10 August 2003. Thanks to A.
Source:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001461096_patriot10m.html
Sunday, August 10, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
By Ron C. Judd
Seattle Times staff reporter
[Excerpt]
TONASKET, Okanogan County — If this is a hotbed of sedition, they're hiding it pretty well.
But you don't have to dig very deep at Tonasket City Hall to find the small seed of a populist uprising planted this spring and spreading like cheatgrass down to the county courthouse in Okanogan — and beyond.
It's a simple, two-page resolution supporting the constitutional rights of Tonasket's 1,000 citizens — and directly opposing one of the most significant acts of Congress in recent history.
"The Tonasket Resolution" is a symbolic broadside at the USA Patriot Act, the far-reaching "terror-obstruction" measure approved by Congress six weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Washington, D.C., area.
The Tonasket Resolution
Section 1. The City of Tonasket supports all lawful and Constitutional efforts to prevent and investigate terrorist or other criminal acts and prosecute their perpetrators.
Section 2. The City of Tonasket believes that sufficient Constitutionally acceptable tools existed, prior to the passage of the "USA Patriot Act" or other such restrictive acts, for Law enforcement to accomplish their intended lawful purpose.
Section 3. The City of Tonasket believes that any act, enactment, law, or legislation, etc., which dilutes, weakens, or denies the State and / or Federal Constitutionally guaranteed Rights of the Citizen is void from its inception, is unenforceable in our jurisdiction, and should be quashed, repealed or found by a court of jurisdiction to be unconstitutional in part or in full, as appropriate, to protect the Rights and Freedom of the Citizenry.
Section 4. The Tonasket City Council strongly encourages all citizens, organizations, and governmental legislative bodies to study, for understanding, the State and Federal Constitutions and their history, and the Bill of Rights and its history so that they can recognize and resist attempts to undermine our Constitutional Republics and the system of government that has brought our civilization so much success.
Section 5. The Tonasket City Council believes it is the duty of every citizen to protect and defend the State and Federal Constitutions from all enemies — foreign and domestic — and to demonstrate outspoken respect for the Rights that have been paid for with the blood and sweat of the American People throughout our history.
The Patriot Act
Some of the fundamental changes to Americans' legal rights by the Bush administration and the USA Patriot Act after the 9-11 attacks:
Freedom of association: To assist terror investigation, the government may monitor religious and political institutions without suspecting criminal activity.
Freedom of information: The government has closed once-public immigration hearings, has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges and has encouraged bureaucrats to resist public-records requests. "Sensitive" information has been removed from government Web sites.
Freedom of speech: The government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation.
Right to legal representation: The government may monitor conversations between attorneys and clients in federal prisons and deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes.
Freedom from unreasonable searches: The government may search and seize Americans' papers and effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.
Right to a speedy and public trial: The government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial.
Right to liberty: Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront witnesses against them. "Enemy combatants" have been held incommunicado and refused attorneys.
Source: The Associated Press, with information from Knight-Ridder Newspapers included