In Rights at Risk, David K. Shipler (The Working Poor) explores the ways in which he says liberty--Americans' most treasured commodity--"dies behind closed doors," mainly because the justice system denies or dilutes constitutional rights afforded to those who most need them, making all Americans less "free" as a result.
He begins by exploring the USA PATRIOT (Uniting [and] Strengthening America [by] Providing Appropriate Tools Required [to] Intercept [and] Obstruct Terrorism) Act and the post-9/11 war on terror, focusing on its rights-curtailing application to American citizens within the nation's borders. He then confronts abuses in the domestic criminal justice system, where many defendants discover that their constitutional rights are only as strong as their own ability to defend them--or to afford an attorney who can. In turn, Shipler discusses torture, the indefinite detention of "enemy combatants" and the many legal pitfalls of the immigration system--all situations in which the person most in need of protection is least likely to be offered basic legal rights. He closes with a look at the First Amendment and our nation's public schools.
Throughout, Shipler alternates theoretical explanations of legal points with anecdotes from people entangled in the system, sketching portraits that underscore the book's main points without overlooking his subjects' humanity. While the issues it raises are profound, Rights at Risk is well-paced and clearly written; Shipler has a particular knack for describing the holdings of complicated Supreme Court cases in a way non-lawyers can easily understand. This is a must-read for anyone dedicated to upholding the rights and freedoms that define "American." --Dani Alexis Ryskamp, blogger at The Literary Cricket