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Human Rights

Gay marriage bans carry in the South

By Chris Kromm
November 8, 2006 - Amendments to ban gay marriage have easily passed in the three Southern states where they were on the ballot: South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The margins are most lopsided in SC and TN, a bit tighter in VA. Key question is how the presence of anti-gay marriage amendment is impacting VA Senate race.

Protecting the vote

By Sue Sturgis
November 7, 2006 - With midterm elections taking place tomorrow, civil rights groups nationwide are gearing up for protect-the-vote initiatives to ensure fairness at the polls, and many of the efforts are focused on Southern states.

'Death Row Injustices' exposed in North Carolina

By Sue Sturgis
October 18, 2006 - If ever criminal defendants need quality representation, it's when their life is on the line. But at least 37 people currently on North Carolina's death row -- and at least 16 people executed by the state since 1977 -- did not have lawyers at trial who would meet today's minimum standards of qualification for capital defense attorneys.

"The N-word" crashes into politics

By Chris Kromm
September 26, 2006 - The N-word has reared its ugly head in two political races in recent days. The first case takes us to the trouble campaign of Sen. George Allen (R-VA). Michael Sherer broke the story on Salon.com on Sunday:

Voting rights and progressive politics

By Chris Kromm
September 13, 2006 - Progressives interested in taking back Southern politics often forget that the reasons for their difficulties in the region are not necessarily due to a lack of progressive voters, but are often due to widespread disenfranchisement of progressive constituencies in the region.