Resolution to Petition for Revisions to the USA PATRIOT Act to Protect the Civil Liberties of the Residents of Raleigh, North Carolina

To:  Raleigh City Council

We, the undersigned, hereby declare

THAT THE USA PATRIOT ACT CONSTITUTES AN ASSAULT WITH FEW PRECEDENTS ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND THE DECLARATION OF RIGHTS IN THE NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION BY VIRTUALLY ELIMINATING THE SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT TRADITIONALLY SAFEGUARDS CIVIL LIBERTIES, GIVING THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT UNPRECEDENTED AND LARGELY UNCHECKED POWERS. THE ACT

Permits the government to investigate American citizens for criminal matters without probable cause of a crime if they say it's for intelligence purposes;

Inhibits constitutionally protected speech through vague and overly broad definitions of "terrorism" and creates a new crime of “domestic terrorism,” the interpretation of which resides exclusively in the hands of the Attorney General and the President.

Grants the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) the authority to detain immigrants suspected of terrorism for lengthy, and in some cases indefinite, periods of time.

Virtually eliminates judicial supervision of telephone and Internet surveillance.

Authorizes federal agents to conduct "sneak and peek searches," or covert searches of a person's home or office that are conducted without notifying the person of the execution of the search warrant until after the search has been completed.

Grants the government broad access to individual medical, financial, employment, and educational records without having to show evidence of a crime and without a court order.

Permits the government to track individual book borrowing in libraries and book purchases and video rentals in stores and makes it a crime for librarians and vendors to reveal their knowledge of such tracking.

FOR THESE REASONS THE PETITIONERS, ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, DEMAND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL OF RALEIGH

Declare and affirms that the USA PATRIOT Act, and a number of recent federal Executive Orders contain provisions which taken together, constitute an assault with few historic precedents upon the civil liberties and human rights established for the people of the United States of America;

Maintain that its officials and employees must hold the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, as the ultimate legal authority whenever its provisions conflict with those of the USA PATRIOT Act, or federal Executive Orders, thereby upholding all constitutional rights, including due process, equal protection of the laws, and the freedoms of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy of all Raleigh residents;

Maintain that, to the extent legally possible, no City law enforcement or City employee or department shall officially assist or voluntarily cooperate with investigations, interrogations, or arrests that are judged to be in violation of an individual’s civil rights or liberties as specified in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, or the North Carolina Constitution;

Urge Congress and appropriate officials in the federal government to revise those portions of the USA PATRIOT Act, and related executive and military orders and directives that erode our civil liberties;

Urge the Governor of North Carolina and the General Assembly to carefully review and evaluate the USA PATRIOT Act in light of infringements of the rights and liberties of North Carolina citizens and non-citizens;

Request the Mayor to transmit a copy of this Resolution, upon adoption, to the Governor, Attorney General, and General Assembly of North Carolina, all members of Congress representing the residents of Raleigh and North Carolina, and the President and Attorney General of the United States.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Resolution to Petition for Revisions to the USA PATRIOT Act to Protect the Civil Liberties of the Residents of Raleigh, North Carolina Petition to Raleigh City Council was created by Wake County ACLU and the Raleigh USA PATRIOT Act Resolution Coalition and written by Christian Stalberg.  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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