04 July 2003

by Anai Rhoads

Over 16.3 million people joined forces in 26 states, spanning over 135 U.S. communities to speak up against racial profiling Friday.

In a twenty-three page document entitled Independence Day 2003: Main Street America Fights the Federal Government's Insatiable Appetite for New Powers in the Post 9/11 Era, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) praised Ann Arbor, Michigan, for being the first to adopt the resolution that opposes provisions of the United States Patriot Act.

After Denver's ACLU discovered 3,400 secret files on social activists, Denver became the second to accept the resolution. Denver not being a liberal college area, sparked interest in other cities around the country.

The resolution now passed by 26 states, requests that local police refrain from participating in federal investigations that would be considered a violation of civil liberties and racial profiling.

The larger cities include:

• California (Oakland and San Francisco)
• Colorado (Denver)
• Maryland (Baltimore)
• Michigan (Detroit)
• Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
• Washington State (Seattle)

Flagstaff (AZ), Oklahoma City (OK), and Missoula (MO) are among the 26 jurisdictions that are considered traditionally conservative. Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont asked that the government uphold Constitutional rights for all.

The ACLU's report lists provisions found in the Patriot Act that are considered unacceptable by the organisation since they violate civil liberties. These include:

• Elaborating power of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
• Permitting "Sneak and Peek" warrants, which give federal agents access to private homes without notifying the owner until much later if at all
• Federal agents can obtain personal "business records," which include library and loan records
• Denying fair trial for both citizens and non-citizens that are considered enemy combatants
• "Trap and Trace" Wiretapping and using recordings as evidence in court

Librarians have also found themselves in the mix by refusing to co-operate with federal authorities. Many libraries have made it a point to pass their own "anti-PATRIOT Act" resolution in order to protect civil liberties. Section 215 of the Patriot Act allows the FBI to force libraries, universities, bookstores, doctors, Internet service providers (ISPs) to release records and information on their patients, clients or customers.

The trend is moving quickly against the Patriot Act as the number of organisations, agencies and even individuals come forward to speak up.

© Copyright 2003 Anai Rhoads. International law prohibits resale, re-post and reprint of any kind without the author's permission.