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Preambular
Clauses
Operative
Clauses
Other Resources
Liberty,
Faith, and Democracy |
Liberty is at the core of
our faith. |
| Civil liberties are at the heart of our American experiment
in democracy. |
| Our faith-based principles are grounded in freedom, reason,
and tolerance. |
| The ultimate test of democracy is the will to protect the rights
of whomever we deem “the other.” It is what matters
most in a nation struggling to realize the promise of liberty
and justice for all. It is a matter of conscience and faith. |
| We are motivated to call for these actions by our commitment
to uphold the fundamental human rights of all individuals regardless
of their citizenship, religion, ethnicity or place of national
origin. |
| We believe that we are still a nation based on laws and that
a threat to any one person's Constitutional rights is a threat
to the rights of us all. |
Constitutional
Issues |
Those civil liberties guaranteed
by the Bill of Rights, Amendments I through X to the Constitution
of the United States of America, are as fundamental to our practice
of democracy as freedom of conscience is to our actions of faith. |
| Civil liberties carry a history of conflict and struggle between
rights for all and privilege for some, between individual liberty
and general security, between personal need and the common good,
between the aspiration to reason and tolerance and the inclination
to scapegoat and punish. |
| We are concerned that actions of the attorney General of the
United States and the U.S. Justice Department since the September
11, 200 1, terrorist attacks pose significant threats to Constitutional
protections in the name of fighting terrorism. Such undermining
of basic civil rights and liberties runs the serious risk of destroying
freedom in order to save it. |
USA PATRIOT
Act Issues |
This religious
organization, being a diverse religious community with the shared
values of justice, acceptance and compassion, hereby declares
its opposition to the sections* of the USA PATRIOT Act and the
Executive Branch Actions which threaten our fundamental rights
and liberties of:
- Freedom of speech, religion, assembly and
privacy;
- The rights to counsel and due process in
judicial proceedings; and
- Protection from unreasonable searches and
seizures
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| Recognizing our continuing concern about the curtailment of
civil liberties in our country, we declare our opposition to the
USA Patriot Act. This act reflects a spirit of fear and mistrust
that is the antithesis of the spirit of love to which God calls
all of us. Our true security comes from building a just society. |
| The USA PATRIOT Act reflects a spirit of fear and mistrust that
is the antithesis of the spirit of love to which God calls all
of us. Our true security comes from building a just society. |
Inspirational Quotes |
Let us heed the words of Benjamin
Franklin engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty, “They
that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety.” |
General
Action |
We hold public officials accountable
and insist that they refrain from supporting policies and legislation
that further limit civil liberties. |
| We demand repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act and call upon local
officials to adopt resolutions urging its repeal and declaring
their intention not to enforce its onerous provisions. |
| We affirm the right of foreign nationals to due process and
the presumption of innocence, and we oppose unwarranted tracking
and reporting requirements that abridge those rights. |
| We appeal to public officials and the media to support constitutional
protections enshrined in the Bill of Rights. We encourage adult
education classes focused on the guarantees of the Bill of Rights
and urge public and private schools to include this focus in their
regular curricula. |
| We urge our local, state and federal officials to work to repeal
and/or resist those provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that threaten
our civil liberties. |
| Members of this religious group are urged, as occasions may
arise, to support those in their communities who suffer the consequences
of this law. |
Congressional
Action |
We urge Congressional oversight
committees publicly to monitor federal law enforcement and intelligence
agencies, including the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,
to ensure that the excesses of the past do not become the norms
of the future. |
| We appeal to these officials to prevent the passage of the Domestic
Security Act (aka "Patriot II"). |
Executive
Action |
We demand that Attorney General John
Ashcroft be held fully accountable for his advocacy of policies
that have eroded civil liberties, including the refusal to provide
constitutionally guaranteed legal representation to detained individuals,
American citizens and non-citizens alike. |
| We oppose implementation of the “total information awareness”
data-mining program of the Department of Defense; efforts to revive
the Terrorism Information and Prevention System (“TIPS”)
program of the Department of Justice, which sought to recruit
Americans to spy on other Americans; and profiling based on nationality,
ethnicity, or religion. |
| We oppose nominees to the federal appeals courts or the Supreme
Court whose records demonstrate insensitivity to the protection
of civil liberties. |
Private
Action |
We encourage our members
and friends to contact their Federal and State Legislators to
request that they monitor the implementation of the Act and the
Executive Branch Actions and actively work for the repeal of the
provisions that violate the fundamental rights and liberties as
stated in the Constitution of the Commonwealth and of the United
States. |
Calls upon all private citizens to:
- Demonstrate strong respect for civil rights
and civil liberties;
- Read and familiarize themselves with the
USA PATRIOT Act, and to join us in relaying all questions,
comments, and concerns to the [State] congressional delegation
and Department of Justice for their response and clarification;
- Study, for understanding, the state and
U.S. Constitutions and their history, and the Bill of Rights
and its history, so that they can recognize and resist attempts
to undermine our constitutional republic and our system of
government;
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Manner
of Enactment |
Copies of this resolution
shall be sent to:
- President of the United States
- Attorney General of the United States
- Members of the state delegation in Congress
- Governor of the State
- Director of Homeland Security
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| This Resolution will take effect immediately upon passage. |
BORDC's Guide to Writing an Effective
Resolution
Library of sample clauses
from city, county, and state resolutions.
Resolutions passed
by religious organizations.
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