Ever since John F. Kennedy was president in the early 1960's,
the federal government has made a modest but continuing effort
to impose criminal and civil sanctions against individuals and
institutions that denied citizens the rights promised the American
people under the constitution. So it was real news when data from
both the federal courts and the Justice Department analyzed by
TRAC showed a decline in civil rights enforcement during the first
term of President Bush. Articles based on TRAC's special report
about the decline appeared in close to 200 news groups and the
data were then cited Senator Patrick Leahy in the confirmation
hearings of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
New York Times --
Enforcement of Civil Rights Law Declined Since '99, Study Finds
November 22, 2004
