Orono group seeks Patriot Act resolution

ORONO – A group of students, faculty and residents is working to get the Town Council to pass a resolution regarding the Patriot Act.

Julia Trunzo and Peter Benziger, both seniors at the University of Maine, have acted as the organizers of a group concerned that the Patriot Act threatens the civil liberties of American citizens.

The Patriot Act was signed into law by President Bush on Oct. 26, 2001, after the terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

The act was designed to provide officials with the appropriate tools and rights to intercept and obstruct terrorism.

Since the act was passed, 280 cities and towns, including New York City, and four states have passed resolutions faulting the law. University organizations, students, and members of the Orono community have jumped on board in an attempt to get the Town Council to pass a resolution affirming that freedoms allowed in the Bill of Rights and under the 14th Amendment are being violated.

“That was kind of the goal, to make it as collective as possible,” Trunzo said on Tuesday. The two UMaine students, along with about a dozen supporters, presented the Town Council with a copy of the resolution they hope to have passed at Monday’s council meeting. Town Manager Catherine Conlow and the Orono police chief also are reviewing the document.

There has been controversy regarding the bill since it was passed. Many are concerned that government officials only had 36 hours to review the document, which is 342 pages long.

“During that time, it was politically impossible to vote against it,” Benziger said on Tuesday. The group has done extensive research and contacted other communities that already have or are trying to pass similar resolutions, including Portland, Waterville and Bangor. The state of Maine also passed a similar resolution last month.

The proposed resolution that was presented to Orono town officials outlines seven alleged violations of the freedoms of citizens that the government has committed, including:

. Secret searches.

. Giving law enforcement officials broad access to sensitive medical, mental health, library, business, financial, educational and other records without having to show probable cause of evidence or a crime.

. Granting unchecked power to the attorney general and the secretary of state to designate domestic groups as “terrorist organizations.”

Other alleged violations concern indefinite detention or deportation, the allowance of telephone and Internet surveillance and additional rights that have been granted to the Central Intelligence Agency under the act.

“Hopefully this will be a success and people from surrounding communities can take the resources we’ve accumulated,” Trunzo said.

The group has gathered 170 signatures in favor of the resolution, but it’s “just the beginning,” Benziger said.

The group plans to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the COE Lounge of UMaine’s Memorial Union to give an update on their progress and discuss steps for the future.

Although Trunzo and Benziger will graduate in May, others are interested in carrying the process forward if a resolution is passed to see if the town will also pass an ordinance.

The council has referred the proposed resolution to the operations committee, where it will be discussed at the meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26.

“The main drive is to make this a statement of solidarity,” Trunzo said. “There are other ways to have an effect on government than just voting.”