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Letters_____________ 2 _______ WedNEsdAy, J anuary 16, 2002 • Opinion All signed letters to the editor should be 500 words or less and will b considered for publication if submitted by 1 p.m. the Friday prior i publication. Letters to the Editor are subject to editing. We reserve th right to not publish any letter. • Patriot Act: The power of the police is profound On Oct 26 of2001, PresidentBush signed the USA Patriot Act into law, giving federal secret police immense power to legally investigate any citi zen or noncitizen they want. Of course, the secret police (FBI, CIA, Se cret Service) have been doing this for decades illegally, but now that it’s le gal, this activity is increasing greatly. “The USA Patriot Act gives law en forcement agencies, nationwide, ex traordinary new powers unchecked by meaningful judicial review,’’said Laura W. Murphy of the American Civil Liberties Union. “Section 215 authorizes the FBI to acquire any business records whatsoever by order of a secret U.S. court,” said Rep. C.L. “Butch” Ot ter, R-Idaho. “The recipient of such a search order is forbidden from tell ing any person that he has received such a request. This is a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech and the Fourth Amendment protection of private property.” This is our fault, of course. We let the United States get away with too much for too long, like the Espio nage and Sedition Acts (which make what I’m writing here illegal). The FBI and CIA were both heavily in volved in spying on and destroy ing political activists during the 1960s, going so far as to carry out the assassination of probably well over 1,000 political activists. Clinton, while in office, supported the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). PresidentBush now sup ports the Free Trade Area of the demands that you discover just what it is that you believe in, and live by what you think is right. Which brings me back to the Pa triot Act, which is drafted for the purposes of tightening control over the American people rather than combating terrorism, as it claims to do. Following the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing Jesse Gurzynski in 1995, the Anti-terrorism and Staff Writer Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) was created under the pretense of anti-terrorism. This Americas (FTAA). Such free trade act makes it nearly impossible for a agreements prevent communities death sentence to be overturned by from deciding for themselves how a federal court. Elliot Grossman is business will operate in their area co-council in the defense case of by allowing corporations to over Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was sen ride local environmental and labor tenced to death for the murder of laws. Daniel Faulkner. Under AEDPA, These barely scratch the surface Arnold Beverly’s confession to the of the intolerable things that the murder is not allowed as evidence, United States does — that we toler because it came after the year al ate. The result is that the govern lowed for the admission of new evi ment is free to create laws that es dence. tablish itself as a legal police state - “The AEDPA wouldn’t have meanwhile still pushing meaning stopped Oklahoma. If this [current] less propaganda about the freedom, legislation had been in place before liberty and democracy that we never September 11, it wouldn’t have really had. If you don’t believe this stopped it. It’s not dealing with the claim, then speak—as I have—with problem it’s supposed to solve. The the people who were really involved people who pulled off 9-11 were not deterred by the death penalty; it is in political activism in the 1960s. In a sense there is democracy, but not an effective deterrent against it does not take place in prescribed those kind of people. Obviously [the places at prescribed times. Democ legislation] is hot designed to stop racy is a lifestyle; you must “vote terrorism,” said Grossman. with your life,” as Henry David Even some people within the Thoreau suggested. Democracy government fear the implications of Be Human. Editor-in-Chief: Maggie Jirasek (x2447) Opinion Editor/ Production Coordinator Salena De La Cruz Copy Editor: Allison Gerfin A & E Editor: Daisy Bain News Editor: Frank Jordan Sports Editor: Elena Boryska Business Manager: Nick Barron (x2578) Webmaster: Luke Mahan Staff: Jennifer Kane Jeff Heilman Amanda Hughart Crystal Castleman LieslMuggli Jesse Gurzynski Erinn Lerten Elisabeth Meyer The new face in terrorism JoAnne Gale Advisor: Patty Mamula (x2310) Goals: 19600 S. M o I a II a A ve . O regon City, O regon 97045 (505) 657-6958 ext 2509 CCCpRÌNT@dACkAMAS.CC.OR.US Be strong, survive in By Eric Johnson Secretary: The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, pro fessional manner. The opinions expressed in The Clackamas Print, do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty, or The Clackamas Print advertisers. Products and services advertised in The Clackamas Print are not necessarily endorsed by anyone associated with The Clackamas Print. The Clackamas Print is a weekly publication and is distributed every Wednes day except during Finals week. The Clackamap Print Copyright 2002. Advertising: The advertising rate is $4.75 per column inch. such legislation. “The insult is to cal this a ‘patriot bill’ and suggest I’n not patriotic because I insist on find ing out what is in it and voting no, said Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas. “ thought it was undermining the con stitution, so I didn’t vote for it - an therefore I’m somehow not a patrioi That’s insulting.” “Why don’t we say what we ar doing here? We are going to amen our wiretap laws so we can look inti anybody’s computers,” said Sen Leahy, D-Vermont, who voted ye on the act. “We do not define terror ism, but we say we are adding that, guess some kid who is scaring yoi with his computer could be a terror ist and you could go through th kid’s house, his parents business o anything else under this language it is that broad.” This law also allows activists an activist organizations to be labelei terrorists. As we can see from po lice actions against nonviolent pro testers (and even non-protestin| bystanders) in Seattle in 1999 dur ing the massive protest of the WTO police violence is already extreme Now that such protesters are no merely protesters but “terrorists,” wi have yet to see how extreme polio violence may become. If you are a terrorist or are jus curious about the implications of th USA Patriot Act, you can learn mor at <www.aclu.org>. or type USy Patriot Act into your favorite searcl engine and see what you come u| with. Do you want to go head to head with one of our writers? Bring it on! Send your opinions to cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us 300-500 words or stop by B-104 with it saved on QM f In the year 2001, we Ameri- Life deals us hands that some cans experienced heartache times we cannot control, am and pain of catastrophic proportions when the World Trade Center, the Pentagon Pronrl Î Salena De La Cruz and all of X LIJL1U» Opinion Editor America were hit by hatred. I’m here to say wher those days seem like they wil ever 2002 takes us, we will al never end and we will neve ways be taken care of, whether live through them, but we di it is by family, friends, angels because we have people whi or God himself, we will survive. want us to survive, to perse I know this because when my vere and continue with ou will withers and my strength lives. There are some who have n( fades and there seems to be nothing left of me and who I one to turn to and no one t( was to become, I know I'll be comfort them in their time o taken care of. When the world pain. So, if you see a strange seems no longer our own, take who’s seen better days, smili heart, there is a plan, a pur and wave; you may have jus pose, for you and me both. You saved a life. When the bills are piling up see, I am no stranger to heart break. I know pain. I’ve felt and the money’s not enougl hatred. I’ve cried. I’ve bled. for food on the table or a roo When that drink calls my name over your head, and your san or yours and the drug wishes ity, like mine, has days that i to inhale and overtake us for may be slipping, look up, lool just a brief moment of happi around: people care about you ness, we survive. Though You make a difference. Be strong in these times be some have given into the temp tation and not made it back cause all we can do is survivi alive, those stories are told to or be defeated. Questions or comments teach others of survival, of cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us love and loss.
