Members of the Ithaca community gathered in the Women’s Community Building to hear a panel discussion on the Sept. 11 impact on civil liberties. A Cornell law professor joined the panel, which included an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) member and a state representative among others.
“This is so wonderful, to see this much of a turnout over [this] subject,” said State Rep. Marty Luster (D-125th). “In times of crisis, it seems that the natural instinct of the government is to decrease civil liberties.”
Panel speakers addressed many of their remarks towards the Uniting and Strengthening America Act by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The informal name for this proposal is the USA PATRIOT Act.
As a result of the USA PATRIOT Act, national agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can share information about people more freely than previously allowed. For example, some information transfers that used to require a court order are now legal.
“It is one thing to search passengers at the airport,” said Prof. Steven Shiffrin, law. “It is quite another to loosen the legal standards governing government seizure of our books, records and documents, and electronic surveillance of our computers, our e-mail, internet searches, telephone calls, even our calls from public telephones.”
“The so-called [USA] PATRIOT Act is not carefully confined to grant new investigative tools in combating terrorism. These new methods of invading our freedom potentially apply to an American caught in a web of government suspicion or curiosity,” he added.
Other speakers discussed the interactions between the different branches of the government that many see as overlapping, as well as the military tribunals President George W. Bush implemented into his plan for the world on terrorism.
“Secret trials have no place in society,” said Lesly Lempert, a member of the Tompkins County chapter of the ACLU. “Secret justice is no justice at all.”
Other concerns were for more than 500 non-citizens that have been detained for questioning since the Sept. 11 attacks and the implications for civil liberties in the future.
“There is a huge security concern, and these [concerns] can be alleviated without the anti-civil liberties measures that have been taken,” said Adam Crouch ’03, president of the Cornell Civil Liberties Union. “It was heartening to see such an outpouring of sentiment from the community.”
“Some very insightful stories were shared. It was very well received by the audience,” he added.
By Kelly Samuels
Members of the Ithaca community gathered in the Women’s Community Building to hear a panel discussion on the Sept. 11 impact on civil liberties. A Cornell law professor joined the panel, which included an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) member and a state representative among others.
“This is so wonderful, to see this much of a turnout over [this] subject,” said State Rep. Marty Luster (D-125th). “In times of crisis, it seems that the natural instinct of the government is to decrease civil liberties.”
Panel speakers addressed many of their remarks towards the Uniting and Strengthening America Act by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The informal name for this proposal is the USA PATRIOT Act.
As a result of the USA PATRIOT Act, national agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can share information about people more freely than previously allowed. For example, some information transfers that used to require a court order are now legal.
“It is one thing to search passengers at the airport,” said Prof. Steven Shiffrin, law. “It is quite another to loosen the legal standards governing government seizure of our books, records and documents, and electronic surveillance of our computers, our e-mail, internet searches, telephone calls, even our calls from public telephones.”
“The so-called [USA] PATRIOT Act is not carefully confined to grant new investigative tools in combating terrorism. These new methods of invading our freedom potentially apply to an American caught in a web of government suspicion or curiosity,” he added.
Other speakers discussed the interactions between the different branches of the government that many see as overlapping, as well as the military tribunals President George W. Bush implemented into his plan for the world on terrorism.
“Secret trials have no place in society,” said Lesly Lempert, a member of the Tompkins County chapter of the ACLU. “Secret justice is no justice at all.”
Other concerns were for more than 500 non-citizens that have been detained for questioning since the Sept. 11 attacks and the implications for civil liberties in the future.
“There is a huge security concern, and these [concerns] can be alleviated without the anti-civil liberties measures that have been taken,” said Adam Crouch ’03, president of the Cornell Civil Liberties Union. “It was heartening to see such an outpouring of sentiment from the community.”
“Some very insightful stories were shared. It was very well received by the audience,” he added.
Archived article by Kelly Samuels