EDITOR: I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting Aug. 19 to
advocate for an anti-Patriot Act resolution before the Santa Clara
County Board of Supervisors.
EDITOR:
I attended the Board of Supervisors meeting Aug. 19 to advocate for an anti-Patriot Act resolution before the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
Most of us are unaware of the implications of the Patriot Act that was passed immediately after 9/11 with only one dessenting voice, that of Sen. Feingold of Wisconsin.
The Patriot Act combines the considerable powers of the FBI, the CIA and the NSA to spy on and monitor the movements of Americans citizens, legal immigrants and other residents of this country. It allows these agencies to conduct Secret Searches of Web sites, phone records, library and school records, church attendance and charitable contributions. This means no search warrants necessary.
The only justification needed is that someone, somewhere is suspected of somehow being associated with a person or persons that may be connected to a “terrorist” organization. Under this bill that was passed by Congress, 1,200 people have been incarcerated incommunicado (no access to their families or legal counsel) up to a year without any formal charges.
Many hundreds have been deported without any formal charges or access to appeal. Recently a blind Palestinian immigrant was deported without the knowledge of his family. He has lived in this country for 27 years and has raised his children here.
The American Bar Association, the Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild have all declared the Patriot Act unconstitutional. For all these reasons and to protect all our residents of Santa Clara County, the Board of Supervisors listened to the will of the people and passed the resolution with one dissenting vote. That vote was from Supervisor Don Gage. He stated that he believed the police (I assume he meant federal and state and local) were there to protect the interests of Americans and he believed that what they decided was right for Americans.
I respectfully beg to differ with you, Mr. Gage. In my opinion, unquestioning obedience to authority, and an attitude of “my country right or wrong,” leads not to democracy but to totalitarianism. It appears from the number of people at the Board meeting and the decision of the other supervisors, that they agree.
Natasha Wist, Morgan Hill
