Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Christian Stalberg" <cpsr_rtp AT internet-lab.com>]

Wake Co. ACLU Raleigh members, Coalition organizations, and interested
Friends:

Raleigh PATRIOT Resolution Update - March 9, 2004
Representatives of Wake County Chapter of ACLU and the Raleigh PATRIOT Act
Resolution Coalition appeared before the Raleigh City Council Tuesday night,
March 2, to request the Council to adopt a PATRIOT Act resolution. They
presented a proposed resolution that urges Congress and the federal
government to revise those sections and regulations that are in conflict
with freedoms secured by the US and NC Constitutions.

Three speakers highlighted civil liberty issues with the USA PATRIOT and
related federal antiterrorism measures -  Linda Gettier, on behalf of  Wake
ACLU and the Coalition, Lewis Pitts, Chair of the Civil Rights Section of NC
Academy of Trial Lawyers, and Christian Stalberg, Chair of the RTP Chapter
of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. Following the
presentations, Mayor Meeker asked all those attending to support the
resolution to stand; almost the entire audience, close to 200 Raleighites,
stood up in silent confirmation.

In recent years, the Council has been reluctant to take up federal issues,
but the Coalition appealed to the Council because these federal measures
focus on joint cooperation with and enforcement by local city and state law
enforcement and intelligence units. After their discussion, Councilors voted
5-3 to refer the resolution the Raleigh Human Relations/Human Resources
Advisory Commission for review, and to return a recommendation to the
Council within 30-60 days. The HRHRAC meets next on Thursday, March 11 at
6:00 pm.

This democratic process is unfolding all across the country. Over 261 city,
county, and state governments have already adopted similar resolutions at
the
request of their citizens, including Washington, DC, and New York City, the
locations of the 9/11 attacks.

PLEASE ACT NOW to help!

1. Write, call, or email your City Councilors and the Mayor. Ask them in
your
own words to support a Raleigh Patriot Act Resolution.  The sign-on letter
with a list of supporting organizations can be viewed at
http://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org.

2. Send an email alert to your Raleigh members to do this, post bulletins on
your website, and urge them to act now to help get this passed.

3. A copy of the resolution is posted on the ACLU-NC website at
http://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org.

4. We started a petition to get signatures urging the City Council to adopt
the resolution. Ask your Raleigh members sign the on-line petition at
http://www.petitiononline.com/raleigh7/petition.html. The petition can also
be downloaded, printed out and circulated for signature collection at
http://www.rtp.nc.us/RaleighPetition.doc. Thanks to Computer Professionals
for Social Responsibility, one of our Coalition groups for developing this.
The petition repeats the key points of our Raleigh resolution. CPSR will
collect the signatures for presentation to the City Council at the
appropriate time.

5. Please send a letter now to the City Councilors on behalf of your
organization explaining why your board or group supports the Resolution.
Please address a copy individually to every Councilor.

6. Plan to attend later City Council meetings when the resolution is voted
on. This may be April 6, or May 4th. We'll keep you posted on dates. We need
big crowds of supporters at every meeting!