March 28, 2005
By Greg Szymanski
Arctic Beacon
A grassroots movement to repeal the Patriot Act has been burning across the country like an out of control wildfire. The fire of dissent has even spread to many of President Bush's "red states," where conservative Republicans want to become part of what has been called "America's free zones."
A "free zone," coined by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, a watchdog group formed to protect the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, is a
place where citizens openly denounce the Patriot Act through a public resolution or ordinance supported by a vote of the city, county or state government.
Although the mainstream media has covered the story like a flicker not a flame, presently 4 states, 375 municipalities and approximately 60 million Americans have joined the "free zone" movement. The movement openly denounces the oppressive Patriot Act and the Bush administration's tactics of spying on the American people.
Many critics have compared the Patriot Act to legislation passed by the Nazi Party to quell dissent and even Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), a well-respected constitutional scholar, has compared President Bush to Hitler in what he calls a one voice, one party ideology.
The Patriot Act, which has a chilling effect on freedom of speech and other constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure, right to counsel and right to a fair trial, was hurriedly passed into law 45 days after September 11, most legislators not even reading the bill and frightened into signing it due to the threat of terrorism.
Since the act was passed, widespread abuse has been reported due to an overzealous FBI and Justice Department using its overly broad powers against the American people for non-terrorist related activities.
One typical community disgusted with the loss of civil rights is Paonia, Colorado, a town of 1,600 located 200 miles from Denver. Last February, the Panoia Town Council voted 4-2 to pass a resolution denouncing the Patriot Act, joining the growing list of municipalities who openly oppose it.
Leader of the Paonia "free zone" movement, longtime resident Rand Kokernot, said he finally became "fed up with Bush politics" and organized the petition drive along with the help of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, who lends assistance to local communities.
"I am opposed to the Patriot Act because parts of it open up the door to the gutting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," said Kokernot, who operates a bed and breakfast near Paonia. "If one person's freedoms can be taken away by a 'mad' attorney general, anyone's freedoms become as fragile. I began the movement because I felt we needed a victory. Lately, fighting the system has been like banging one's head against the wall."
Although the town's support is split in half with the mayor opposing the "free zone" movement, Kokernot wanted Paonia to be an example for other communities who feel that efforts to end terrorism should not be waged at the expense of essential civil rights and liberties.
To illustrate Paonia's concerns, reports surfaced in 2003 that the FBI had collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of anti war demonstrators by using the Patriot Act to circumvent normal 4th Amendment search and seizure guidelines.
In response to the civil rights violations similar to those used against Martin Luther King in the 1960s, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said the September 11 attacks made it essential that the FBI be allowed to investigate terrorism more aggressively.
However, concerning Ashcroft's comments, Kokernot said to think about the words of Benjamin Franklin in 1759, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
"Kokernot then added: "In the future, I plan to lead a local campaign to end the unjust war in Iraq. I think Bush wants to control dissent under the guise that he is protecting America. He is disguising colonialism and exploitation in the guise of democracy, something our government through its foreign policy has been doing for quite awhile."
Other recent additions to America's "Free Zone" communities include Farmington and Exeter, NH. Some larger cities also officially denouncing the Patriot Act include Albuquerque, NM., Milwaukee WI., Boise, ID., Savannah, GA., Seattle WA., Washington D.C., Alexandria VA., Kansas City, MO., Jackson MI., and Denver, CO.
http://www.arcticbeacon.citymaker.com/articles/article/1518131/23416.htm