Could someone please relay this to 'activism' -- we still don't have a (clear_?_) link to Activism on the front page.
Horst. Forwarded message from Hope Marston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----- Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2003 21:38:44 -0700 From: Hope Marston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: Hope Marston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Oregon anti-UPA Resolution To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY Dear Endorsers and Supporters of Bill of Rights Defense Committees, Oregon has not passed a resolution defending our liberties YET .. but WITH YOUR HELP, WE WILL HAVE A RESOLUTION IN OREGON IN A FEW WEEKS. This will take a small commitment of your time, but it is worth it! Oregon could well become the fourth state in the nation to take a stand against the UPA (U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act) and other post 9/11 violations of our liberties. We have begun contacting legislators in Salem, and we will be meeting with State Senators and State Representatives at their offices in Salem starting this Monday July 28. Already a few legislators have expressed excitement about the resolution, despite the consuming budget battle in Salem. We think this may be due in part to recent setbacks that John Ashcroft's Justice Department has suffered: 1.. The Inspector General's report of physical and psychological abuse of many Muslim detainees after 9/11, 2.. The passage of an amendment in the House of Representatives that would prevent funding for one of the most egregious parts of the UPA, the so-called "sneak and peek" searches by the FBI (searches of private residences and businesses without a warrant showing probable cause of criminal activity, and delaying notification of the search perhaps indefinitely). The House of Representatives' amendment, introduced by Republican Butch Otter of Idaho, passed on Wednesday, Jul 23 by a vote of 309-118, and is the FIRST TIME SINCE SEPTEMBER 11 that any part of the draconian restrictions of the UPA have been repudiated by Congress. This is the first crack in the John Ashcroft juggernaut. We know there is broad support for action against some parts of the UPA right now. And here in Oregon, we suspect politicians may well be looking for some way to publicly distance themselves from John Ashcroft, who made himself an unpopular figure among Oregonians by ignoring "Death With Dignity," passed by the people of Oregon. Put all this together and it could spell a BIG WIN for all of us who care about our Bill of Rights. This is where we need help. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS IN SALEM NOW, AND TELL THEM YOU SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE THE so called "USA PATRIOT Act.". We have a tremendous window of opportunity now that we must take advantage of, because the Legislature is nearing the end of its session, and is not in session next year (the Oregon Legislature only convenes every other year). If we are unable to grasp this opportunity now, we will be forced to conduct a ballot initiative campaign, gathering signatures well into next year, and attempt to win at the ballot box in November 2004, a very costly and time consuming process. SUPPORTIVE LEGISLATORS HAVE TOLD US WE CAN PULL THIS OFF, IF WE PUSH HARD IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE END OF THE SESSION. So we need your HELP NOW to deluge the Legislature with PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS to support the resolution against the so-called "USA PATRIOT" Act. In addition, if you want to set up a personal appointment to talk to your legislator in person in Salem, we will send our experienced committee members with you to help make the case for the resolution. Just let us know when and we'll be there. If you need contact information for your legislators, go to www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/findset.htm. WE NEED YOUR HELP OVER THE NEXT TWO or more WEEKS. We want to make Oregon the 4th state, after Hawaii, Alaska, and Vermont, to condemn the UPA and take a firm stand to defend our constitutional liberties. We have carefully drafted the resolution to include our primary concerns about the UPA, and modeled it after the successful resolutions in those other 3 states. You can read the full text of the resolution at www.lanerights.org/stateresolution.htm Thank you for your help towards making Oregon the 4th state to take a stand against the UPA, and building nationwide momentum toward REPEALING THE UPA! Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee Peter Chabarek 541 688-8270 541 579-5843 Hope Marston 541 683-5634 Brian Michaels 541 687-0578 ----- End forwarded message ----- _______________________________________________ EuG-LUG mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mailman.efn.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/eug-lug