RESOLUTION CONCERNING CIVIL LIBERTIES IN MANSFIELD
The Mansfield Town Council is concerned by the erosion and violation of the rights and liberties of citizens and legal non-citizen residents of the Town of Mansfield, rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America, and by the Declaration Rights of the constitution of the State of Connecticut.
The Mansfield Town Council notes with growing concern that such erosion and violation is taking place under certain provisions of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, the Homeland Security Act and other actions of the Federal Government of recent years and through certain administrative actions of the U.S. Department of Justice. In particular, the detention of persons without the bringing of legal charges; denial of detained persons' right to counsel; expansion of authority to conduct unregulated electronic surveillance of lawful activities; limiting access to public documents; expanded information gathering about persons without any demonstrated evidence of criminal behavior and without court order; the threat of secret military tribunals; the unregulated ethnic profiling of individuals; and the threatening public statements by the U.S. Attorney General regarding legal public opposition to these policies.
The Mansfield Town Council now therefore resolves that:
1. Officials of the Town of Mansfield are hereby urged, to the extent legally permissible, not to cooperate or participate in actions which appear to violate constitutionally-guaranteed civil liberties.
2. The Council shall urge other municipalities and the State of Connecticut similarly to prohibit government actions within their control from violating such civil liberties.
3. The Council's concerns shall be communicated to state and federal representatives who shall be urged to work toward repeal of the unconstitutional provisions of the U.S.A. Patriot Act and the Homeland Security Act.
This resolution was unanimously approved on January 13, 2003