Local Lawyers Defends Civil Liberties for Guantanamo Detainees

By Mary Helt Gavin

Gary Isaac says Guantanamo could become a rallying point for those who dislike our country.

In defending the civil liberties of detainees held by the United States in Guantanamo, Cuba, Evanston lawyers Joe Margulies and Gary Isaac believe they are defending the principles of liberty that are the foundation of this country. Not everyone agrees. Particularly in the early years, 2003 and 2004 - Mr. Margulies, lead counsel in Rasul v. Bush, says he received angry phone calls and letters accusing him of not being patriotic.

Shortly after President George W. Bush declared a war on terror and this country invaded Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the United States transported persons they believed to have a terrorist connection to Al Qaeda, the radical Muslim group responsible for the Sept. 11 attack, to its military base at Guantanamo, where nearly all of them remain.

Mr. Isaac, a lawyer with Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, and Mr. Margulies, a faculty member at Northwestern University's McArthur Justice Center, spoke to the League of Women Voters on Dec. 5 about how these prisoners have been treated and how, when and whether they will be tried.

There have been allegations that the United States has used extreme measures to try to obtain information from these prisoners: dressing them in orange, the color traditionally worn by Muslims condemned to death, depriving them of sleep, throwing water on them, making them stand for long periods of time and "short-shackling" them to a bar in the floor of the prison with short chains around their feet and ankles so they could barely move.

"Only a lawyer would ask, ‘Is this torture?'" said Mr. Margulies. "I don't care; I don't ask. It's wrong…"

He said that the Bush methods used in interrogation the prisoners would taint the resulting information in a court of law. Using CIA-type methods, the government created "an ideal intelligence chamber … by creating a sense of dismay, despair and disruption," he said.

The position of the Bush administration is that, because these prisoners (with one exception) are not U.S. citizens and are not being held on U.S. soil, they do not have to be accorded the Constitutional protections accorded to U.S. prisoners: They can be held indefinitely without being charged, and, if they are tried, it will be by military tribunals rather than U.S. courts.

While the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed with the government's position in deciding the Rasul case, subsequent legislation put those procedures back into operation. Both Mr. Isaac and Mr. Margulies say these things show that our system of checks and balances has been compromised.

The Rasul case challenged the executive detention of the prisoners at Guantanamo - that is, detention not based on formal charges. The principal question was whether these detainees had the right of habeas corpus - the right to appeal to a federal court to challenge their detention, one of our country's founding principles.

The government offered several reasons for barring the Guantanamo prisoners from having their cases heard in federal court, said Mr. Isaac: protecting the troops, gaining intelligence and protecting the president's ability to prosecute the war on terror. He authored one of the amicus (friend of the court) briefs in Rasul and argued that the detainees had the right of habeas corpus.

The Supreme Court's 2004 ruling held that the detainees had the right of habeas corpus and that federal courts had jurisdiction to hear the cases.

But Congress undercut that decision a few weeks ago by passing legislation that stripped the federal courts of their jurisdiction and took away the right of habeas corpus appeal from the detainees, substituting stricter standards for detainees' challenges and military commissions to review them. Now called enemy combatants, detainees must appeal to military tribunals for a review of their status. The new law also sets rules for how these military tribunals may prosecute the prisoners and allows the president to decide how far interrogation techniques may go without being considered "torture."

However, the government says these new procedures will allow the United States to prosecute the terrorists held at Guantanamo, including the man they believe is the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mr. Isaac believes the Democratic majority in Congress "needs to restore our [system of] checks and balances. [With this bill] our representatives forfeited oversight. We'll never have oversight if our rights are not restored." He praised Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky and Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama for voting against the legislation.

Mr. Isaac said the practices at - even the existence of - Guantanamo have "diminished our moral leadership." He said he fears that Guantanamo itself is on the verge of becoming a rallying point for hatred of this country, or a rallying point for moderate Muslims to convert to supporting a jihad against this county. "One of the major issues is the corrosive effect of Guantanamo on our military policy and standing in the world," said Mr. Isaac. Mr. Margulies said it has "become a symbol of American hubris, [replacing] the other symbol of shining democracy."

Eye on Evanston

Location, Location, Location

By John Macsai

It is always said that in developing real estate it is all about "location, location, location." This is only partially so; I think it is also about "timing, timing, timing," and I am keeping my fingers crossed when I think of the weakening housing market.

On the other hand Evanston is unique, so it is desirable that apartments will keep on selling, selling, selling. We have a number of projects under construction or about to start. Let's take a look at them.

Let's start with the proposed scheme at 510 Sheridan Road, at the intersection of South Boulevard. This building makes me feel very hopeful. The design is modern, colorful and has a residential scale that fits well with respect to its neighbors. I hope it will be under construction very soon.

Construction just started on the 16-story high-rise apartment building on the north side of Howard Street between the elevated station and Chicago Avenue. It will be a well-designed, simple, exposed concrete frame structure with indented balconies. The architects, SBC, are real pros in multifamily housing and deserve to be mentioned.

Also under construction is Tom Roszak's large Sienna project between Ridge Road and Oak Avenue, north of Church Street that will contain four sizeable mid-rises. For one who has been often quite critical of Mr. Roszak's work, especially of his project next to the Jewel food store on Chicago Avenue, , I think the Sienna will be his best, and I am awaiting its completion with curiosity, hoping I am right.

Another apartment building, at 525 Kedzie St., on the corner of Chicago Avenue, is a compromise, since the previous taller scheme blocked the view of the neighbors on the south. The drawings reveal a building that suffers from ambivalence. The upper residential floors are beautifully handled on the western half of the Kedzie façade with brick projecting bays and semi-indented balconies. The other half and the entire Chicago Avenue face is a simplistic curtain wall more appropriate for a cheap office building. I wonder why.

Also under construction is the apartment building at the southwest corner of Green Bay Road and Emerson Street. As I recall, the final design was a compromise with the neighbors, who disliked the simplicity of the curving volume of the previous scheme and were quite vocal about it. I am interestedly awaiting the building designed by neighbors and condoned by a less-than-design-trained City Council.

Almost completed is the apartment building at 2935 Central St., facing, on the south side of the street, a handsome Prairie School building of strong horizontality with a boldly overhanging low, sloping roof.

I wish I could similarly compliment the 2935 building, which I imagine tries to imitate the Prairie style but fails. The design choice and criteria are unclear: the two colors of brick, the strongly vertical windows, the small roof overhangs on each side of the center element, the pompous arched openings on the first floor that fight horizontality.

The building across the street deserves a better companion.

There is more to come. Two modern though mediocre high-rises are coming. One is at 1567 Maple Ave.; the other, severely criticized by Design Evanston, an organization of design professionals, is located at the corner of Emerson Street and Oak Avenue.

Finally, I do not know what to expect of a building that will be at the southeast corner of Chicago Avenue and Main Street - the result of a recently won court battle - since no plans have been published yet.

This list may not contain designs that are all high-quality from the point of view of architectural criticism but they fairly reflect what goes on in housing today. It is also interesting to watch as they go up. I have gone on record with my reaction - let me know what you think of them

Premiere of "In Eleanor's Words" by Evanston Composer

A 27-minute composition for mezzo soprano and piano called "In Eleanor's Words," which attempts to capture former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt's life by putting her words to music, debuted on Nov. 20 at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Evanston resident Stacy Garrop, an associate professor of musical composition and said to be one of the nation's most promising young composers, composed the piece.

The composition premiered as part of "A Celebration of Eleanor Roosevelt," in honor of the dedication, originally made Nov. 16, 1945, of Roosevelt University to the values of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.

The celebration was a multi-media event exploring Ms. Roosevelt's life through music, images and the recorded sound of her voice. A second piece entitled "Eleanor's Gift" by composer Chen Yi also was performed. Mrs. Roosevelt's granddaughter, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, who is on the University's board of trustees, spoke during the event.

Ms. Garrop, who recently won the internationally renowned $20,000 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Music Composition Prize, drew from Eleanor Roosevelt's "My Day" newspaper columns to create "In Eleanor's Words."

"You can't go through a process like this without feeling like you know what Eleanor Roosevelt was all about," said Ms. Garrop, who studied the former first lady's autobiography, letters, essays, speeches and newspaper columns in order to write the six-movement piece. The first movement, titled "The Newspaper Column," introduces the listener to one of Ms.Roosevelt's early news columns from 1936. In it Ms. Roosevelt shares difficulties encountered in meeting a writing deadline while with her husband at the opening of Shenandoah Park in Washington D.C.

After the first movement, other movements in the piece include "Are You Free," which is about Ms. Roosevelt's strong feelings against prejudice; "An Anonymous Letter," which discusses a friendly anonymous letter she once received; "The Supreme Power," which captures a humorous moment involved in putting finishing touches on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with delegates in the United Nations General Assembly; "The Dove of Peace," which recounts the Ms. Roosevelt's trip to Russia during the Cold War; and the final movement, "What Can One Woman Do?", which expresses how individuals can make a difference in preventing war, particularly after the invention of the atomic bomb.

"The Emperor's Children"

A Book Review By Sue Brooke

"The Emperor's Children" by Claire Messud is a novel about three college friends. Thirty years as the novel opens, they are in New York and are all struggling with fledgling literary careers and non-existent love lives.

Danielle, average-looking but very intelligent, makes film documentaries and has just broken up with Fat Freddy.

Julius is a free-lance author who sporadically write essays for the Village Voice. He and Danielle, who both come from small Midwest towns, escaped as soon as they could, knowing they were destined for better things.

Though Julius likes to talk about his sex life and the gay bar scene, his two girlfriends know that he would really like to find his one mate.

Marina is the most beautiful of the three. Unlike Julius and Danielle, she was born to the good life in New York. Her whole life has been spent in the shadow of her father, the celebrated liberal essayist Murray Thwaite. She idolizes him and wants to do something equally important with her life. She signed a book contract 6 years before, and since then has spent the advance, renegotiated many deadlines, and is now thinking that she may never finish the book. It had once seemed a good topic, how children's clothes are chosen to reflect the desires of their parents - like JonBenet Ramsey with her beauty-queen clothes.

While in Australia for one of her documentaries, Danielle is introduced to Ludovic Seeley, a eminent editor who wants to launch a revolutionary magazine in New York. He is rich, good-looking and suave, and Danielle decides she will do a documentary on revolutionary ideas using him as a lynchpin.

When he gets to New York, she encounters him while dining with her good friend Marina. Beautiful Marina and Ludo hit it off immediately, becoming an item. Marina worries that Danielle is jealous. But Danielle is not jealous. Interviewing Ludo, she has found his ideas contradictory to those of Marina's father. Though he claims to have no respect for Murray, he is very eager to meet him. Danielle worries that he has some hidden agenda.

Into this mix comes 19-year-old Bootie, Murray's only nephew. Intelligent and idealistic, he has come to New York in search of truth. He has circumvented college, sure that being around his uncle will teach him more. The characters' lives converge and absolutes become gray in this thought-provoking novel.

"The Fountain "

A Film Review By Brian Murphy

I am unaware as to whether or not Darren Aronofsky has obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the characters and themes in his films certainly reflect this trait.

The brilliant writer/director has explored the disturbing obsession of a mathematical genius ("Pi"), the horrifying compulsions of drug addicts ("Requiem for a Dream") and now the ceaseless quest of a man who, during the course of a thousand years, seeks a cure for death so he can be with his loved one forever.

With "The Fountain," Mr. Aronofsky has created a stunning visual and thematic tapestry. Three separate yet interconnecting stories and timelines are expressed with such skill that they become one ongoing saga.

Hugh Jackman ("The Prestige") and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener") play lovers torn apart by death. Mr. Jackman is a volcano of emotion, while Ms. Weisz is almost Zen-like in her dual terminal roles. Both are exceptional in their performances.

In Spain, 1500 A.D., Weisz is Isabel, a queen desperately trying to survive the Spanish Inquisition. As a last resort, she sends her loyal conquistador, Tomas (Mr. Jackman), to "New Spain" (Guatemala) on a quest to find the Mayan-protected Tree of Life, the same one referred to in Genesis that gives eternal life. She gives him a ring and makes him promise to return so that they can rule and live together forever.

In America, 2000 A.D., Mr. Jackman is Tom Creo, a doctor whose cancer treatment experiments are vastly improved when he uses a root found in Guatemala to cure lab monkey Donovan's brain tumor.

His drive to find a cure as quickly as possible takes on urgency as the health of his wife, Izzi (Ms. Weisz)begins to rapidly deteriorate because of her own brain tumor. Forgoing his chance to spend time with his beloved during her last days Tom chooses to try to conquer death instead.

In outer space, 2500 A.D., Tommy (you guessed it - Jackman) floats and meditates in a nebula, finally reaching the globe-like orb that contains the Tree of Life, greeting welcome memories of Izzi/Isabel, and desperately fighting off bad memories, such as his failed promise.

Even more disheartening to Tommy is memories of listening to Izzi try to explain how death leads to creation, or that death will bring them together, or that she is no longer afraid of dying. To Tommy the only way to be immortal is literally to live forever.

To separate the three tales, as I have just done, does the film a grave injustice. Mr. Aronofsky's artful direction blends this tale into a fascinating work. His use of symbolism not only recalls archetypes (dagger and pen), but is also used as a bridge between stories and timelines.

Perhaps the painting in present day Tom's home, of a Mayan temple that just happens to be the same one he entered as a conquistador, comes off more as a wink than an epiphany, but fans of a certain auteur (and Mr. Aronofsky has earned the right to that title) often indulge the artist, such as Hitchcock's cameos in so many of his films.

He continually bathes the mise en scene in gold - both objects and lighting - creating a warm and ethereal tone. Implausibly, the film may somehow yet manage to pique the interests of both religious and existentialist audiences. The topic of death and the afterlife (or lack thereof) sets up an engaging quandary for our characters to either accept or conquer. Will it lead them to the same place?

1 hr. 36 min. Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of violent action, some sensuality and language.

Winter Expo at Art Center.

Evanston Art Center's fourth annual juried show of arts and crafts continues through Dec. 16. Winter Expo represents the best local artisans with one-of-a-kind gifts of fine art and craft. Categories include jewelry, ceramics, wood, glass, metal, fiber, leather, wearable textile accessories, mixed media, small 3-D sculpture and small 2-D works including printmaking, photography and painting.

All four of the Art Center's galleries are dedicated to the display of hundreds of pieces of original art. Winter Expo is an excellent opportunity to acquire fine original pieces created by contemporary artists, perfect gifts for the holiday season. At the same time, a percentage of the proceeds from sales will go toward supporting the fundraising efforts of the Evanston Art Center. For more information please visit www.evanstonartcenter.org
Photo source: www.evanstonartcenter.org

Urban Gateways: New Executive Director

The Urban Gateways: Center for Arts Education Board of Directors announced today the appointment of Evanstonian Julie F. Simpson as executive director.

"Ms. Simpson is a creative entrepreneur with a demonstrated track record in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors. She has dedicated her career to leading organizations in fulfilling their missions in the areas of education, the arts, youth and community development, civic engagement and social justice," said Urban Gateways in making the announcement.

Ms. Simpson brings experience in arts education and school and community partnerships to her new role at Urban Gateways. As founding executive director of the Office of Community Arts Partnerships (OCAP) at Columbia College Chicago, Ms. Simpson developed, managed and established partnerships to support arts programming linking Columbia College faculty and students with youth in Chicago neighborhoods and in the Chicago Public Schools.

Before founding OCAP (now known as CCAP), Ms. Simpson was executive director of The Dance Center of Columbia College where she increased and diversified audiences for contemporary dance. Among her achievements there was co-founding the DanceAfrica Chicago festival.

Evanston EATS

Classic Scones

Recipe provided by Chef Debbie Evans, pictured left, of the Celtic Knot as it was prepared at "A Taste of First Night."

Position rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Whisk thouroughly in a large bowl: 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tblsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Drop in: 6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces.

Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender, tossing the pieces with the flour mixture to coat and separate them as you work, until the largest pieces are the size of peas and the rest resemble breadcrumbs. Do not allow the butter to melt or form a paste with the flour. Whisk together then add: 1 large egg, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 tsp. grated orange zest (optional).

Mix with a rubber spatula or fork until the dry ingredients are moistened. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides and bottom of the bowl 5 to 10 times, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough each time until they adhere and the bowl is fairly clean. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into an 8-inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 or 12 wedges and place at least ½ inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops with 2 to 3 tsp. cream or milk. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Cut scones in half, fill with jam and whipped cream, and top with a strawberry.

A Taste of First Night.

First Night Evanston 2006 is still a few weeks away, but on Nov. 27 at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave., some Evanstonians had a sampling of the entertainment scheduled for the New Years Eve celebration. Among the artists were local puppeteer Marilyn Price, the Chris Greene Jazz Quartet, Acts of Kindness Cabaret, mentalist Chris Carter and a classical ensemble from the Music Institute of Chicago. During the performances, guests tasted appetizers and desserts donated by Evanston restaurants: Celtic Knot, 626 Church St., La Petite Amelia, 618 Church St., Oceanique, 505 Main St., 1566 Oak Ave., Jacky's Bistro, 2545 Prairie Ave., The Belgian Chocolatier Piron, 509 Main St., and Lulu's Dim Sum and Then Sum, 804 Davis St. Visit www.firstnightEvanston.org or call 847-475-NITE to purchase tickets to this year's celebration.

"Blood Diamond"

A Film Review By Joe Linstroth

"Blood Diamond" features excellent performances, fast-paced action, and a worthy message squandered by the Hollywood-brand subtlety of a spade to the back of the head.

Set during Sierra Leone's bloody, diamond-fueled civil war in 1999, "Blood Diamond" follows the quest of three characters searching for a priceless pink stone roughly the size of a key lime. Djimon Hounsou ("Amistad") plays Solomon Vandy, an African fisherman who is separated from his family by rebel thugs and forced to work in the remote mines.

Sifting through the river bottom, Solomon finds the precious rock and buries it in the bush just before the camp is overrun and he is jailed by government troops.

In an adjacent cell is Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a former Rhodesian soldier-turned-mercenary, who trades arms for stones and smuggles his so-called "conflict diamonds," or "blood diamonds," across the border into Liberia to be bought by European corporations with an unscrupulous "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

For Danny, this rare diamond is his one-way ticket off the bloody continent. In exchange for Solomon's help, he promises to use his extensive contacts and fair skin to navigate the chaos of civil war, refugee camps, and scrambling relief agencies in order to locate his reluctant partner's missing family.

Joining Solomon and Danny on their journey is Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an idealistic, "hot-zone" journalist looking to break a big story on the complicity of the diamond industry in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war.

Djimon Hounsou and Leonardo DiCaprio give excellent performances.

The role of Solomon is a familiar one to Mr. Hounsou, who has made a career out of playing oppressed characters with dignity and pride, and his formidablescreen presence is the source for much of the film's emotional resonance.

Sporting a slight South African accent, Leonardo DiCaprio sheds another layer of his pretty-boy image with his second mature performance of the year as a morally ambiguous loner (see "The Departed" for the first).

Director Edward Zwick ("Glory," "The Last Samurai") maintains a fast pace, interspersing the action with shots of the gorgeous countryside and with gritty images of limbless victims, massive refugee camps, and young boys toting AK-47s.

As far as entertainment goes, "Blood Diamond" is absorbing. The film loses steam when it turns to heavy-handed preaching about the destructive desire of every American and European girl to have a beautiful diamond engagement ring.

While the shady underbelly of the diamond business is a relatively ignored injustice worthy of exploration, it takes more than statistical reminders and attacked-on conclusion with Solomon testifying in front of an international group of concerned white people to make the point stick.

One cannot help but think that if "Blood Diamond" were truly concerned with being something more than entertainment, it would not have needed two beautiful white actors from America to deliver its important message.

2 hrs 18 min. Rated R for language and gruesome violence.