The American Way

All across the nation, the municipal resistance movement has been spreading.

Known as the Bill of Rights Defense Movement, after the original Bill of Rights Defense Committee in Northampton, Massachusetts, and, obviously, in defense of our most sacred Bill of Rights, this movement is growing rapidly, its roots planted firmly and deeply in the American soil.

This is in the best American tradition.

Americans everywhere -- concerned about how the USA PATRIOT Act, various executive and administrative measures, and the Homeland Security Act, among other laws, have shredded the Bill of Rights -- are speaking up, telling their local authorities to protest, demanding they pass resolutions against these measures.

Twenty-seven cities have now passed resolutions (San Francisco being the latest), and there are nearly eighty-five more currently considering such motions, according to Nancy Talanian of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee.

While these efforts are "largely symbolic," according to the New York Times, "many of them provide some legal justification for local authorities to resist cooperating in the federal war on terrorism when they deem civil liberties and Constitutional rights are being compromised."

Wired News writes: "Fearing that the Patriot Act will curtail Americans' civil rights, municipalities across the country are passing resolutions to repudiate the legislation and protect their residents from a perceived abuse of authority by the federal government."

This municipal resistance movement heralds a new growing consciousness in the minds of many Americans. However, the road for defenders of the Bill of Rights is not always smooth. In Broward County, Florida, the battle is an uphill one. The on-going Broward battle is illustrative of the issues arising in this movement.

The Uphill Battle Against the Bush Mantra

The Broward Bill of Rights Defense Coalition (BBORDC), comprised of sixteen member organizations ranging from the Women's League of Voters to the People for the American Way, met individually in early January with commissioners and sponsored a resolution drafted by the Broward Human Rights Board (BHRB) that came before the Broward County Commission first on January 14 and again on January 21.

Both times, the BHRB submitted the resolution as a "motion to adopt." Someone - we do not know who -- changed the motion both times after it was submitted so that it became only a "motion to file." On January 21, the Commissioners, after hearing about thirty minutes of testimony from concerned community members, voted to file the motion instead of voting on the substance itself. Essentially, this means the Commission shelved it.

Before the public meeting, I was sitting in the office of one Commissioner when I heard her tell a group from the BBORDC that she was willing to throw out the Bill of Rights in exchange for greater security. The Commissioner has since denied saying this.

Remember Benjamin Franklin: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

The Commissioner clarified her position in a letter to one BBORDC member: "We are protecting essential civil rights. However, the events of 9/11 have forever changed how we live. There is a need to make sure that all United States residents are safe and secure, and that there are no future terrorism events. Certain circumstances may require unusual needs."

The BBORDC was asking that the Commission affirm and uphold the Bill of Rights. Had the Commission found any of the language problematic or offensive, it was free to amend the Resolution. However, instead, the Commission voted to take no stand and no responsibility for taking no stand. It is difficult to see how the Commission is protecting essential civil rights by NOT voting to uphold the Bill of Rights. Indeed, some BBORDC members were told that this effort was not the responsibility of the Commission. If upholding the Bill of Rights is not their responsibility, what is?