For Immediate Release: February 3, 2005
In a continuing series of victories for civil liberties, the City of Erie, PA City Council yesterday voted unanimously to pass a pro-civil liberties resolution drafted in response to concerns about the USA PATRIOT Act. The resolution expresses the City Council’s concern that the federal legislation “threatens civil rights and liberties” guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The non-binding resolution affirms that Erie will uphold the rights and freedoms of its over 103,000 residents against the sections of the USA PATRIOT Act and other acts and executive orders that infringe on their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Among the rights to be protected include freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy, as well as the rights to counsel and due process and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures. The resolution also requests specifically that local law enforcement and Federal and State law enforcement officials acting within the city …”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.”
The resolution goes on to request that the City’s U.S. Congressmen and Senators continue to “monitor” this legislation and “actively work for the repeal” of those parts of the law that infringe on civil liberties.
The resolution was introduced by Erie City Councilman Ian Murray and was seconded by Councilman James Casey. Casey commented to Council that the title of the Federal legislation was particularly misleading. His comments focused on how the acronym “USA PATRIOT ACT” falsely implied that the support of the legislation was a “patriotic act.” In fact, the title of the legislation is an acronym using the first letters of “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001."
Erie citizens addressed Council in support of the resolution. In commenting on the resolution’s success, Attorney Richard Ruth said, “We are gratified that City Council pulled together unanimously to affirm the privacy of the rights of all the citizens in the community and in sending a message that we can be both safe and free.”
David L. Martin, a member of the Board of Directors of the Northwest Pennsylvania chapter of the ACLU, thanked the Council for its consideration of the issues, and later remarked, “Council’s enactment of our resolution will be applauded by every patriotic citizen of the Erie region who cherishes our civil liberties.”
Other city residents provided support from the Council gallery. Many others supported the resolution by writing letters to the Council.
The resolution passed by unanimous consent of the seven members of the City Council.
In passing this resolution, the City of Erie joins more than 367 communities and four state legislatures around the country that have passed resolutions opposing portions of the Federal legislation.
The PATRIOT Act has been the focus of national debate since its passage with little Congressional debate just weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Americans across the political spectrum have questioned how many of their individual liberties must be relinquished in order to increase national security.
Some of the most troubling provisions of the PATRIOT Act are due to expire later in 2005. President Bush, in a Pennsylvania appearance last year, called for these sections to be made permanent. Today’s victory is a reminder that Americans are not willing to grant such powers to the federal government.
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