|
Sept 24 2003
DEADLINE FOR THE "PATRIOT ACT"
Congressman Dennis Kucinich continued his leadership today
on Capitol Hill today by introducing the first comprehensive
bill to repeal offensive sections of the misnamed "USA PATRIOT
Act." The Kucinich bill -- called the "Benjamin Franklin True
Patriot Act" -- is already supported by the ACLU, NAACP, a
Jewish group, an Islamic group, and 20 members of Congress.
Kucinich's bill would repeal sections of the original "PATRIOT
Act," that authorize 'sneak and peak' searches; warrantless
library, medical, educational, and financial record searches;
and the detention and deportation of non-citizens without
meaningful judicial review. Passage would be the final deadline
-- or death -- for the "PATRIOT Act."
Rep. Kucinich is the only presidential candidate who voted
against the "PATRIOT Act" in October, 2001. The other Democrats
in Congress currently running for president all voted for it --
and Howard Dean has said, "I never criticize them for that" in
view of the post-9/11 pressure. Congressman Kucinich stood up
to the pressure then...and now.
At a news conference today, Kucinich invoked the words of Ben
Franklin, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase
a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Kucinich added: "Will we stand by as the Administration formulates
a second more dangerous "PATRIOT Act" because, in the President's
words, 'the first bill didn't go far enough'? Or will we step
back from this atmosphere of fear and work to restore our basic
freedoms and rights? With the introduction of the True Patriot
Act, I say we take back our Constitution."
|
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
