Together with the Los Altos Regional Libraries and the Los Altos-Mountain View League of Women Voters, Los Altos Voices for Peace (LAVP) organized a public forum December 4, 2003 on the extensive legislative package known as the USA PATRIOT Act. The Act was adopted with little discussion and short notice two years ago, and the scope of the powers it grants the government and takes away from civil liberties was not immediately recognized. This year, a long list of states, cities, and organizations have expressed their opposition to key elements of the Act, in many cases asking their peace officers not to participate in unconstitutional activities when asked to do so by federal agencies.
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About 200 people came together to listen to lucid and moving analysis of the Act and its consequences for people in this country and in our community. Many in the audience expressed their concern about the Act through questions to the panel. Read more about the forum here. |
The three sponsors of the forum will work together to inform the community of the dangers posed by the PATRIOT Act and to unite it in defense of our civil liberties.
The following Web sites contain extensive information about the USA PATRIOT Act and what is being done to counteract its negative effects on civil liberties:
Bill of Rights Defense Committee
American Civil Liberties Union
Silicon Valley for Civil Rights
American Library Association
Center for Democracy and Technology
National League of Cities
Suggested reading:
1. First an item by item review
of what's wrong with the PATRIOT Act and how to fix it
2. Then a look at
how the Act affects a city like ours
3. And an overview of what people are
doing about this in other parts of the county, the state, and the country