Hoboken Bill of Rights Defense Committee
http://hobokenbordc.org
June 28, 2005 Contact:
Jill Johnson
444-444-4444
What: Civil Liberties Leadership Awards
Who: Mayor Bill Clark and City Councilor June Fordham
When: July 6, 2005
Where Freedom Plaza, Hoboken
Time 10 – 11 a.m.
Join the Hoboken Bill of Rights Defense Committee, as it salutes two local heroes in the first-ever awarding of the Civil Liberties Leadership Awards. The awards are part of the “Patriot Days of Action,” a week of Bill of Rights activities throughout the U.S., celebrating hundreds of grassroots resolutions opposing the USA PATRIOT Act and other post-9/11 anti-terrorism legislation and orders.
###
Hoboken Bill of Rights Defense Committee
http://hobokenbordc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [or date of release]
Contact: Jill Johnson
444-444-4444
Hoboken Civil Liberties Heroes Honored
Mayor Bill Clark and City Councilor June Fordham will receive Civil
Liberties Leadership Awards from the Hoboken Bill of Rights Defense
Committee (HBORDC) at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6 at the city’s
Freedom Plaza. They are the first recipients of the newly named awards.
" I have learned
what it means to be a patriot, by watching Mayor Clark and Councilor
Fordham in their efforts to protect our community from the excesses
of the federal government,” said Rhu Baraka of the HBORDC, referring
to Clark and Ford’s roles in passing Hoboken’s civil liberties
resolution in August 2004. “I remember learning about heroes
like Patrick Henry and Paul Revere in school,” said Baraka,
“but now I see living proof that such commitment to freedom
is still alive right here in my hometown.”
The Civil Liberties
Award Ceremony will kick off the HBORDC’s participation in “Patriot
Days of Action,” seven days of national grassroots attention
to Congress’ current debate about whether to allow several provisions
of the Patriot Act to sunset. More than 200 other communities are
participating in Patriot Days of Action, using parades, civil liberties
awards, public readings and speeches, and meetings with members of
Congress to show the importance of public involvement in the national
discussion. The HBORDC has scheduled meetings with each member of
the Congressional delegation, while members are back in their districts
for the Fourth of July holiday.
"The worst parts
of the Patriot Act are not scheduled to sunset this year. And the
Patriot Act isn’t even the worst of legislation and orders passed
since September 11,” said Baraka. But she continued, “by
honoring Mayor Clark and Councilor Fordham with these civil liberties
awards and by meeting with our Congressional delegation this week,
we hope to show our elected officials that we, the people want an
open and transparent process. The Patriot Act wasn’t passed
openly. There were no public hearings. This year it will be different.
We’ll show them that real American patriots don’t want
the so-called Patriot Act.”
Nearly 400 cities,
counties and states, representing 61 million people have passed resolutions
similar to Hoboken’s opposing post-9/11 infringements to the
Bill of Rights.
###
News Release Guidelines
- News release should have a 1 inch margin,
- News release should be no longer than one page in 12-point type (Arial or Times New Roman are basic choices),
- Use “###” or “END”centered at the bottom of the page – signifying the end of the news release.
- Don’t forget to include the basics: who, what, when, where, and why. Make sure the day and date match (a common error to put Sunday the 3rd, when Saturday is actually the 3rd).
- Include name and contact number of at least one person (not more than three) who can speak to the issue, and will be available for an interview at another time, should the media outlet not be able to make it to your news conference.
- Make sure each of the contact persons is an able spokesperson, or can quickly contact an able spokesperson. Phone number included should not be a message phone, but one at which a spokesperson will be reachable during normal hours.