Lincoln rallies against the Patriot Act

[DeaconBlues]

An e-mail I received regarding a rally, etc., to fight the Patriot Act, just in case anyone is interested in attending:


Thanks so much for being one of over 2300 members of the Lincoln community to sign the "Keep Lincoln Safe and Free" petition. The Lincoln Bill of Rights Defense Coalition will be presenting these petitions to the City Council asking it to support the Defense of Liberty resolution. With the adoption of that resolution our city will join over 330 others which have called for changes to the parts of the Patriot Act that undermine a free and open society.



Would you consider doing two additional things?:



Could you contact the City Council at 441-7515 to express your concerns about the Patriot Act and ask the Council to adopt the Defense of Liberty resolution?



And can you come to two upcoming events?



From 4 - 6 p.m. on July 22nd, the Nebraska Bookstore at 1300 Q Street will sponsor a short program and book signing by Raneta Lawson Mack and Michael Kelly. These two Creighton University law professors are the authors of "Equal Justice in the Balance”. This book is a powerful critique of the impact the conduct of the war on terrorism has had on civil liberties in the U.S.



Later on July 22nd, at 7 p.m. at the Malone Center at 2032 U Street, there will be a public rally to support passage by the Lincoln City Council of the Defense of Liberty resolution. With this resolution Lincoln will join over 330 other U.S. communities calling for changes to those parts of the Act that undermine a free and open society. More than 2300 members of the Lincoln community have signed the Lincoln Bill of Rights Defense Coalition’s petition supporting this effort.





The rally will reflect the opposition among broad sections of our community to the erosion of civil liberties with the adoption of the Patriot Act and other government actions since September 11, 2001. Speakers will include:



Jassim Al-Idani – You might have read recently in the news about how this Lincoln resident from Iraq was a victim of racial profiling, like many immigrants in our country from the Middle East. He’ll tell the story of how on a family visit to the Omaha zoo he was held unjustly by the police for two hours.



Lela Shanks – This respected community leader will describe the harassment her family faced at the hands of the FBI for their leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.



Marty Ramirez – Marty is a community activist who received the Purple Heart while serving in Vietnam. He will focus on the impact on Latino immigrants.



Laurie Lee – This UNL professor will offer a perspective as an authority on the Patriot Act and a leader of the Academic Freedom Coalition of Nebraska.



Brian Terrell – Brian’s from the Catholic Peace Ministry in Des Moines. He’ll describe how earlier this year he, along with three other Iowa peace activists, were served subpoenas by a federal grand jury looking into the legal, peaceful activities of a local antiwar group. He'll inspire us with the power of our organized strength by describing how the public outcry to this intimidation forced the feds to withdraw the subpoenas.



Brenda Ealey – Speaking for the Southeast Library System Board of Directors, she’ll voice the passionate opposition among librarians to the impact the Patriot Act has on the free exchange of ideas that’s so essential to a democracy.



Raneta Lawson Mack – The co-author of “Equal Justice in the Balance” is especially concerned about the impact the conduct of the war on terrorism has had on our right to fair and equal treatment and to due process.



Rally participants will also hear from a member of the local VFW chapter and a Steelworkers Union COPE committee representative.



The Lincoln Bill of Rights Defense Coalition is a non-partisan, ad hoc group of Lincoln citizens whose goal is to educate the community about the erosion of civil liberties that are contained in the USA PATRIOT Act and to urge passage of the Defense of Liberty resolution. Since its formation last August, the Lincoln BORDC has spoken about the Patriot Act to over 60 community organizations including neighborhood groups, schools, civic clubs and religious forums.



For answers to your questions on either of these events, contact Mark Weddleton at [e-mail] or [phone]. Learn more about the Patriot Act and the national grassroots campaign against it at www.bordc.org and www.safeandfree.org. For more information on “Equal Justice in the Balance”, go to: www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=17558.



Sincerely,

Mark Weddleton for the Lincoln Bill of Rights Defense Coalition

[NEDem]

1. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DeaconBlues]

2. Defense of Liberty Resolution prevails in the city of Lincoln!

but, of course, it was only supported by the members of one party. Care to guess which one?


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=164&topic_id=82&mesg_id=104


Council opposes parts of Patriot Act
BY NATE JENKINS / Lincoln Journal Star

The Lincoln City Council on Monday joined nearly 350 other local governments across the country in opposing portions of the Patriot Act, and by the slimmest of margins.

On a 4-3, party-line vote, the council approved the Defense of Liberty Resolution that urges federal officials, among other things, "to change those sections of the USA Patriot Act that unduly infringe upon fundamental rights and liberties as recognized in the United States Constitution."

Council members voted after taking public testimony and asking questions for approximately five hours. Among the people who testified were Michael Heavican, U.S. attorney for Nebraska, and former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, a Republican from Georgia who now works as a consultant for the American Civil Liberties Union... (more)