TO: ACLU Action Network FR: Bob Kearney, ACLU Field Director ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) DT: June 18, 1999 1. Flag amendment to get final House vote next week. Next week, after the much anticipation, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HJ Res. 33, a proposed constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag. If adopted by the House and Senate and ratified by 38 states, the amendment would mark the first time in history that Congress actually amended the Constitution to take away Americans' free speech rights! Those who favor the proposed amendment say they do so in honor of the flag. But in proposing to unravel the First Amendment, they desecrate what the flag represents, and what millions of Americans have died to defend. We are joined in opposing the amendment by many conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, and scores of veterans around the country! TAKE ACTION TODAY! Even if you've sent a letter to Congress before, now is the time to send another one! You can also send a free electronic postcard to your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues urging them to help stop the amendment! Our action alert and letter are located on our website at: http://www.aclu.org/congress/flag1999.html In addition, feel free to call your members offices next week and urge them to oppose HJ Res. 33. Call the Capitol Hill switchboard (202-225-3121) and ask for your member's office. 2. Law Enforcement Abuse Authority to Seize Property Imagine that federal law enforcement officials had the right to seize your property -- your home, your car, your business -- even if you have not been convicted of a crime. Unfortunately, this is the law of the land under a system known as "asset forfeiture." Currently asset forfeiture is used by federal law enforcement officials as a dream way to fill their coffers by seizing assets allegedly used in a crime. But asset forfeiture has become a nightmare for many Americans who have been accused of a crime but have not been proven guilty. To help remedy this problem, Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) has introduced HR 1658, the "Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 1999." TAKE ACTION! This bill is also scheduled to go to the floor of the House of Representatives next week. To read more about this problem, and to send a FREE FAX to congress in support of this bill, check out our action alert on the ACLU website, located at: http://www.aclu.org/action/assets106.html --- You are currently subscribed to action as: [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] To unsubscribe, forward this message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Some email programs allow you to click on a web address and automatically go to the site. Others, like AOL, do not. If you use an email program that does not provide for clickable web addresses, copy the URL and paste it into your web browser.
