New York City suffered greatly in the attacks of September 11 but that doesn't mean New York residents were going to idly stand by while the government used the specter of future attacks to strip their rights and freedoms. New Yorkers know a scam job when they see it.
The PATRIOT Act was passed 45 days after the tragic attacks of 9/11. This Act gave new and expanded powers to government agents and rolled back rights guaranteed under the Constitution. For example, law enforcement agents can now enter your home or office, take pictures and seize items without informing you that a warrant was issued for days or even months.
Many New York residents realized that these new powers needed to be checked, and -- coordinated by the New York Civil Liberties Union's New York City Bill of Rights Defense Campaign -- embarked on a campaign to pass a local resolution in opposition to the new over-reaching powers granted by the PATRIOT Act. Concerned citizens embarked on a city-wide public education campaign about the Patriot Act. They sent letters to their local elected officials and lobbied for the council to pass the resolution. During council hearings, several activists who were family members of FDNY and NYPD officers who died on 9/11 testified in support of the resolution.
Finally, after weeks of letter writing and lobbying, the resolution passed by voice-vote with overwhelming support. While 34 members of the council were co-sponsors, of particular note is Council Member Alan Gerson (D-Manhattan), whose district includes the site of the World Trade Center. More than 90 organizations had endorsed the resolution, including the NAACP, the New York Public Library Guild and American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee.
This resolution couldn't have passed without the hard work and dedication of individual activists. Not only did they take part in demonstrations and public forums, these concerned individuals took the time to write, call and lobby their local representatives and by doing so created a groundswell of support for the resolution that ensured its passage.
""The resolution affirms New York City's respect for civil liberties and civil rights,"" said Deputy Majority Leader Perkins, the resolution's primary sponsor. ""Even as we continue to cope with the tragedy of 9/11, we as New Yorkers and as Americans must not surrender the basic constitutional protections that we hold dear.""