Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties is an American 2004 political documentary about the legal problems with the PATRIOT Act.[1] It posits that the law, hastily passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks,[2] is used to justify a variety of abuses of civil rights that are guaranteed by the US Constitution.[3]
Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties
Directed by
Nonny de la Peña
Written by
Nonny de la Peña
Produced by
Nonny de la Peña Robert Greenwald (Executive Producer) Earl Katz (Executive Producer)
This third and final film in the Un-trilogy from Executive Producer Robert Greenwald[4] and Earl Katz, is a Public Interest Pictures Film. Unconstitutional was written, produced and directed by Nonny de la Peña.[5]
A few weeks after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States Congress passed a complicated and controversial[3]law purportedly designed to help with tracking future terrorist threats.[6]Unconstitutional's purpose is to explain the USA PATRIOT Act to its viewers and expose its alleged failings.[7]
Primary among these is the way in which post-9/11 law enforcement detained Muslims and others with Arabic names for unspecified lengths of time without due process or criminal charges.[7] As examples of this, Unconstitutional presents the stories of Safouh Mamoui, a Syrian living in Seattle, who was arrested without charges and imprisoned for ten months after the FBI cleared him of suspicion;[5][7]Jose Padilla, a US citizen and Muslim convert, who was arrested as a “material witness” in the 9-11 attacks, and later designated an “enemy combatant” so he could be kept behind bars by the military in the absence of evidence or charges;[7] and Aquil Adbullah, an American Catholic Olympic athlete who was put on the no-fly list as a result of his Arabic name.[3] The film claims at least 1000 lesser-known people have been similarly abused.[5] It also addresses the situation of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay[3] and Abu Ghraib.[7]
De la Pena also looks into other PATRIOT Act violations of civil liberties. Among these are government access to any citizen’s library records or email and FBI “sneak and peek” search and seizure of private property.[7]
Unconstitutional suggests that American citizens might find themselves affected by the PATRIOT Act, even without any connection to terrorist activity.[7][6] Law professor David Cole also points out that “when we treat others like this in the name of fighting a war... others fighting us can treat our soldiers like this.”[4]
The film makes its arguments through civil liberties advocates, Republican lawmakers,[7] Democratic politicians, bi-partisan lawyers,[6] and some of the individuals who have been impacted by this law.
Receptionedit
Though Unconstitutional presents information from both conservative and progressive interviewees, it has generally been characterized as possessing a left-leaning viewpoint.[7][2] The film was a Washington Post “Editor’s Pick.”[8] More sympathetic reviewers call it a “66-minute incitement to anger”[6] that “sheds light on discrimination.”[7]
Participantsedit
Laura Murphy, Director - Washington Legislative Office, American Civil Liberties Union
David Lindorff, investigative reporter and author of This can't be happening
Jayashri Srikantian, American Civil Liberties Union
Andrew O'Connor, former public defender
A.J. Brown, student
Ken Kurtis, owner, Reefseekers
Dave Meserve, Arcata City council member
Referencesedit
^"Unconstitutional: the War on Our Civil Liberties". Fandango. 2004.
^ abDelVecchio, Rick (15 October 2004). "Berkeley: Film Festival has a political bent, featuring final part in trilogy about Bush". The San Francisco Chronicle.
^ abcdKrust, Kevin (8 October 2004). "3 documentaries lambast Bush team". The Los Angeles Times.
^ abAkrum, Nora (15 October 2004). "Cinematic Convergence: The 11th Annual Austin Film Festival". The Austin Chronicle.
^ abcMartel, Ned (1 October 2004). "Attempts to Sort Out and Make Sense of History". The New York Times.
^ abcdJane, Ian (26 October 2004). "Unconstitutional- The War on Civil Liberties". DVD Talk.
^ abcdefghijDevine, Dan (24 November 2004). "Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties". PopMatters.
^. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
External linksedit
Official website for Public Interest Pictures
Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties at IMDb
Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties at AllMovie
January 01, 1970
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Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil Liberties is an American 2004 political documentary about the legal problems with the PATRIOT Act 1 It posits that the law hastily passed in the wake of the 9 11 attacks 2 is used to justify a variety of abuses of civil rights that are guaranteed by the US Constitution 3 Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil LibertiesDirected byNonny de la PenaWritten byNonny de la PenaProduced byNonny de la PenaRobert Greenwald Executive Producer Earl Katz Executive Producer Narrated byJames HanesCinematographyBestor CramJennifer LaneEdited byJoe BiniGreg ByersMusic byMichael BrookDistributed byPublic Interest PicturesRelease dateOctober 5 2004 2004 10 05 Running time66 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish This third and final film in the Un trilogy from Executive Producer Robert Greenwald 4 and Earl Katz is a Public Interest Pictures Film Unconstitutional was written produced and directed by Nonny de la Pena 5 Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Reception 3 Participants 4 References 5 External linksSynopsis editA few weeks after the September 11 attacks in 2001 the United States Congress passed a complicated and controversial 3 law purportedly designed to help with tracking future terrorist threats 6 Unconstitutional s purpose is to explain the USA PATRIOT Act to its viewers and expose its alleged failings 7 Primary among these is the way in which post 9 11 law enforcement detained Muslims and others with Arabic names for unspecified lengths of time without due process or criminal charges 7 As examples of this Unconstitutional presents the stories of Safouh Mamoui a Syrian living in Seattle who was arrested without charges and imprisoned for ten months after the FBI cleared him of suspicion 5 7 Jose Padilla a US citizen and Muslim convert who was arrested as a material witness in the 9 11 attacks and later designated an enemy combatant so he could be kept behind bars by the military in the absence of evidence or charges 7 and Aquil Adbullah an American Catholic Olympic athlete who was put on the no fly list as a result of his Arabic name 3 The film claims at least 1000 lesser known people have been similarly abused 5 It also addresses the situation of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay 3 and Abu Ghraib 7 De la Pena also looks into other PATRIOT Act violations of civil liberties Among these are government access to any citizen s library records or email and FBI sneak and peek search and seizure of private property 7 Unconstitutional suggests that American citizens might find themselves affected by the PATRIOT Act even without any connection to terrorist activity 7 6 Law professor David Cole also points out that when we treat others like this in the name of fighting a war others fighting us can treat our soldiers like this 4 The film makes its arguments through civil liberties advocates Republican lawmakers 7 Democratic politicians bi partisan lawyers 6 and some of the individuals who have been impacted by this law Reception editThough Unconstitutional presents information from both conservative and progressive interviewees it has generally been characterized as possessing a left leaning viewpoint 7 2 The film was a Washington Post Editor s Pick 8 More sympathetic reviewers call it a 66 minute incitement to anger 6 that sheds light on discrimination 7 Participants editLaura Murphy Director Washington Legislative Office American Civil Liberties Union Rep Peter A DeFazio D Oregon David D Cole Professor of Law Georgetown University Former Rep Robert Barr R Georgia Anthony Romero Executive Director American Civil Liberties Union Barbara Olshansky Deputy Legal Director Center for Constitutional Rights Vincent Cannistraro Former CIA Director for Counter Terrorism and Operations Analysis The Hamoui Family Sam Hamoui Safouh Hamoui Hanan Hamoui Mohammed Hamoui Nadin Hamoui amp Rham Hamoui Kathy Culliton Legislative Staff Attorney Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Thomas B Wilner Attorney for Kuwaitee detainees Maj Michael Mori U S military lawyer appointed to Guantanamo detainee David Hicks Azmat Begg father of Guatanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg Donna Newman Attorney for Jose Padilla Anne Turner Librarian Santa Cruz Public Library Ryan Coonerty bookstore owner Douglas Heller Executive Director Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Mara Verheyden Hilliard Partnership for Civil Justice Fund David Lindorff investigative reporter and author of This can t be happening Jayashri Srikantian American Civil Liberties Union Andrew O Connor former public defender A J Brown student Ken Kurtis owner Reefseekers Dave Meserve Arcata City council memberReferences edit Unconstitutional the War on Our Civil Liberties Fandango 2004 a b DelVecchio Rick 15 October 2004 Berkeley Film Festival has a political bent featuring final part in trilogy about Bush The San Francisco Chronicle a b c d Krust Kevin 8 October 2004 3 documentaries lambast Bush team The Los Angeles Times a b Akrum Nora 15 October 2004 Cinematic Convergence The 11th Annual Austin Film Festival The Austin Chronicle a b c Martel Ned 1 October 2004 Attempts to Sort Out and Make Sense of History The New York Times a b c d Jane Ian 26 October 2004 Unconstitutional The War on Civil Liberties DVD Talk a b c d e f g h i j Devine Dan 24 November 2004 Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil Liberties PopMatters Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil Liberties The Washington Post Archived from the original on 2016 03 04 External links editOfficial website for Public Interest Pictures Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil Liberties at IMDb nbsp Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil Liberties at AllMovie Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Unconstitutional The War on Our Civil Liberties amp oldid 1213727114, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
