Patriot Act Nay-Sayers Becoming More Vocal
Published April 21, 2003
As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I am all for the War on Terror, but I am increasingly dissatisfied with its domestic ramifications, especially as relates to the erosion of civil liberties under the Patriot Act and the proposed follow up dubbed Patriot Act 2. Equally bad, the Justice Department has now sided with the RIAA in the dreaded Verizon case.
Today, the Washington Post relates that some municipalities are taking amtters into their own hands:
- Arcata [on California's North Coast] was one of the first cities to pass resolutions against global warming and a unilateral war in Iraq. Last month, it joined the rising chorus of municipalities to pass a resolution urging local law enforcement officials and others contacted by federal officials to refuse requests under the Patriot Act that they believe violate an individual's civil rights under the Constitution. Then, the city went a step further.
This little city (pop.: 16,000) has become the first in the nation to pass an ordinance that outlaws voluntary compliance with the Patriot Act.
"I call this a nonviolent, preemptive attack," said David Meserve, the freshman City Council member who drafted the ordinance with the help of the Arcata city attorney, city manager and police chief.
....to date, 89 cities have passed resolutions condemning the Patriot Act, with at least a dozen more in the works and a statewide resolution against the act close to being passed in Hawaii.
"We want the local police to do what they were meant to do — protect their citizens," said Nancy Talanian, co-director of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in Florence, Mass., which gives advice to citizens groups on how to draft their own resolution.
Although cities across the country passed antiwar resolutions before the attack on Iraq with little notice from the administration, Talanian said that the anti-Patriot Act resolutions are "not quite as symbolic" as those that passed against the war.
"Normally, the president and Congress don't pay that much attention when it comes to waging war," she said. "But in the case of the Patriot Act, the federal government can't really tell municipalities that you have to do the work that the INS or the FBI wants you to do. The city can say, 'No, I'm sorry. We hire our police to protect our citizens and we don't want our citizens pulled aside and thrown in jail without probable cause.' "
- Patriot Act Nay-Sayers Becoming More Vocal
- Published: April 21, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Politics
- Writer: Eric Olsen
- Eric Olsen's BC Writer page
- Eric Olsen's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
um, okay, thanks
an ordinance that outlaws voluntary compliance...
So I cannot choose of my own free will to comply, if I live in Arcata?
Hmmm... Baby. Bathwater. Discarding both.
So I cannot choose of my own free will to comply, if I live in Arcata?
Why, are you a librarian or a cop?
What city do you work for? 'Cause I want to avoid any place where the rank-and-file are so eager to sell me out to the Feds despite the best efforts of City Hall to protect my privacy.
Let There Be Equal RIGHTS UNDER the LAW
HELP STOP NOISE VOILATERS, DEFEND PEOPLES RIGHTS TO PEACE AND QUIET!!
There Used to Be Laws against excessive Noise within residential areas
people used to be able To relax and have peace,
to be able to have regular and daily meditation Quiet and Peace,
But ALas No More!!! apparently there are some people who seem to feel that it is their RIGHT to make noise and to disturb others and VIOLATE others Who DO HAVE A RIGHT TO PEACE and QUIET, this is a rather disturbing trend that needs to be put to an end. a peaceful and quiet end... please Join with me in an effort to bring back the Anti - Noise
Laws in order to defend one's rights to peace and quiet, sure they have a right to make noise , but not by taking away someone else's right to have quiet, I hope you would all agree please... these people
need to be prevented from obtaining a "special Privlage" to violate other's Rights, in the expression of their own rights, they can do this elswhere, and in a fashion that does not Tronce on other persons rights I hope that all who reads this would agree... please make a pettion make it a law, that these rights are inaleinable and cannot be taken away, and to stop the "circumventing" of these laws such as the
Anti Noise Laws at the Expense of those who are violated by this...
make a pettion and get signitures, contact your government representatives please, and let's let there be EQUAL rights for ALL !!
Thank you.
I along with many many7 others are strongly against this "PATRIOT ACT" it threatens us all and to my mind an even worse enemy than those terrorists , and perhaps it is the reason for all those terrorists in the first place?? WE CANNOT LET THEM TAKE AWAY ALL of our freedoms and I UNDERLINE ALL here , and threaten us with a POLICE STATE aka a BEAUROCRATIC DICTATORSHIP!!! LET us END THIS now!! and hope and pray in the NAME of PEACE and FREEDOM that this NEVER goes through Amen, and praise ALLAH , and may GOD / ALLAH Bless us and protect us from such EVIL monstrosities of BAD POLITICS! let us impeach THE BUSH or at least get him out of politics somehow , forever , thank you may ALLAH bless you and peace be unto you all amen. John Robert Von Einem
By the way I never said I was AGAINST privacy at all
I think that we should protect all of our privacy rights as well , there has to be a way to do this, uh oh I forgot , some of you folks just aren't smart enough... ok I'll forgive you that , just this once, or as many times as neccessary , I would suggest that all of you ignorant folks just do some research and inform yourselves , because after all knowledge is power , just do not violate other peoples rights to privacy and other freedoms to do so , thank you.
take care everyone, be kind, or at least try to be nicer... I am not saying you are to be FORCED to do anything, just DONT CAUSE HARM to anyone or anything , and to violate ones rights is a form of harm SO DON'T!!! have a nice day! smiles happiness
peace and joy to us all, AMEN. John
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/4758)
Great post! Love your blog.. wondering if you would post a link to my anti-patriot act stuff on Cafepress.. it is here: http://www.cafepress.com/4thamendment
Thanks!
Matt