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Whereas, acts and orders recently enacted by the
Federal Government, including sections of the USA PATRIOT Act and
several Executive Orders, threaten fundamental rights and liberties
guaranteed in the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution; and
Whereas, the City of Somerville has a history of
defending the civil liberties of its residents; and
Whereas, the City of Somerville has, with
gratitude for their supreme sacrifice, memorialized those in the Armed
Forces who have died in battle protecting these same cherished rights
and liberties; and
Whereas, the motto of the City of Somerville is
Municipal Freedom Gives National Strength; and
Whereas, the City of Somerville comprises a
diverse population, including working people, people of color,
students, and non-citizens, whose contributions to the community are
greatly valued and who provide vitality and character to the City;
and
Whereas, the Board of Aldermen of the City of
Somerville, motivated by a commitment to the free exercise and
enjoyment of any and all rights and privileges secured by the laws of
the United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of
Somerville, passed an ordinance in 1993 that created the Somerville
Human Rights Commission declaring the public policy of the city, its
employees, agents and officials to be the protection and promotion of
the constitutional, civil, and human rights of all people in
Somerville; and
Whereas, we believe these civil liberties are
precious and are now threatened by:
The USA PATRIOT ACT, which
- All but eliminates judicial supervision of telephone and Internet
surveillance;
- Greatly expands the government's ability to conduct secret searches without
warrants;
- Gives the Attorney General and the Secretary of State the power to designate
domestic groups as "terrorist organizations"; and
- Grants the FBI broad access to sensitive medical, mental health, financial,
and educational records about individuals without having to show evidence of a
crime and without a court order;
Federal Executive Orders, which
- Establish secret military tribunals for terrorism suspects;
- Permit wiretapping of conversations between federal prisoners
and their lawyers;
- Lift Justice Department regulations against illegal
COINTELPRO-type operations by the FBI (covert activities that in the
past targeted domestic groups and individuals); and
- Limit the disclosure of public documents and records under the
Freedom of Information Act;
Therefore be it resolved that:
- The City of Somerville and its elected and appointed officials,
employees, and local law enforcement continue to preserve residents'
freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and privacy; rights to counsel
and due process in judicial proceedings; and protection from
unreasonable searches and seizures even if requested or authorized to
infringe upon these rights by federal law enforcement acting under new
powers granted by the USA PATRIOT Act or orders of the Executive
Branch;
- The City of Somerville will reject racial profiling of any group
within our community; and
- The City of Somerville will urge the United States Federal
Government and its various branches, representatives, and employees to
act in a fair, open, and consistent manner by ensuring that all
individuals are afforded their appropriate rights to due process; and
- The City of Somerville will urge US Congressional representatives
and Senators to monitor the implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act and
actively work for repeal of the parts of that Act and those Executive
Orders that violate fundamental rights and liberties; and
- Elected and appointed officials, employees, and local law
enforcement of the City of Somerville shall report to the Somerville
Human Rights Commission any and all instances of requests from federal
law enforcement acting under new powers granted by the USA PATRIOT Act
or orders of the Executive Branch to infringe upon fundamental rights
and liberties of any resident of Somerville including the right to
privacy; and
- The City of Somerville will send copies of this resolution to our
U.S. Congressional and Senate Representatives, the U.S. Attorney
General, and the President of the United States; and
- The City of Somerville will post this resolution on the
Somerville City website, and copies will be sent to municipal offices,
library branches, police stations, public schools, and other public
spaces or City organs where applicable and reasonable.
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