Five Years After 9/11 Attacks, the Fight to Uphold Americans'
Fundamental Freedoms and the Constitution Continues, ACLU Chief Says
(9/11/2006)
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NEW YORK - In the five years since the terrorist attacks of September
11, Americans have successfully kept the light of freedom shining even
as the Bush administration has consistently violated the spirit and
letter of our laws, the American Civil Liberties Union said today.
"The hallmark of the past five years has been the administration's
stunning dismissal of the rule of law and its willingness to trample on
our Constitution," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero.
"This is our democracy, our America. We must not stand on the
sidelines while the president abuses his power and diminishes American
values."
Since 9/11, the government has broadened its powers to allow law
enforcement to secretly search our homes, monitor what we read and
collect personal information on all of us such as medical, financial
and phone records, even if it has nothing to do with terrorism -- and
all without a court warrant.
"But we have had successes in these years," Romero noted, pointing to
the Supreme Court's rejection of the military commission system
established by President Bush to try detainees at Guant=E1namo Bay, and
the recent federal court ruling rejecting warrantless wiretapping of
Americans.
"There is much more to do -- and Congress must now do its part and put
an end to these abuses of power by demanding that the president uphold
the Constitution and our tested system of checks and balances," he
said.
Looking back on the past five years, the ACLU has compiled a list of
the "top ten" abuses of power since 2001, as well as the top civil
liberties victories in response to those abuses. The abuses include:
- Wiretapping of innocent Americans without court approval or
Congressional authority;
- Torture, kidnapping and unlawful detention of prisoners;
- The growing "surveillance society" -- a combination of new
technologies, expanded government powers and expanded private-sector
data collection efforts;
- Spying on peaceful, law-abiding Americans who are exercising their
First Amendment rights;
- Creation of the Guant=E1namo Bay camp, where hundreds of prisoners
have been held indefinitely, without charges or access to attorneys.
Victories for the rule of law and civil liberties include:
- Congress' adoption of the "McCain Amendment" which helped bolster the
rule of law in military interrogations;
- The dismantling of the massive "Total Information Awareness" spying
program which sought to monitor, among other things, innocent
Americans' financial, health, travel and credit card transactions;
- Prominent conservatives and conservative organizations joining the
ACLU's fight to keep America safe and free;
- The Supreme Court's landmark June 2006 ruling that the military
commissions system established by President Bush to try detainees at
Guant=E1namo Bay is unfair and illegal;
- Recent court rulings rejecting government spying without a warrant.
The ACLU has posted its review online at www.aclu.org/september11.
The website includes audio podcasts from ACLU leaders and staff on the
events of 2001 and the fight for freedom in a changed world.
"Over the past five years, the ACLU and its members have shown that the
American people will not sacrifice their precious civil liberties,"
Romero concluded. "We have been there for America since 1920 and we
will always be there to advocate aggressively for our fundamental
freedoms."
The ACLU will continue that fight in October at its national membership
conference, which will include a lobbying day with members of Congress.
For more information, go to
http://action.aclu.org/conference/index.html
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/26703prs20060911.html
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