|
(Return
to Visalia Friends Meeting Home Page)
Humboldt
Friends Meeting March 2003 Statement
Expressing
Concern About Recent Erosions of Civil Liberties
The Religious Society
of Friends (Quakers) believes in upholding the rights and privacy of
all people. For over 350 years, Quakers have relied upon a single standard
of Truth, discerned when our hearts and minds are open to the Inward,
Divine Light. We bear witness to this Truth through our testimonies
and traditions, which support freedom of expression, free exercise of
religion, and equal treatment under the law -- civil liberties guaranteed
by the U.S. Constitution. In addition, because there is "that of
God" in all people, we believe everyone has the ability to discern
and witness to the Truth. Therefore, we view free speech as inherent
to our ability to practice our faith.
However, through
congressional legislation and presidential or other executive branch
actions, our government is now taking away legal protections assured
by the Constitution and Bill of Rights. We are deeply concerned that
these actions further a climate of fear, infringe on individual privacy,
and inhibit inquiry and dissent. We feel this curtailment of liberty
might be used to abuse, harass, and falsely imprison racial, religious,
and ethnic minorities, as well as those who choose to speak out.
For example, the
PATRIOT Act was passed by Congress with little in-depth scrutiny of
its possible consequences. Executive branch actions have occurred with
almost no notice by the general public. Yet, according to legal experts,
under the PATRIOT Act, the U.S. government can now search people's homes
and businesses while they are away without letting them know, perhaps
for months, that the search took place. And recent executive actions,
pursued without even the passage of legislation, allow the FBI to conduct
secret surveillance of any U.S. religious, political, or civic group
even if there is no suspicion that the organization is engaged in wrong-doing.
These are just a couple examples of the many erosions of civil liberties
stemming from the PATRIOT Act and recent federal government initiatives.
Now the draft of
new legislation has been unveiled that would further increase the government's
ability to intrude into people's private lives and take away fundamental
rights. We understand this draft bill, called the Domestic Security
Enhancement Act of 2003 (or "Patriot Act II"), creates 15
new death penalties. It also would increase the federal government's
ability to search homes and wiretap phones; conduct secret arrests;
and strip people of their U.S. citizenship for support of organizations
labeled as "terrorist" even if the support was for lawful,
humanitarian activities. Non-citizens can be deported or indefinitely
imprisoned in their own country as undocumented aliens.
We need to speak
out. The California Humboldt Friends (Quaker) Meeting urges our elected
officials, at all levels, to oppose the Domestic Security Enhancement
Act of 2003 and other curtailments of civil liberties, and to make sure
the implications of any such proposed laws are fully explored and revealed
to the public.
|