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ACLU Chapters Spearhead Coalitions in Support of Community Resolutions that Safeguard Freedoms
September 2003 Edition of the ACLU of Florida Newsletter
Lindsey Siegel
Contributing Writer
ACLU of Florida's local chapters are hard at work lobbying for resolutions that oppose the USA PATRIOT Act, a federal law that was passed just weeks after the tragic events of September 11th and dramatically increases the power of the Executive Branch. Volunteers are organizing town hall meetings, building diverse coalitions and educating communities about these unconstitutional measures.
The USA PATRIOT Act, which can subject ordinary people to surveillance under the pretext of added security, ignores constitutional rights and disregards the checks and balances that the U.S. legal system strives to uphold. It gives the government the power to search library and medical records, spy on ordinary Americans, and search properties without warrants ? all without notifying individuals or obtaining consent.
Across the country, hundreds of communities are passing resolutions that oppose the government's ability to trample on civil liberties. Hawaii, Vermont and Alaska have passed statewide resolutions. By taking such actions, activists in these areas have not only reinforced their commitment to the protection of privacy and personal liberties, but have also encouraged people in other states and communities to strive for the same.
With the help of the Broward ACLU, Broward County became the 100th community in the country to pass a resolution opposing the PATRIOT Act. Other chapters are not far behind. The Panhandle and Palm Beach chapters are in the process of organizing town hall meetings. The Treasure Coast Chapter has contacted local coalition partners and also sent out postcards to existing members that asked for community support for a resolution. The Sarasota Chapter has also done extensive work with coalition building. They've held a recent public information workshop and drafted a resolution to present to the Sarasota City Commission.
Many chapters have admitted that one of their most challenging, but successful, actions was building local coalitions prior to town hall meetings. "Coalition building and reaching out to the right-wing are crucial," said Panhandle Chapter Chair Susan Watson. "Activists should reach out to strange bedfellows and then work together to look for common ground. Don't hesitate to work on developing a large coalition."
Jennifer Van Bergen, vice president of the Broward Chapter, explains that an initial coalition meeting was essential to getting the process started in Broward. Once a group was formed, they broke up into groups of two to three people, gathered educational materials, made appointments with commissioners and talked about their concerns.
The Palm Beach Chapter is also in the process of organizing a town hall meeting and building a coalition. "We need to get petitions out and this takes a lot of support," said Palm Beach Chapter Chair Ruth Gottlieb. "It's a unified effort."
Although many ACLU chapters in Florida are only in the initial steps of getting local governments to pass resolutions that oppose the PATRIOT Act, there has been a domino effect, not only statewide, but across the country.
"Building this groundswell should raise the eyebrows of state legislators," said Cheryl Roberts, the ACLU of Florida's Field Coordinator. "After September 11th, Congress was able to pass bills without public awareness, but the general public is worried about the implications of these bills and the encroachment on civil liberties. There has been a public outcry. It is important to understand that there is a way to keep the country safe without tampering with the rights that we've always enjoyed."
