Please forward widely:
http://www.indefenseoffreedom.org/
"On September 20, 2001 at the National Press Club in Washington, more than
150 organizations, 300 law professors, and 40 computer scientists expressed
support for the following declaration:
IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM
1. On September 11, 2001 thousands of people lost their lives in a brutal
assault on the American people and the American form of government. We
mourn the loss of these innocent lives and insist that those who
perpetrated these acts be held accountable.
2. This tragedy requires all Americans to examine carefully the steps our
country may now take to reduce the risk of future terrorist attacks.
3. We need to consider proposals calmly and deliberately with a
determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at the core
of the American way of life.
4. We need to ensure that actions by our government uphold the principles
of a democratic society, accountable government and international law, and
that all decisions are taken in a manner consistent with the Constitution.
5. We can, as we have in the past, in times of war and of peace, reconcile
the requirements of security with the demands of liberty.
6. We should resist the temptation to enact proposals in the mistaken
belief that anything that may be called anti-terrorist will necessarily
provide greater security.
7. We should resist efforts to target people because of their race,
religion, ethnic background or appearance, including immigrants in general,
Arab Americans and Muslims.
8. We affirm the right of peaceful dissent, protected by the First
Amendment, now, when it is most at risk.
9. We should applaud our political leaders in the days ahead who have the
courage to say that our freedoms should not be limited.
10. We must have faith in our democratic system and our Constitution, and
in our ability to protect at the same time both the freedom and the
security of all Americans."
Among the organizations that signed:
American Association of University Women
American Civil Liberties Union
American Conservative Union
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
American Humanist Association
American Liberty Foundation
American Muslim Alliance
Americans for Tax Reform
Amnesty International - USA
Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs
Catholic Vote.org
Center for Democracy and Technology
Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Common Cause
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Eagle Forum
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Federation of American Scientists
God Bless America
Gun Owners of America
Harvard Information Infrastructure Project at Harvard University,
Human Rights Watch
International Religious Liberty Association
Japanese American Citizens League
Libertarian Party
Lindesmith Center - Drug Policy Foundation
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Lawyers Guild
People for the American Way,
Second Amendment Foundation
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Sixty Plus Association
How Can Individuals Help? Endorse In Defense of Freedom.
http://www.indefenseoffreedom.org/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 25 2001 - 23:03:32 CEST