|
|
|
State News Release |
Home | Press | State Press |
| Wisconsin Green Party and Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Hold Bi-Partisan Press Conference on the Patriot Act Parties Passed Bi-Partisan Resolution Against Patriot Act. |
|
Wisconsin Green Party Contacts: The Wisconsin Green Party and the Wisconsin Libertarian Party will be holding a joint press conference concerning the Patriot Act at 1 PM on Saturday, May 1st, 2004, in front of the Oshkosh Public Library, located at 106 Washington Ave., OshKosh. In case of inclement weather, the press conference will be held in the meeting room inside the library. Both parties have passed the resolution against the Patriot Act, included below. The Wisconsin Greens oppose any attempt by the government to restrict individual freedom, unless a person's actions threaten the safety or welfare of others. The platform of the Green Party of the United States includes this phrase: "The Bill of Rights must remain a fundamental touchstone in defense of our civil rights. Bills that encroach upon civil liberties are of especial concern to the Green Party." George Martin, Wisconsin Green Party Co-spokesperson, and Ed Thompson, former Libertarian candidate for Wisconsin governor, will be present. Also present will be Wisconsin Green Party member Tony Palmeri, who has recently announced his candidacy for the Wisconsin Assembly District 54, and Roy Leyendecker, Libertarian Party of Wisconsin member, who will be running for Wisconsin's Second Senate District. JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE WISCONSIN GREEN PARTY AND THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN IN OPPOSITION TO THE USA PATRIOT ACT WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act was passed under intense pressure from Attorney General John Ashcroft, who gave members of Congress only three days to pass the Act without prior notification; WHEREAS most members of Congress didn't have the opportunity to read the USA Patriot Act in its entirety before voting to pass it; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act decreases the authority of the Privacy Act of 1974, thereby leaving the government free to search and seize private records without an explanation as to why they're being searched; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act broadened the definition of terrorism subjectively, targeting groups engaged in non-violent acts of civil disobedience (i.e. protests of the World Trade Organization, the Vieques bombings, or abortion laws), thereby undercutting the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech and assembly; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act expanded the power of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), granting government the authority to wiretap or search and seize without "probable cause," thereby voiding the Fourth Amendment rights of every U.S. Citizen; WHEREAS the USA patriot Act expanded "special registration" by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, including registration, testimony under oath, and fingerprinting of college students in the United States to pursue their educations; WHEREAS over 180 communities across the United States, including Madison, Wisconsin and Douglas County, Wisconsin, have passed resolutions denouncing the authority and validity of the USA Patriot Act; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act puts Wisconsin citizens at risk of having their due process rights stripped away unnecessarily; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act puts nonviolent Wisconsin citizens at risk of having their phone or Internet connections wiretapped unnecessarily; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act puts Wisconsin citizens at risk of having their records (school, medical, phone, library and Internet) seized by the government unnecessarily; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act puts nonviolent Wisconsin citizens at risk of having their homes searched unnecessarily; WHEREAS the USA Patriot Act's "patriotic" behavior codes (i.e. mandated recital of the Pledge of Allegiance or National Anthem in public schools, draft registration for higher educational employment) intimidate the Wisconsin citizens to be nationalistic through coercion; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin urge Wisconsin government bodies to: (1) Refrain from engaging in the surveillance of individuals or groups of individuals based on their participation in First Amendment protected activities; (2) Refrain, whether acting alone or with federal or state law enforcement officers, from collecting or maintaining information about the political, religious or social views, associations or activities of any individual or group unless such information directly relates to a criminal investigation; (3) Refrain from undertaking or participating in any initiative, such as the Terrorism Information and Prevention System (TIPS), that encourages members of the general public to spy on their neighbors, colleagues or customers; (4) Refrain from the practice of stopping drivers or pedestrians for the purpose of scrutinizing their identification documents without particularized suspicion of criminal activity; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin urge the government of the State of Wisconsin to request that the Director of the Library Commission notify and warn all library users that their personal library records may be obtained by the federal government under the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56); AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin call for the government of the state of Wisconsin to urge the State Attorney General to transmit to the Governor no less than once every six months a summary of information obtained pursuant to the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56), and based on such information any other relevant information, and assessment of the effect of federal anti-terrorism efforts on Wisconsin residents; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin urge U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold and Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation to monitor federal anti-terrorism tactics and work to repeal the provisions of the USA Patriot Act and other laws and regulations that infringe on civil rights and liberties of Wisconsin citizens; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Wisconsin Green Party and the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin urge the Attorney General transmit a copy of this resolution to Governor James Doyle and appropriate members of the State Legislature, accompanied by a letter asking them to ensure that state anti-terrorism laws and policies be implemented in a manner that does not infringe on civil rights and liberties; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution be disseminated widely across the state of Wisconsin and to others as appropriate.
|
|
State News Release |
Home | Press | State Press |
