paranoid, moi?
The sheer size of the alleged conspiracy is what makes the author's thesis absurd and untenable. No leaks from any of the thousands that had to have been involved? Cover-ups and lies not only from bogeyman feds and Clinton admin, but lowly sailors, airport workers and public employees? I don't think so. And neither should you. I'm shocked at the media.
I felt very saddened by the state of the media in the USA. It confirmed my suspicion I had based on other news issues, that the minds of the media are owned by corporations. Any reader of this book will soon appreciate his/herlocal free press.

Altered Evidence - well worth reading
Compared to his "The Downing of TWA Flight 800", this new book by James Sanders,"Altered Evidence" provides a lot more information about the tragedy and its aftermath. There is much moreinformation concerning the "friendly fire" thesis, a considerablequantity of information concerning the legal case and trial of James andElizabeth Sanders, and relevant analysis of the author's concerns about thecurrent state of America's news media.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aviation - Commercial    2. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    3. Current Events / Government    4. Law / Civil Rights    5. Media Studies    6. Politics - Current Events    7. True Crime    8. Aircraft accidents    9. Civil rights    10. Conspiracies    11. Corruption in government    12. Investigation    13. Journalists    14. Law    15. United States   

Reviews (5)

Lenny Bruce something of an enigma
Comedian has Lenny Bruce always been something of an enigma. A completely one-sided picture
Let me start by saying that I'm a fan of the First Amendment, and of the idea of and ideas of courageous people like Lenny Bruce who stand up for it in the face of considerable and outrageous persecution.Before getting this book, I knew very little about Lenny Bruce apart from the standard accolades to his artistic integrity and courage; after getting this book, the only additional information I have is that Ronald K. L. Collins and David M. Skover have spent a considerable number of pages in creating a shrine to someone whom they clearly admire greatly. A First Amendment Martyr
Lenny Bruce lived to shock people.His nightclub routines, full of the worst of the four letter words, made fun of stuff which people, especially his contemporaries, were supposed to take seriously: religion, marriage, intimacy.However, _The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon_ (Sourcebooks) by Ronald K. L. Collins and David M. Skover, makes plain that the iconoclastic Bruce had enormous respect for the law.His rooms were cluttered with tapes, court transcripts, and legal research efforts, and he wrote letters to judges trying to explain how his comedy was legally protected speech.He even showed civic respect for the policemen who were so often out to get him.Bruce saw that it was his job to change the law, and while he never really managed that, he made historic changes by fighting battles that those after him would not have to fight.The authors of this engrossing book have found that his story is virtually absent from the history of the First Amendment; this is a corrective.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Bruce, Lenny    3. Censorship    4. Civil Rights    5. Courts    6. Criminal Law - General    7. Freedom of speech    8. Individual And The State    9. Law    10. Legal Reference / Law Profession    11. Political    12. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    13. Trials (Obscenity)    14. Trials, litigation, etc    15. United States   

Subjects:  1. Canada    2. Civil Rights    3. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    4. Freedom of speech    5. Hate speech    6. Law and legislation    7. Philosophy    8. Political    9. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    10. Pornography    11. Philosophy / Political    12. Social law   

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Christian Life - General    2. Civil Rights    3. Contemplation    4. Inspirational - Catholic    5. Law    6. Meditations    7. Religion - Christian Life    8. Religion - Classic Works    9. Teaching    10. Christian life & practice   

Reviews (6)

Some good points, butflawed
Professor Cole, whom I read frequently in the Nation, makes a strong case that our government is violating people's civil liberties in the name of national security. He goes through American history and mentions such incidents as the Palmer Raids and the Japanese internment to show how the U.S. government has been abusing its power for many years.
A must read
A previous reviewer stridently denounces Cole's supposed reliance on "fabricated instances of government abuses." I wonder if he or she has even read the book, which is based on a law review article with several hundred footnotes. Perhaps he thinks all of the citations are to the liberal mainstream media and so cannot be trusted? The "Constitution is very clear about citizen/non-citizens," the previous reviewer also writes. I agree. The Fifth Amendment says, in relevant part, "no person shall . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Person, not citizen.
Hidden Agenda at work
Cole, a known anti-American radical, has outlined a dangerous proposal based on fabricated instances of government abuses. The Constitution is very clear about citizen/non-citizens. If he wants non-citizens to share the same rights as citizens, then he should support initiatives to topple dictatorships, or at least, trade up in them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aliens    2. Civil Rights    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Emigration And Immigration    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Individual And The State    7. Law    8. Law and legislation    9. National security    10. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    11. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Subversive activities    15. United States    16. Civil rights & citizenship    17. Constitution: government & the state    18. Constitutional & administrative law    19. USA   

Subjects:  1. AIDS (Disease)    2. Aids (Psychosocial Aspects)    3. Ancient and Classical    4. Civil Rights    5. Health/Fitness    6. Human rights    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Legal status, laws, etc    9. Literary Criticism    10. Medical Law & Legislation    11. Patients    12. Public Health    13. Public health laws    14. AIDS: social aspects    15. HIV / AIDS    16. Health systems & services    17. Hellenic languages    18. Medical / Ethics    19. Medical ethics    20. Medicine | Ethics    21. Public health & preventive medicine