In hundreds of communities across the country, concerned residents are taking a stand to prevent the erosion of their freedoms under the PATRIOT Act. Local resolutions, such as one passed in Sitka Alaska, have called attention to this issue and Congress is taking notice.
To learn more about the PATRIOT Act, visit aclu.org/patriot
The PATRIOT Act was passed 45 days after the terrorists 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.
Responding to this attack on our cherished freedoms, residents in Sitka, Alaska decided to take action to protect their rights. A group of committed ACLU activists embarked on a public education campaign and lobbied the town council to oppose the new, unnecessary police powers granted under the PATRIOT Act.
Finally, in September of 2003, the town council to pass a city resolution opposing the PATRIOT Act's unnecessary expansion of government power and supporting the legislation to fix it. This resolution sent an important message: Sitka was not going to allow their rights to be jeopardized.
This message resonated in Washington and Alaska Senator Ted Stevens took interest in the issue. Later, when ACLU met with Stevens' staff, the first thing the Senator's staffers wanted to talk about was the Sitka resolution. Why were the staffers so concerned? The outpouring of feedback from Alaska residents told Senator Stevens that his constituents cared about this issue -- he wanted to know what he could do to address their concerns.
Sitka is not an isolated incident of local communities having a strong impact on federal legislation. More than 300 communities across the country have raised their voices to keep America safe and free from the Patriot Act's assault on civil rights. Numerous Members of Congress have taken notice and in the coming weeks there will be a strong movement to pass legislation that would help fix the PATRIOT Act and ensure proper checks and balances of government powers.
You can help - find out more about the resolution campaign in your community: /node/22776