Press Release from the Somerville Bill of Rights Defense Committee For Immediate Release April 6, 2003 For More Information: Jake Beal 617-764-2357 info@municipalfreedom.org http://www.municipalfreedom.org/ Support the Bill of Rights in Somerville! Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville may soon join more than 80 communities across the nation in defending civil liberties against the USA PATRIOT act and other federal legislation. A working group called the Somerville Bill of Rights Defense Committee is proposing a resolution which would declare Somerville a Civil Liberties Safe Zone, protecting the consitutional freedoms of its residents. Since September 11th, the US Government has passed laws and issued orders that limit or infringe on fundamental liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. Innocent people have been detained and imprisoned without being charged with any crime, and in secret -- not even their own families were allowed to know where they had disappeared. The police are allowed to search your home without notifying you, and eavesdrop on confidential communications between a lawyer and client. Libraries and bookstores can be forced to turn over records of what books their patrons are reading -- and are not even allowed to tell you if you are being investigated! The same goes for satellite television, or anyone who uses a TiVo. Nor are phones safe: if a "suspicious" person calls you, your phone is automatically allowed to be tapped as well. Americans of all political affiliations have expressed alarm at these invasions of their freedom. When the ACLU put together a coalition to oppose the USA PATRIOT act, they were joined by organizations across the political spectrum, from People For The American Way and Common Cause, to the Eagle Forum and the American Conservative Union. Across the nation, more than 80 cities, towns, and counties have passed legislation to protect the Bill of Rights within their borders -- among them Oakland and San Francisco, California; Denver, Colorado; Detroit, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Missoula, Montana; Burlington, Vermont; Seattle, Washington and Madison, Wisconsin. This movement began right here in Massachusetts, with a "Civil Liberties Safe Zone" resolution passed in Northhampton. Several other Massachusetts communities, including neighboring Cambridge, have followed suit. Here in Somerville, a group of residents have been working to add Somerville to their growing ranks. The proposed resolution would declare Somerville's displeasure with the excesses of the Federal government and ask Somerville employees and elected officials to respect civil liberties and refuse to participate in unconstitutional actions. Under the proposed resolution, Somerville would also enter into the public record all Federal requests to infringe upon the freedoms of people in Somerville. The Somerville Bill of Rights Defense Committee, which has been meeting since January of this year, is launching a petition drive in April in support of the resolution. A draft of the proposed resolution, as well as other related materials, is available on their web site at http://www.municipalfreedom.org/, a name taken from the Somerville City motto, "Municipal Freedom Gives National Strength". People wishing to comment on the resolution or become involved are invited to contact the group by emailing info@municipalfreedom.org or calling (617) 764-2357. For information about efforts in other cities, or how to start one in your own, visit the national Bill of Rights Defense Committee web site at http://www.bordc.org/.