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U ndermining
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An upcoming forum looks at how the Patriot Act affects minorities
urn
on
A merica ?
by M eg D aly
“It’s been an honor to work with WILPF,”
o deter and punish terrorist
acts in the United States and
Besant says. “They’re an organization with a long
an>und the world, to enhance
history of women working for peace and justice."
Bolles, who is also a member of WILPF, adds:
law enforcement investigatory
J1L
tools, and for other purposes.”
“We want to learn more about what our com
This is the full title of what is commonly
munities want. We want to get people talking
known as the U SA Patriot Act. (The U SA, in and taking action.”
this case, stands for "Uniting and Strengthening
The forum presenters will discuss how the
Patriot Act has changed laws governing issues
America.”) Passed in October 2001 amid a flurry
of dramatic—and some say hasty— actions taken
such as privacy protections and surveillance
in the wake of 9/11, the legislation vastly increased
thresholds. They will also address what the leg
islation means for citizens who protest or “kxik
the U.S. governments surveillance powers and
eroded important checks and halances, ostensibly suspicious” as well as the effect on non-U.S. cit
in the name of fighting terrorism.
izens residing here. Long has spoken about the
act’s effect on library users, Blumenauer has
Now in the pipeline is “Patriot Act 11,” draft
been a staunch opponent of the act since its
legislation from the Justice Department that
early days, and Sadaat is versed in the law’s
would grant additional sweeping surveillance
powers to the government. An upcoming forum effect on queers.
sponsored hy the Lesbian Community Project and
One of the things that motivated Bolles to
others will look at how queers and other minori hold this forum is her concern about the length
ties are affected by the current
and complexity of the act.
law, and what to fear about the
She doesn’t feel the media
"I'm concerned that
proposed additional legislation.
have done an accurate job of
some o f the provisions informing citizens and pro
“I think we are moving
viding adequate analysis. “It’s
dangerously away from free
o
f
the
act
will
be
applied
like they’re trying to keep us
dom of speech and expres
sion," said Linda Besant, a to people who are doing ignorant," she says.
member of the Lesbian Com-
Besant sees an additional
legitimate activities
munity Project and a co-orga-
reason for people to be well
versed about the act: misinfor
nizer of the forum. “I feel a
that have nothing
mation. “It’s important that
need to he actively informed."
to do with security —
we not attribute things to the
Besant and fellow LCP
member Alyson Bolles have
Patriot Act that aren’t part of
like
protesting"
it,” she says, noting that mis
been instrumental in planning
the forum, which will feature
— Linda Besant informed activism can weak
human rights activist Kath
en dissent. “The forum is a
leen Sadaat, civil liberties expert Carolyn Long,
way to get accurate information.
Portland State University virtual reference
“AnykxJy whose lifestyle or views are differ
axirdinator Kim Willson-St. Clair and U.S.
ent from the direction the country is going are
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
impacted,” Besant says. "I’m concerned that some
of the provisions of the act will be applied to peo
Bolles says she and Besant came up with the
ple who are doing legitimate activities that have
idea for the discussion when they attended a
nothing to do with security— like protesting.”
similar fomm in Vancouver, Wash. “The act was
passed and is being implemented, hut people
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the
still don’t understand it. The more information
first legal challenge to the act July 30, asserting
we have about the Patriot Act, the better we
that it violates constitutional protections against
will he able to defend our civil liberties.”
unreasonable searches and seizures as well as the
rights to freedom of speech and association.
Bolles and Besant teamed up with members
of the Womens International League for Peace
Among the six plaintiff groups is the Islamic Cen
and Freedom to envision the discussion, thereby
ter of Portland, or Masjed As-Saber, which oper
addressing two goals of LCP’s long-range plan ates a mosque and school in the Rose City.
ning— to hold a series of forums on the current
According to the A C LU , the legislation
created a new crime of “domestic terrorism”:
political climate and to work in coalition with
other groups.
“The Patriot A ct transforms protesters into
terrorists if they engage in conduct that
‘involves acts dangerous to human life’ to
‘influence the policy of a government by
intimidation or coercion.’ ”
“How long will it be," the A C LU asks,
“before an ambitious or politically motivated
prosecutor uses the statute to charge members of
controversial activist groups like Operation Res
cue or Greenpeace with terrorism T’
Queers have particular reason for concern
about the Patriot Act’s implications, Bolles says.
“ Because many queers are politically active in
securing our civil rights, we could be targeted for
being activists. People are being imprisoned
without charge, and that could impact other
protesters."
Bolles is also worried about how the law is
affecting international students. "I think it’s a
way of targeting minorities," she says of the
Patriot A ct’s provisions that allow the govern
ment to request library records without the
patron being informed.
Indeed, librarians have been some of the
most vocal opponents to the new law. “Librari-
aas are awesome,” Bolles says. “I think people
might be surprised to learn how active librarian
organizations are in protecting patrons’ privacy
rights.”
Willson-St. Clair, who works at PSU ’s Millar
Library, adds: “The library profession has worked
diligently not to marginalize populations. We
are considered a safe space.”
But that safe space is being eroded by the
Patriot Act. Willson-St. Clair and others are
working hard to protect patrons’ privacy as
best they can. “We are conducting privacy
audits to make sure we know where every bit
of information is that we have stored about a
patron— and that we keep only what is timely
and pertinent.”
Willson-St. Clair worries that her queer
patrons could be targeted for their reading
habits. “Profiling is what it is,” she says. She
encourages citizens to support the Freedom to
Read Act now before Congress.
Librariaas are not alone in fighting invasion
of privacy. The ACLU has not been shy about
calling many provisions of the Patriot Act
unconstitutional.
Even more alarm has been raised about
“Patriot Act II.” According to the A C LU , “the
government would no longer be required to dis
close the identity of anyone, even an American
citizen, detained in connection with a tenor
U .S. Attorney General John Ashcroft wants
Congress to grant additional sweeping
surveillance powers to the government
investigation— until criminal charges are filed,
no matter how long that takes.”
The ACLU also notes that under the proposed
law, “individuals engaged in civil disobedience
could risk losing citizenship; their organization
could be subject to wiretapping and asset seizure."
These sorts of strictures are frightening to
Besant. “I’m a liberal on every front,” she says.
“ I’m worried that soon being a liberal won’t be
OK on any front.”
Bolles adds: “We need to do further organiz
ing, and this forum is one step in many. I’m hop
ing people who haven’t been involved in poli
tics will come to the forum and will find ways to
participate in civil rights activism, if that’s what
they choose to do.”
Willson-St. Clair is more blunt: “To become
politically active is the best thing anyone in this
country can do if they are interested in their
freedom to read and their freedom of thought
and speech." J H
A forum on THE UNITING AND STRENGTHENING
A merica P atriot A c t and T hose in the
M inority will start at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5 m the
ballrcxrm on the second floor of Portland State
University's Smith Memorial Center, 1825 S.W.
Broadway. A $2-$4 donation is requested. For
more information call 503-227-0605.
MEG D aly is a Portland free-lance writer.
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