Patriot Act defiance

Anchorage Daily News

(Published: July 15, 2003)
The Anchorage Assembly could join Fairbanks, the Legislature and other Alaska cities in standing against the USA Patriot Act, which grants federal authorities broad snooping and surveillance powers.

Assemblyman Allan Tesche's resolution, to be considered at tonight's meeting, asks Anchorage police and other city agencies to refuse to help federal agents acting under the Patriot Act in ways that violate "the rights and liberties guaranteed equally under the state and federal constitutions." Assembly members Janice Shamberg, Melinda Taylor, Doug Van Etten, Fay Von Gemmingen and Brian Whittle are co-sponsors.
"Ultimately, Anchorage is a progressive city and a city that respects individual rights and liberties," said Tesche, who represents downtown. "Anchorage also is very much behind the country's war on terrorism, but this has to be and should be accomplished consistent with our Constitution."

Congress passed the Patriot Act during the emotionally charged aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. The law lowers the legal standards federal agents must meet to secure wiretaps or search homes and grants them broader access to personal medical, financial and school records, library records and bookstore purchases.

More than 150 state and local governments have adopted resolutions criticizing the act.

In May, Alaska's Republican-dominated Legislature overwhelmingly voted to oppose the act. That resolution said local and state law enforcement officials should refuse to help federal agents conducting surveillance and other activities authorized by the Patriot Act. The measure passed the state Senate 19-0 and the state House 32-1.
laska joined state legislatures in Hawaii and Vermont this year in opposing or questioning provisions of the act.
Alaska lawmakers "understood it's not just a liberal (thing); it concerns everybody," said June Pinnell-Stephens, collection services manager at Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library. "They were able to put aside traditional partisan differences and join together to fight something that's going to affect everybody."

Local governments in that borough, the city and borough of Juneau, Kenai, North Pole, Skagway and Gustavus have adopted similar resolutions.
It's time Anchorage weighed in, Tesche said.
The Patriot Act could require local police officers to initiate or help with inquiries, investigations, surveillance or detention actions and immigration investigations, Tesche said.
Immigration matters are the federal government's responsibility, he said. City police don't have the time, resources or training to enforce federal laws, he said.
Also, Tesche questioned the Patriot Act's relaxation of privacy rights related to searches and seizures of materials -- from medical records to someone's personal reading list.
But Assembly Chairman Dick Traini on Monday said he won't vote for the resolution as it's written, because it would prevent Anchorage officers from enforcing immigration laws.
"In this day and age, we need to enforce the laws of the land, and that includes immigration laws," Traini said.
Tesche said his resolution shouldn't be interpreted that way.
"If police officers see a situation that very clearly involves illegal immigrants and some danger to them, does that mean they turn a blind eye to them?" Tesche asked.
If a cop found a van full of illegal immigrants down at the port, no one would expect the officer to just walk away, and the resolution wouldn't encourage that, Tesche said.
He said he'll entertain amendments to his resolution if Traini or other members wish. He said he's optimistic it will pass.
"I think we have waited long enough," Tesche said. "A lot of us on both sides of the political outlet say the same thing about the continual erosion of individual liberties in this country. It's something we have to watch at the federal level and the state level and the local level."

Assembly OKs Patriot protest
RESOLUTION: City agencies won't have to help violate rights, liberties.

Anchorage Daily News

(Published: July 16, 2003)
Anchorage's governing body on Tuesday joined the state and other Alaska communities in formally protesting the USA Patriot Act, a potent, wide-ranging law that grants federal authorities new powers to peer into people's personal lives.

Tesche's resolution requests that Anchorage police and other city agencies refuse to help federal agents acting under the Patriot Act in ways that violate "the rights and liberties guaranteed equally under the state and federal constitutions." The act could demand that local police initiate or help with immigration investigations and surveillance, which Anchorage police aren't trained for and don't have time for, Tesche said.

Congress passed the controversial act during the emotional aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001. The law lowers legal standards that federal agents must meet to secure wiretaps or search homes and grants them broader access to personal medical, financial and school records, library records and bookstore purchases.
Nationwide, more than 150 state and local governments have adopted resolutions criticizing the act. Alaska governments in Fairbanks, the city and borough of Juneau, Kenai, North Pole, Skagway and Gustavus have questioned the law. In May, Alaska's Republican-dominated Legislature voted nearly unanimously to oppose it.

"The problem I have with this resolution is, it basically instructs our local law enforcement agencies not to follow the law," said Sullivan, who represents West Anchorage. "I think this goes too far."
Tim Burgess, U.S. Attorney for Alaska, told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner this spring that criticisms of the act have been overstated. He also said he had no problem with Fairbanks approving its ordinance, which essentially said the government should not combat terrorism at the expense of civil liberties.
At Tuesday's meeting, Sullivan tried to amend Tesche's resolution by removing all directives to local authorities to ignore the Patriot Act's demands.
"It takes the entire meaning of the resolution right out of the document," said Doug Van Etten, a co-sponsor, criticizing Sullivan's amendment. The amendment failed 6-3, with Sullivan, Traini and Kendall supporting it.
An amendment from Tesche did pass that clarified part of the resolution to explain that local police involvement in federal matters was supported when "necessary to protect the safety of people."
"While we discourage the use of local law enforcement resources for the enforcement of federal law enforcement," Tesche said, "we would not make that go so far as to endanger lives of people."

The patriot act is something very much concerning America and despite popular belief the US is not the centre of the world. I am struggling to see dissent over the patriot act as earth shaking in Iceland, Italy or Australia for example. However it may be that I have misunderstood the nature of the Patriot act and any global ramifications it may have. So if someone can explain why this is a World Event Of Major Importance I`ll be more than happy to leave it.

The patriot act, and it's follow on being deliberated on currently I believe, are the beginning of not just the surveillance society, but the creation of a full blown police state here in the US. That's why it is causing dissent world wide. They have a view from the outside of the leader of the free world slowly abandoning the free world all together.

It's not everyday a federal act causes over 150 local, county, and state gov. to pass resolutions to oppose it, while undoubtedly being threatened with budget cuts, as well as protests nation wide. It's only named the Patriot Act so that anyone opposing it can be made to seem unpatriotic. It allows the gov. to spy on or even arrest someone w/o a warrant or probable cause on the suspicion that they're terrorist. The gov. can deem anyone who commits a crime a terrorist or "enemy combatant".

The follow on is even worse. From what I understand and have heard it allows the gov. to put any "enemy combatant" in front of a military tribunal and maybe even execute them. It also allows for US troops to be used here in the states as policemen. These past few things I mentioned constitute numerous violations of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Cassini

US to me is a place of past and potential future residence.

Also, its style of government under the Bush administration is influential on its so-called partners in the 'Coalition of the willing', and there is no doubt in my mind that such tools of 'anti-terrorism' legislation as the Patriot Act will filter through to the domestic security policies of other sovereign nations.

I would be puzzled if it isn't happening in the UK. Certainly, the Police State is growing in Oz.

Originally posted by cassini
The patriot act is something very much concerning America and despite popular belief the US is not the centre of the world. I am struggling to see dissent over the patriot act as earth shaking in Iceland, Italy or Australia for example. However it may be that I have misunderstood the nature of the Patriot act and any global ramifications it may have. So if someone can explain why this is a World Event Of Major Importance I`ll be more than happy to leave it.

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www.abovetopsecret.com...
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Well Sir

Your sarcasam is well noted.
Here is a little of my own.
When America sneezes the world catches a cold!
And speaking for my three dead uncles the next time some Hitler comes dropping crap on your Island don't call their nephew.

TUT

"Your sarcasam is well noted"

And your is misplaced and your comments not needed. I live in the UK and have no understanding of the patriot act and how it may affect anything. I was simply asking for a cogent response from a member of the board as to why it was of major world importance. I was not attacking the US.

Originally posted by cassini
despite popular belief the US is not the centre of the world. I am struggling to see dissent over the patriot act as earth shaking in Iceland, Italy or Australia for example.

So if someone can explain why this is a World Event Of Major Importance I`ll be more than happy to leave it.

posted on 07/24/2003 at 01:08 AM

"Your sarcasam is well noted"

And your is misplaced and your comments not needed. I live in the UK and have no understanding of the patriot act and how it may affect anything. I was simply asking for a cogent response from a member of the board as to why it was of major world importance. I was not attacking the US.
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I suppose we could go on and on about whats misplaced and what is not. But no,I don't wanna do that!

Well well well where to begin? Got it!

In the late 30's of the last century a little turd much like our Shrub was thrust into power by a bunch of scheming power brokers. And no one payed much attention. Some nations thought it a good investment, so they did invest.
Before anyone realized it, I mean in a couple of years this little weasel conquered half of Europe. And then the reaction came but it was too late. And the Islanders could not pull out of Dunkirk fast enough. Then came the bombs to London. Then with the assistance of the Americans the little bugger with the mustache [why do they always have mustaches?] was removed from power.
So Mr. Cassini do you now see the parallels ad why there are many of us here under the gun that do not want history to repeat.
Especially by our nation, the similarities are awesome, as if someone has been studying 'Mien Kampf'
This is why some of us feel it is of worldly importance.
I hope you understand our point of view Mr Cassini

Goodnight Sir

Rather than start a new thread, this really fell under the same title "Patriot Act defiance' so I am posting it here.

DETROIT - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court against parts of the USA Patriot Act that let authorities monitor books people read and conduct secret searches.
"Ordinary Americans should not have to worry that the FBI is rifling through their medical records, seizing their personal papers, or forcing charities and advocacy groups to divulge membership lists", said ACLU lawyer Ann Beenson.

The full story here