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An Urgent Message from the NYCLU
In the wake of election results, there is a great need to redouble efforts to oppose an unrelenting assault on civil liberties.
*Please Forward Widely*
Dear NYCLU Supporter,
Over the last four years, we have seen an unrelenting assault on our civil liberties and the very values that define our democracy.
Now is the time to redouble our efforts -- our democracy depends on you.
President Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft have:
- Opposed reasonable efforts by Republicans and Democrats alike to repeal the overreaching powers of the Patriot Act
- Undermined basic checks and balances designating American citizens and others as "enemy combatants" without charges or access to their lawyers
- Imposed government-funded religion by providing taxpayer money for faith-based programs
- Restricted the medical decisions that women can make over their reproductive rights
In response, the ACLU has:
- Filed constitutional challenges to portions of the Patriot Act and battled efforts to extend it in Congress
- Defended a woman's right to choose and challenged in court President Bush's federal ban on abortion
- Advocated for the full equality of lesbians and gays, including the right to marry
And in New York, the NYCLU has:
- Mobilized many thousands of New Yorkers in twenty-four municipalities to pass resolutions opposing measures - including parts of the Patriot Act - that needlessly undermine rights of speech, association, privacy, and due process in the name of national security
- Led the fight to defeat a state anti-terrorism bill that would have wiped out longstanding constitutional protections of privacy and due process
- Filed a lawsuit to stop religious discrimination in government funded social services programs
Those are our values: American values of equality and freedom.
We at the NYCLU will continue to do our part to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Now, we call on you to do your part. Log onto http://ga1.org/ct/fpSE0XM1vpCt/ to learn more about how you can get involved. To join or contribute to the NYCLU, log onto http://ga1.org/ct/v1SE0XM1vpCg/.