PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Residents Show Tremendous Support For Civil Liberties
by pooja Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003 at 7:19 AM

For Pittsburgh Indymedia

At the City Council hearing Wednesday evening, about 40 people spoke in support of the Civil Liberties Resolution the PBORDC and local ACLU have proposed. In all, about 90 people were present to show support for the resolution. The statements made by concerned residents were truly poignant and the hearing was a dramatic show of solidarity and hope that democracy in America is alive after all! While many supporters were upset that five Council members did not come to the hearing, all were grateful to the Council members that did take the time to hear their constituents. Among the Councilpersons that were present were Twanda Carlisle, William Peduto, Gene Ricciardi, and Sala Udin. PBORDC would like to thank everyone that showed their support and concern for eroding freedoms by coming to the hearing.

The Pittsburgh Campaign is coming to an end very shortly. On Tuesday, Dec. 16 City Council will be voting on the Resolution at their 10 AM meeting. We encourage you to come to this meeting (in the City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, Council Chambers) and remind your Council representatives that preserving freedoms is a very important local issue. Express your concern if they failed to attend the hearing (and thank them if they did). After PBORDC and our friends have collected and presented to Council over 800 petition signatures demanding this hearing, it is unacceptable that some members failed to attend this very important event. The Council members that did attend the hearing are already in support of the resolution. Those who are still wavering chose not to take the opportunity to educate themselves at this hearing. Remind them that they are your voice, and in order to do their jobs, they must listen to your concerns.

Lastly, some Council members have expressed that the Resolution is not appropriate because they feel the PATRIOT Act and civil liberties are a national issue. Remind them that this is not just a national issue. It is a local issue as well because freedom fighting begins at the local level. Only with a groundswell of support from united local communities will acts like the PATRIOT Act be repealed at the federal level. From its inception, America has valued giving power to the local governments. Ask that Council uphold this value and do its duty by protecting its constituents against intrusive federal laws. If they still insist that the resolution regards a national issue, ask how it can possibly be harmful for them to vote for the resolution even if this is supposedly "just a national issue." Even if the resolution is simply a symbolic act that together with the 225 other communities that have passed similar resolutions sends the message that Americans do not want to give up their freedoms, so be it. At least Council could be doing something ACTIVE by passing the resolution instead of something PASSIVE by letting the federal government take away our Constitutional rights.

www.pbordc.org

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