Press Release

Is the Patriot Act Traitorous to Democracy?

(Washington - October 25, 2001) The American Humanist Association (AHA) is troubled by the passage of the Patriot Act (H.R. 2975). The bill, in its final form, is a hindrance to the civil liberties that Americans have long cherished and opens the door to the violation of human dignity. Though there is an obvious need for improved security, broad wire-tapping authority and widespread surveillance will take our country a step backward.

Edd Doerr, president of the AHA ponders the questions this legislation raises, "Was the enactment overly rushed? Did Congress take the time to properly consider ramifications? Who will set the limitations on the potential uses of this legislation? How difficult will it be to challenge this legislation when it expires in 2006? Will the increased surveillance inappropriately affect private lives and damage families, and businesses? Could this lead to charges based on faulty interpretations? It is with great apprehension that we will face the outcomes which answer these questions."

While the intention of the Patriot Act is clear and reasonable, its reach is undefined and immense. Inevitably, certain individuals will be targeted based not on their actions but on their "potential threat" which can equate to their ethnicity, belief, appearance, or other unrelated factors that should not raise suspicion. The recent attack on America has spurred our nation's leaders and others among us to be concerned about safety and security, but we must not abandon democracy in a hasty effort to address domestic terrorism.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Executive director Tony Hileman, Executive Director adds, "If safety is valued more than freedom, both will be lost and a great deal of what we have come to take for granted can also be lost. For when freedom goes much more follows in its wake and it is usually tyranny that flows in to drown what remains of civil liberties.

"On behalf of the AHA, I urge those entrusted with ensuring both the laws and civil liberties of our land to be ever mindful of our constitution's Bill of Rights as they go about the delicate business of implementing these new authorities. We appeal to all officials of the law, national, state, local and military, to exercise these new powers evenhandedly-and with respect for those they are sworn to protect. This act of Congress grants law-enforcement increased powers but these powers should be exercised with restraint and not construed as unlimited license."

The American Humanist Association is the oldest and largest Humanist organization in the nation. The AHA is dedicated to ensuring a voice for those with a positive outlook, based on reason and experience, which embraces all of humanity.

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