We wanted give you an update on some of the exciting work we have been doing of late.
The first is a significant accomplishment in the campaign to hold California accountable for its human rights record.
As you may have heard, we’ve been working on human rights legislation with State Assemblymember Monning that will be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, August 4th.This legislation (ACR 129) would make California the very first state in the nation to assist cities and counties in filing reports on the status of Human Rights to the United Nations human rights committees. The reporting is required under three treaties the U.S. has ratified. On June 22nd, the legislation passed through the Assembly Judiciary Committee with no “no” votes, and Appropriations is the last step before ACR 129 hits the Assembly floor.
This is a big moment for Human Rights and here is where you come in. Please write a letter of support for ACR 129. Letters to your Assemblymember, if she or he is a member of the Assembly Appropriations Committee (find the list here: http://bit.ly/vTlss), are extremely effective. Otherwise, please write to the Chair, Mr. Fuentes, and copy your Assemblymember, Assemblymember Monning, and MCLI. We have attached a sample letter that individuals and organizations can modify and send in.
The other important development has to do with the killing of Oscar Grant, and subsequent trial of former BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle.
We see the murder of Oscar Grant by former BART police office Johannes Mehserle as a human rights violation that must be treated as such. As soon as the verdict was announced Thursday, the call was raised by community members to “take the case to the United Nations”. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that it would investigate possible civil rights abuses in the Grant case. MCLI calls for federal, state and local officials to utilize U.S.-ratified human rights treaties along with constitutional protections in their investigations and legislative processes.
In May 2010, MCLI filed a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee enumerating the violations of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in the Oscar Grant case. These include Article 26 of the ICCPR guaranteeing equal treatment under the law without regard to race, and Article 10, which states that “all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person”. The Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute is concerned that all of the rights ensured by applicable international treaties be honored.
While some see the Oscar Grant murder and the involuntary manslaughter verdict as an isolated incident, rather than as an expression of continuing racial discrimination. In response, MCLI points out that people from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds, including long-time Oakland attorney, African-American community leader, and MCLI board member, Walter Riley, were targeted by police and arrested while acting in a legal and peaceful manner in after-verdict protests.
CA State Bill 1586 (sponsored by Oakland's Sandre Swanson) signed into law July 15th creates a third-party committee to oversee the conduct of BART police. The law is a good first step but much more remains to be done; we hope you continue to work with us!
Please stay tuned to our updates and check out our website (www.mcli.org) to find out about all of our work. Lastly, if you are in the SF Bay Area please come to MCLI's anniversary party at our headquarters in Berkeley on Sunday, August 8th! (A flyer for the party is attached)
Yours for human rights,
*the MCLI Team
-- Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute P.O. Box 673 Berkeley, CA 94703 Ph: 510-848-0599, Fax: 510-848-6008 mcli at mcli.org, www.mcli.org