Town of Wendell, Massachusetts
Article 32: Voted in the affirmative, unanimously, to adopt a resolution to preserve the integrity of the Bill of Rights, which is threatened as never before.
Whereas, the Town of Wendell has a long history of cherishing civil rights and civil liberties;
Whereas, the Town of Wendell has with gratitude for their supreme sacrifice memorialized those in the Armed Forces who have died in battle protecting these same rights and liberties; and
Whereas, several acts and orders recently enacted at the Federal level, including sections of the USA Patriot Act and several Executive Orders, now threaten these fundamental rights and liberties:
Freedom of speech, assembly and privacy;
The rights to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and
Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures
All guaranteed by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights;
Therefore, we the people of Wendell, Massachusetts, do hereby request that"
1. Our United States Congressman and Senators monitor the implementation of the Act and Orders cited herein and actively work for the repeal of parts of that Act and those Orders that violate fundamental rights and liberties as stated in the Constitutions of the Commonwealth and the United States; and
2. Local law enforcement continue to preserve residents' freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy; rights to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures even if requested or authorized to infringe upon these rights by federal law enforcement acting under new powers granted by the USA PATRIOT Act or orders of the Executive Branch.