General | Current Events | Abortion | Affirmative Action | Animal Rights
Child/Family Advocacy | Crime/Gangs | Death Penalty | Drugs/Alcohol | Environment
Euthanasia | Gay and Lesbian | Gun Control | Hate Crimes | Housing | Human Rights
Immigration | Labor | Medicine | Population Growth | Poverty | School Violence
School Vouchers | Welfare Reform | Women’s Rights

GENERAL

American Civil Liberties Union - Links by topic on a variety of social issues (including immigrant rights, death penalty, privacy, and workplace rights). Each topic has extensive links to articles, briefing papers, news releases, and related sites. This site also includes information on membership and current court challenges that the ACLU is involved in.

Civilrights.org - The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the Leadership Conference Education Fund sponsor this site.   Information provided includes federal and state policies and legislation, current events, and a civil rights library featuring articles on affirmative action, Census 2000, hate crime prevention, and more.

Multnomah County Library Homework Center Social Issues Links - A selection of links geared towards middle school and high school students needing multiple perspectives on legislative and social issues, these sites provide useful information for the general user, as well.  Topics include creation science vs. evolution, organ donation, nuclear proliferation, school prayer, global warming, government vs. religion, gun control, homelessness, animal rights and capital punishment.  Where applicable, links from specific topics to related amendments to the United States Constitution are included.

Policy News and Information Center - This site features an issue of the week and an issues library that includes topics such as civil rights, crime, welfare and housing, and immigration.

Public Agenda - A not-for-profit, non-partisan public opinion research and citizen education organization, Public Agenda offers information on abortion, crime, the environment, immigration, race, euthanasia, and welfare on their site.  Colorful graphs and varying perspectives on the issues make this offering unique.

Search for Common Ground - An international organization that seeks cooperative solutions to world conflict. Projects from Angola to Ukraine are highlighted on this site. The focus is on getting liberal and conservative organizations to work together on "common ground."

CURRENT EVENTS
For the latest information, see the Current Events section of the News and Media page.

ABORTION

Abortion All Sides of the Issue - Sponsored by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Includes a variety of articles on the abortion debate. Provides facts and statistics about pregnancy and abortion, a brief overview of abortion laws, details about differing opinions, and links to additional resources.

Abortion Alternatives - This anti-abortion site has links to adoption information, including a national directory of adoption agencies. Also includes articles and statistics from an anti-abortion viewpoint.

National Abortion Federation - This pro-choice organization site tracks incidents of clinic violence and harassment against abortion providers. Also includes articles and statistics from a pro-choice viewpoint.

National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League - A pro-choice organization site that includes articles, press releases and polls. Also includes information about membership and the organization’s lobbying efforts.

Prolife - Meta-site for pro-life groups, sponsored by LifeAction Advocates, a local organization in Florida. Contains links to a variety of pro-life advocacy groups, pregnancy centers, and other right-to-life resources.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Affirmative Action and Diversity Project - This site from the University of California Santa Barbara presents diverse opinions on affirmative action topics. The articles are scholarly in nature, and many of the bibliographical references provide links to the cited source.

American Association for Affirmative Action - Designed to help Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) professionals be more successful and productive in their work. Links to related government agencies, laws and legislation, and state sites.

ANIMAL RIGHTS

Humane Society of the United States - Select from today's news, current topics, legislation, Humane Society newsletters, and more.

PETA Online - This site from the organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is international in scope. It features Action Alerts, product information, current articles on animal rights issues, and related legislation. Also includes membership information, as well as tasty vegetarian recipes.

CHILD/FAMILY ADVOCACY

Administration for Children and Families - This government agency site contains articles on current issues and legislation. There are links to statistics and fact sheets on a variety of family issues and programs, such as Domestic Violence and Head Start. The site is searchable by topic, program or office.

The Children’s Partnership - A national non-profit, non-partisan organization that advocates for the needs of America’s children. Their Next Generation Reports offer a variety of in-depth articles on children’s issues. The site also includes online parent guides.

National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse - This site includes links to articles, press releases, child abuse facts and statistics. The emphasis is on prevention through education.

CRIME/GANGS

Bureau of Justice Statistics:   Prisoners 1998 - Statistics on federal, state and military prisons and prisoners through 1998 are presented.

Community Policing - Community policing is based on the recognition that nothing can outperform dedicated people working together to make their communities better and safer places. This site includes extensive links to police organizations, U.S. Department of Justice programs, and victim assistance programs. Also includes articles and a bibliography on community policing.

Coroner’s Report - This commercial site includes an extensive overview of the history and identification of street gangs, including examples of gang graffiti. The online parent resource guide lists warning signs of gang activity.

FBI Uniform Crime Reports:  Crime in the United States 1998 - Crime indexes and a special study on incidents of family violence are available.

Justice Information Center (NCJRS) - An extensive source of information on criminal and juvenile justice. Includes articles and fact sheets (Adobe Acrobat required) on a wide variety of justice and crime-related topics, as well as links to statistics. The searchable Abstract Database provides summaries of criminal justice literature.

Key Crime and Justice Facts at a Glance - Crime trends; trends in federal investigations and prosecutions; and criminal corrections trends, including capital punishment are covered.  Links to more details on each topic, and to related sites, are offered.

Relocation Crime Lab - Find statistics on robberies, rapes, homicide, assaults and motor vehicle theft in the area where you now live and compare them to statistics from areas you may be visiting or are considering for relocation.

San Antonio Police Department Youth Crime Services Unit - Information on youth gangs and graffiti. The site includes warning signs of gang involvement for parents, city ordinances regarding graffiti, and contact information for the Police Department.

DEATH PENALTY

Angel on Death Row - Mounted in conjunction with the PBS Frontline television program of the same name. The program looks at the "real life" cases behind the movie, Dead Man Walking. The site also features a pro and con debate between legal scholars and clerics, and a very concise chronology of capital punishment.

Death Penalty Information Center - This site has state-by-state death penalty information and articles on related topics, such as costs, deterrence, and international perspective. Statistical breakdowns by race, etc., are updated with each execution. Current Issues tracks Supreme Court decisions and upcoming executions.

Texas Death Row - A photographic essay by Ken Light, who spent a year documenting the lives of death row inmates at Ellis I, in Huntsville, Texas. Includes a recorded interview with the photographer (Shockwave and speakers required).

DRUGS/ALCOHOL

D.A.R.E. - Information on the D.A.R.E curriculum, news, and lots of drug-related law enforcement links. Also includes a searchable archive of articles previously featured on the site.

Join Together - Sponsored by Boston University as a community resource to reduce substance abuse and gun violence. Site includes daily news and feature articles, as well as photo essays. The extensive archive is searchable by keyword and issue. A sample search for teenagers and tobacco yielded impressive results.

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information - Includes an excellent array of articles, research studies, and statistics about alcohol and drugs. A terrific feature, Publications by Subject, offers online fact sheets for a wide variety of drugs, with descriptions, effects, withdrawal symptoms, indications of misuse, and overdose.

ENVIRONMENT
For additional sites see our Environment page.

Environmental Defense Fund - A non-profit organization involved in national and international environmental issues. This site contains a wide variety of educational and informative articles on the environment, covering ozone depletion, global warming, tropical rainforests, acid rain, recycling, toxic waste, and endangered species. Archives of past publications provide an interesting look at the history of the environmental movement over the past 26 years.

Environmental News Network - Offers regularly updated news coverage on environmental events and issues worldwide. A multimedia section contains audio and video segments, featuring interviews and discussions with environmental experts. Full access requires a subscription fee, but several features are available free of charge.

EUTHANASIA

Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide - Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance examine all sides of the issue. Includes articles on public opinion and laws concerning euthanasia.

National Right to Life - This organization takes an anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia stance. The site provides articles and statistics from that viewpoint. Includes Action Alerts on impending legislation.

Suicide Machine - From the Detroit Free Press, an extensive collection of news reports and articles about Jack Kevorkian and his participation in assisted suicides. Includes profiles of those who have committed suicide with Kevorkian's assistance and message boards.

GAY AND LESBIAN
See the Gay and Lesbian Resources Page for information on Gay and Lesbian related social issues.

GUN CONTROL

Gun Control Resource Center - Statistics, school shootings, international gun violence reduction initiatives, and a link to the Brady Bill are provided.

Gun Owners of America - This self-described “no-compromise gun lobby” provides a Legislative Action Center through which you can email your legislators.  They also provide legislative information, profiles of state, federal and local candidates for public office, and their own newsletter archives.

National Rifle Association - This NRA site is anti-gun control. Includes links on bills, laws, and lawsuits related to gun control. Site has a state-by-state summary of firearms laws. Also includes links to speeches and quotes by prominent anti-gun control spokespersons.

Pacific Center for Violence Prevention - This pro-gun control site has great statistics, as well as links to full-text publications. Includes a searchable database on firearm violence literature. There are PCVP published fact sheets and policy briefs and a section of current news. En espaņol

Peaceable Texans for Firearms Rights - A rally in Austin in February 1994 was the starting point for this politically active grassroots group that promotes gun owners’ rights.  Learn more about them from their website.

Second Amendment Foundation - Dedicated to "promoting a better understanding about our Constitutional heritage to privately own and possess firearms." This anti-gun control site has links to articles, reports, and legislation. The database is searchable, and features current news.

Texans for Gun Safety - This group views firearms as “dangerous consumer products,” and favors legislation and restrictions.  Their site includes state and federal news, press releases, articles and links.  This organization was formerly called Texans Against Gun Violence.

Texas State Rifle Association - A variety of information and articles of interest to Texas gun owners is featured.

Violence Policy Center - Gun industry production data on firearms production in America includes information on legislation to regulate the gun industry, information on firearms litigation, data on women and firearms, the elderly and firearms, state policy issues, and more.

HATE CRIMES

Anti-Defamation League - This organization is dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism. Features articles and reports related to hate crimes and terrorism. Includes a roundup of 1998 Hate Crime laws and legislation and a Text of Model Legislation.

Hate Crime Statistics - View the FBI’s uniform crime reports on hate crimes.

Hate Crimes Today - This site from the American Psychological Association has links to articles that answer frequently asked questions about hate crimes.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Cyberwatch Task Force Against Hate - Includes a variety of information, including an interview with a former member of a Nazi skinhead group who is now part of the SWC’s task force.

HOUSING

Housing and Urban Development - HUD's Policy Development and Research's Information Service offers data on housing for the elderly, the growing shortage of affordable housing, and other relevant topics.

Texas Low Income Housing Information Service - Tenant issues, Texas housing policies, the availability of low-income housing in Texas and how to obtain it are among the topic links from this organization.

HUMAN RIGHTS

Amnesty International - Provides information about the organization, current news on human rights violations, and campaigns that AI is involved in internationally. Includes links to their chapters around the world, as well as other human rights-related sites. The Library link is excellent, a searchable and indexed archive that includes country reports and thematic publications.

Human Rights Watch World Report 1999 - The ninth annual review of human rights around the world. The report covers events and developments in 68 countries from December 1997 through November of 1998. Offers an excellent overview of the conditions of human rights on regional and national levels. Includes a detailed critique of American policies both internationally and within its own borders.

Project Diana - An international archive of human rights legal documentation, sponsored by the Orville H. Schell, Jr. Center for International Human Rights at Yale Law School. It is designed to be a reference tool for research in human rights law, with online litigation documents and links to reference sites throughout the Internet. This excellent resource can be searched by keyword or browsed using the subject index.

United Nations Human Rights Website -TBD - This Treaty Bodies Database of UN reports and observations is keyword searchable. The database was created to meet the growing interest in monitoring the implementation of human rights treaties. "State reports" submitted by the signatories to the human rights treaties, and the concluding observations by the examining committees, form the core of the database. Also contains related documents and data. Documents may be in English, French, or Spanish.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948-1998) - Marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. Contains background information about the UN and the declaration, materials on numerous human rights issues, as well as resources for users to take action.

IMMIGRATION

Federation for American Immigration Reform - FAIR advocates a moratorium on immigration. The site links to articles on immigration issues and state profiles. The Texas state link has loads of Immigration and Naturalization Service data and statistics.

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights - The goal of this organization is to promote just immigration policies and to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees. Includes links to their newsletter, news archive, background articles, legislative updates, and related sites.

U.S. Border Control - This organization is dedicated to ending illegal immigration by securing our nation's borders and reforming our border and immigration policies. Links to articles, their newsletter, legislation, and statistics. USBC also conducts polls and surveys related to immigration.

LABOR

A Short History of American Labor - Union International Systems presents a summary of the history of labor in America from colonial times to 1980.  This site's focus is on the development and accomplishments of labor unions.

Union Resource Network - Searchable by Union or by state, this site also includes recent news, and links to OSHA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Great Speckled Bird Strike Page, and more.

MEDICINE

Conceiving a Clone - Includes a cloning timeline from 1885 through 1998, and descriptions of various cloning techniques. Gives the pros and cons in the cloning debate, and an overview of how world governments are attempting to regulate cloning. Technical terms in the text are linked to definitions.

New Scientist - Living in a genetically modified world - this online magazine special report examines the implications, questions, and ethics of genetic modification. Covers a wide variety of topics, such as transgenic plants, gene therapy, and fetal cell research.

NORML - Since its founding, NORML has been a national advocate for legalizing marijuana, particularly for medicinal purposes. Site includes reports, related articles and polls, links to legislation and propositions, as well as endorsements. Good background information on the use of medicinal marijuana, and an overview of the court battles that have been waged.

POPULATION GROWTH

Six Billion and Beyond - The effects of overpopulation on the environment, economy, reproductive health and other issues are examined for the USA, Mexico, China, India, Italy and Kenya.  Portraits of individuals and perspectives from leaders of each country are also presented.

6 Billion Human Beings - The United Nations estimates that we will be at 12 billion in 120 years. By visiting this web site, you will learn why the world's population has exploded in recent years and why it might stabilize during the next century (Shockwave required).

Zero Population Growth - This organization lobbies for global population control. Includes population-related articles, frequently asked questions, legislative alerts, and teacher resources. Has a neat little counter of the estimated world population.

POVERTY

Hunger Web - Sponsored by Brown University, this site has extensive links to hunger-related research data, field work, advocacy, policy, education and training. Introduction includes a good overview of the issue. Site also has links to articles and reports.

National Coalition for the Homeless - Contains articles and fact sheets on topics related to the homeless. There is a national directory of organizations dealing with homelessness. A monthly feature explores a "myth" about homelessness.

Second Harvest - Second Harvest is a charitable hunger relief organization. The site includes articles on hunger in America that examine some of the causes and issues involved. Includes links to agencies, soup kitchens, and food banks throughout the U.S. Covers issues and events related to hunger, as well as corporate and industry projects to combat the problem.

Texas Homeless Network - Features local news and legislation related to the plight of the homeless. Includes action alerts and a bi-monthly newsletter with a variety of related articles.

SCHOOL VIOLENCE

CDC Media Relations:   Facts About Violence Among Youth and Violence in Schools - Facts and statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about school violence

Center for Prevention of School Violence - Their newsletters, programs, and public awareness suggestions are offered

National School Safety Center - Information includes a checklist for characteristics of violent youth; a report on school-associated violent deaths; and free handouts and other resources for parents and educators

School and Parent Resources - Links to sites on youth violence for teachers, parents and administrators.

Virginia Youth Violence Project - The prevention of gun violence at schools is featured on this site from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia

The Why Files - This segment of the Why Files explores issues including how dangerous are our schools, why kids kill, and who can help. The links and bibliography make this an especially useful site.

SCHOOL VOUCHERS

School Choices - A pro-voucher organization presents issues and arguments and judicial verdicts.

School Vouchers: Some Lessons - This site takes the side of public schools. Links to several lengthy articles defending public education.

WELFARE REFORM

Governors Reflect on Welfare Reform - This site from the National Governor’s Association has several excellent online reports on aspects of welfare reform. The reports include additional links to related topics.

Welfare Reform in Texas - The Texas Workforce Commision's site provides information about the Texas welfare program, including charts covering wage and benefit calculations, food stamps, earned income credit, and childcare.

Welfare Reform Watch Project - Report from a ten-state study, which included Texas, on the effects of welfare reform titled "Poverty Amid Plenty."

Welfare to Work Partnership - This group provides support, information, and technical assistance to businesses that want to hire former welfare recipients. Site features a calendar of events, facts and statistics, free publications, and brief profiles of success stories.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Global Reproductive Health Forum - Harvard University sponsors this site which is international in scope. Covers a wide variety of topics related to gender/reproduction, such as contraception, dowry deaths, and sexual assault. Includes information on laws and treaties by country. En espaņol

National American Woman Suffrage Association - A collection of books, pamphlets, and artifacts documenting the suffrage movement. The exhibit is presented by the Library of Congress as part of their National Digital Library Program. Includes a hundred year timeline of women’s suffrage.

National Women's History Project - A non-profit organization that promotes women's history and originated the organizing effort for National Women's History Month. Site has a program calendar, a quiz on women's history, and great project ideas. Includes a wide variety of links to women's history organizations and topics. The catalog is a great source for women's history books, posters, and commemorative items.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America - Information on the mission and history of the organization. This fantastic resource includes a wide selection of links to articles and fact sheets on women’s reproductive health, descriptions of birth control methods, and parent’s guides to sex education. Click En Espaņol on the left frame for Spanish version.

The links in this section were selected and evaluated by the staff of the San Antonio Public Library for their high quality content.

Report broken links to: librarywebadmin@sanantonio.gov.