The Sutter, California based company InCom announced on February 15, 2005 at a packed special school district meeting of the Brittan School Board that it would end its pilot program to require students to wear Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) badges that track the students' movements. The decision came after the ACLU of Northern California and other organizations urged school officials to end the program after being contacted by several parents.

Sutter resident Dawn Cantrall, who has a child in the 7th grade, added: "We are proud that we stopped it here in Sutter and we will continue to fight to make sure that no child is ever forced to have an RFID badge. As parents, it is our duty to keep our children safe and it is not safe to have tracking devices in student badges."

Dawn and her husband Michael Cantrall filed a formal complaint against the Brittan Elementary School Board on January 30 after meeting with several school officials. Like other parents, the Cantralls only learned about the program, which was introduced on January 18, when their child came home wearing the tracking device.

"This is a tremendous victory for the students and families of Sutter," said Nicole Ozer, Technology and Civil Liberties Policy Director of the ACLU of Northern California. "However, this is not just an issue affecting school children. The potential use of RFIDs in other identity documents, such as driver's licenses and medical cards, should be of concern to all Californians. RFIDs in identity documents is an issue that requires a statewide response and we plan to encourage legislative action on this front."

Read the press release on this issue.
http://www.aclu.org/StudentsRights/StudentsRights.cfm?orgid=n&ID=17524&c=161&MX=1949&H=1

Four states and over 360 communities across the nation have passed civil liberties resolutions. Cities, towns, counties across the country -- along with the states of Vermont, Alaska, Maine, and Hawaii-- have passed resolutions that include expressions of concern regarding the USA PATRIOT Act.

Twenty-four communities in Washington have adopted resolutions including: King County, Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, Bellingham, Snoqualmie, Oroville, Tonasket, Jefferson County, Clallam County, Port Townsend, Vashon-Maury Island, Bainbridge Island, Riverside, San Juan County, and student and/or faculty associations at the University of Washington, Washington State University, Western Washington University, and Whitman College.

House Joint Memorial 4006 sends the message to Congress that the State of Washington is committed to protecting the civil liberties and civil rights of all Washington residents. Actions taken under the USA PATRIOT Act have infringed upon citizens’ rights to privacy, due process, and freedom from undue scrutiny or surveillance. The memorial affirms our state’s commitment to protecting civil liberties.

http://ga1.org/campaign/bill_of_rights


Informant: mr_tjsmith


From: ufpj-news

Recently confirmed attorney general, Alberto Gonzales is under pressure from the ACLU to show his commitment to justice by immediately appointing an outside special counsel to investigate and prosecute any criminal acts by civilians in the torture or abuse of detainees by the U.S. government.

"Alberto Gonzales must demonstrate his willingness to uphold the oath of office as attorney general by appointing an independent special counsel that will credibly investigate and prosecute the high-level government officials who were responsible for allowing torture and abuse to take place," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero.

After three days of rigorous debate, the Senate confirmed Gonzales on a vote of 60 to 36, one of the narrowest confirmation votes ever for an attorney general. The ACLU noted that a recurring concern raised by senators was the Bush administration's policies on the torture and abuse of detainees. At his confirmation hearing, Gonzales failed to adequately answer questions from senators of both parties about his involvement with those policies and their implementation.

Read the ACLU's letter to the Senate urging a special counsel:
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?orgid=n&ID=17374&c=206&MX=1884&H=1

Take Action! Urge Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to appoint an independent counsel for torture abuses and to release all torture related documents!
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?orgid=n&ID=17420&c=206&MX=1884&H=1

Michael Chertoff, nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security and the force behind the unprovoked detention of hundreds of Arab, South Asian and Muslim men after 9/11, showed no regrets for that roundup during his Senate confirmation hearing. He also acknowledged he was consulted on the development and implementation of a notorious Justice Department torture memo.

In the days after the terrorist attacks, hundreds of Arab, South Asian and Muslim men were detained using minor immigration violations that would not normally warrant detention, a racial and religious profiling policy that was developed and carried out by Chertoff.

As a matter of policy, the ACLU neither opposes nor endorses cabinet-level appointments. It does examine and publicize nominees' civil liberties records, as it has done with Chertoff and recently confirmed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The ACLU's memorandum on Chertoff's civil liberties record can be found here:
http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?orgid=n&ID=17378&c=206&MX=1884&H=1

Take Action! As with Attorney General Gonzales, the unanswered questions swirling around Chertoff need to be addressed if the Senate is to properly exercise its "advise and consent" authority. Urge your Senators to ask the tough questions:
http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?orgid=n&ID=17384&c&MX=1884&H=1

mailbox:///C|/DOKUMENTE%20UND%20EINSTELLUNGEN/ZWERENZ/ANWENDUNGSDATEN/Mozilla/Profiles/default/jhcng299.slt/Mail/mailin.t-online.de/Trash?number=356026#story1

From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU

Subject: Urge the Senate to Thoroughly Vet Second Bush Nominee Implicated in Torture Controversy

The Bush administration is seeking a quick, under-the-radar confirmation of the president’s nominee to head the Department of Homeland Security. The Senate, however, should carefully examine the record of the nominee, Michael Chertoff, because he too is implicated in the ongoing Bush Administration torture controversy.

Urge Congress to conduct a proper review of Chertoff before voting on his nomination to head the Department of Homeland Security.

There are real concerns about Chertoff: he reportedly gave advice to the CIA about the legality of certain forms of torture and interrogation, and was also the official responsible for the unnecessary detentions of hundreds of Arab and Muslim men in the weeks and months after 9/11.

Additionally, Chertoff has demonstrated a very limited view of civil liberties: he played a leading role in the crafting of the USA Patriot Act, the relaxation of internal Justice Department guidelines that now permit the FBI to secretly spy on public religious, social or political gatherings and the blanket “voluntary” interviews of thousands of Arabs and Muslims that have sown distrust between law enforcement and these communities.

Last week, Action Network members sent more than 30,000 messages to their Senators expressing deep concerns about the Gonzales nomination, a concern that continues to be reflected in the ongoing Senate debate over the nomination. Now, Congress needs to hear your concerns about Chertoff’s involvement in setting policy and procedures on torture.

Take action! Urge Congress to conduct a proper review of Chertoff before voting on his nomination to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Click here to get more information and to take action:
http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=17384&c=24

From: Matt Howes, National Internet Organizer, ACLU

Subject: Demand Full Disclosure and Investigation of Bush Administration Torture Policies

Senate leadership is trying to steamroll the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, but your senators still have an opportunity to demand that Gonzales appoint an independent special counsel to investigate the development and implementation of U.S. interrogation and torture policies and to fully release all torture-related documents.

Until senators get those commitments, they should oppose voting on the Gonzales nomination. They cannot fully exercise their constitutional duty to “advise and consent” on the Gonzales nomination until they have critical information on his record on torture and until a commitment is made to an independent investigation. Otherwise the Senate would be setting up a situation where Gonzales would be investigating matters in which he himself participated.

Last week, members of the ACLU Action Network generated tens of thousands of letters to Congress in support of freedom and equality. We need to keep up the pressure and ensure Congress commits to accountability and responsibility for the torture and abuse of prisoners.

America is a land of laws and we cannot let the actions at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay cripple our credibility and moral standing at home and abroad. Let Congress know that you consider the use of torture to be a grave injustice that needs to be stopped.

Take Action! Urge your senators to oppose voting on the nomination of Alberto Gonzales until the Bush Administration agrees to full disclosure of torture-related documents and Gonzales commits to appoint an outside special counsel to investigate the use of torture and relevant policies.

Click here for more information and to take action! http://www.aclu.org/NationalSecurity/NationalSecurity.cfm?ID=17357&c=24