Austin anti-PATRIOT Act resolution - WE WON!!!

[VelmaD]

Yuppers. Just got back from the Austin City Council meeting and my fair city has joined the hundreds of others to pass resolutions oposing the PATRIOT Act. WOOHOO!!!

Granted, it was not a resounding victory. 4 in favor, 0 opposed, and 3 abstentions (including our mayor who once again proved he is unwilling to publicly express an opinion on any issue more controversial than what to have for lunch). But it was a victory nonetheless.

And my affection for my fellow citizens has certainly been renewed. Talk about a cross-section of political thought there in oposition. There were MIHOPers, LIHOPers, wing-nuts, people babbling incoherently, *gasp* moderate republicans, kids, old folks, people who set their testimony to music, and lots and lots of Austin's trademark loony lefties. It was beautiful to behold.

Just wanted to share the good news.
Darth Velma

[JohnKleeb]

1. Congradulations!!!!!!!!

:toast: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :bounce:
LIBERATION is almost near :)

[Dufaeth]

2. Yay!!!

Way to go!

[Bozita]

3. Austin, the most civilized city in Texas. Showing guts.

bless 'em.

[Pastiche423]

4. CONGRATULATIONS!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

We are working on making our entire state anti-Patriot Act!

[Carmerian]

5. As an Austin resident...

...I have to say that this is great!

BTW, who else abstained?

[el_gato]

9. abstainers

Dunkerly, McKracken, Wynn

they were real chickenshits who took the cop out position
of saying it's a federal thing nevermined that enforcing
the pat act costs local money.

[lostnfound]

6. Way to go! You make Texas proud!

No you don't -- because Texas is a backwards Repub state. But you make this Texas-import awed. Bush's backyard surprise -- yes!!!

[morningglory]

7. I long for the day Florida will make me proud. nt

[Bozita]

8. It's coming. ... ... in early November ... ... next year.

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Chicago Is Considering The Rejection Too

In today's Chicago Tribune. (I get the print edition, so i don't have the link to the story.)
The Professor

[JohnOneillsMemory]

11. Congratulations. Y'all rock!

[Sephirstein]

12. Nice recovery...

Now make sure the fuckwad in the State Senate who abandoned the Texas Patriots and got quorum established to pass redistricting gets his ass kicked come primary time!

[WilliamPitt]

13. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

:toast:

[maxanne]

14. way to go Austin!!

thanks for posting this, Velma. I needed some good news. :thumbsup:

:kick:

[sonias]

15. Victory is sweet!

I really want to send out a big thanks to the Austin Bill of Rights Defense Committee who worked on this issue for over a year. They did great work. Like one of our councilmembers Danny Thomas said this vote should be 7-0. We know this is wrong and we have to stop this for our kids and grand kids. Note that councilmember Thomas was a police officer before he was elected to the council. The three weasel abstentions probably still think the patriot act doesn't apply to them. Three upper middle class white citizens who I'm sure have never been to a protest and probably don't get any books from the public library. These people will never take a stand to take this country back. The saddest thing is that at least two of them are Democrats (Brewster and Betty), they're just the spineless kind.

There were many good stories in the public discussion, but one of my favorites has to be the guy from the Republican Liberty Caucus of Texas who said he wanted to add some levity to the proceedings. So he said pretend this is Christmas and I'm singing to my little daughter and I start "he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when your're awake" and his daughter says "Daddy this is Christmas, why are you singing about John Ashcroft?" He He He

Sonia

[HFishbine]

16. What did the Mayor have for lunch?

Ashcroft wants to know. Better hope it wasn't falafel.

[DemBones DemBones]

17. Did you hear about the anti-Patriot Act bill Kucinich introduced in

the House earlier in the week? CALL YOUR REP and ask him/ her to vote for this legislation! If we can get this through Congress, we won't have to do it city by city. (Good on Austin for doing it, though!)

The news media haven't shown any interest in reporting it but here's the press release:

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."

[rocktivity]

18. 4 in favor, 3 opposed is "not a resounding victory"

4 in favor, 0 opposed, and 3 wimping out is a landslide.

The names of the cowards who abstained should be publicized right along with everyone else's. I would honestly have more respect for them if they'd opposed, but no doubt they were too scared to go on record as being either forward or against it.

There's nothing in the middle of the road except a yellow stripe.

P.S. CONGRATS!!!!!!


rocknation