Following his equally persuasive documentaries Unprecedented: The 2000 Presidential Election and Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War (VL-5/04), producer Robert Greenwald's Unconstitutional reveals how the U.S. Patriot Act violates numerous civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. Directed by Nonny de la Peña, the film presents powerful and tragic examples of how the act--passed with virtually no Congressional debate just 45 days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11--has been used to justify the unconstitutional arrest of innocent immigrants based on Arab stereotyping; the abuse of alleged terrorist suspects in Guantanamo Bay military prison; improper search and seizure without due cause; restricted travel based on racial profiling; and bully tactics in the effort to undermine free speech. Seeing these issues reflected in personal stories makes all the more gut-wrenching the realization that former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft--and by extension, the newly re-elected Bush administration--used the Patriot Act to justify running what is essentially a dictatorial police state. Sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union and full of bipartisan testimony from lawyers, politicians, and victims of abuse, Unconstitutional makes an eloquent case for the careful interpretation of constitutional law, exploring rising opposition to the controversial legislation while exposing just how many of our freedoms have been undermined in the name of post-9/11 security. Regardless of one's political affiliation, this is a chilling reminder of the ways in which seemingly good intentions can corrupt even our most cherished democratic values. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Shannon)
Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties
(2004) 66 min. DVD: $9.95. The Disinformation Company (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 1
Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: