Community Resolution for Windham, CT

Approved by: Windham Board of Selectmen

WHEREAS, The Town of Windham is committed to protect the civil rights and liberties of its residents: and

WHEREAS, The preservation of civil rights and liberties is essential to the well-being of a democratic society; and

WHEREAS, The Town of Windham has a diverse population, including immigrants and students, whose contributions to the community are vital to its economy, culture and civic character; and

WHEREAS, Federal, State and local Governments should protect the public from attacks such as those that occurred on September 11,2001, but should do so ensuring that any new security measure enhances public safety without impairing constitutional rights or infringing on civil liberties; and

WHEREAS, The Board of Selectmen supports the premise that there is no inherent conflict between National security and the preservation of liberty; and

WHEREAS, Some policies adopted under the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) and related executive orders, regulations and actions that raise concerns over loss of fundamental rights and liberties; and

WHEREAS, New legislation has been drafted by the Bush Administration entitled Domestic Security Enhancement Act (DSEA) (also known as Patriot II) which contains a multitude of new and sweeping law enforcement and intelligence gathering powers, many of which are not related to terrorism, that would severely dilute, and could undermine, many basic constitutional rights, as well as disturb our unique system of checks and balances; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, That the First Selectman and the Windham Board of Selectmen:

1. Affirms their strong support for the fundamental constitutional rights and its opposition to Federal measures that infringe on civil liberties; and

2. Strongly supports the rights of immigrants and opposes measures that single out individuals for legal scrutiny or enforcement activity based on their Country of origin; and

3. Calls upon the law enforcement officials working within the Town of Windham to continue to preserve resident's freedom of speech, assembly, religion; privacy; rights to counsel and due process in judicial proceedings; and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures; and to not engage in nor permit detentions without charges or racial profiling in law enforcement; and

4. Affirms the privacy rights of intellectual freedom of it's residents and supports librarians, booksellers and other communications dealers in protecting those rights; and

5. Directs the Town Clerk to transmit a copy of this resolution to our United States Senate and Congressional representatives, Governor Jody Rell, President George W. Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft.