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National
Security vs. Civil Liberties: Finding a Balance - American Conservative
Union (ACU) & American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Join Forces
in Effort to Protect and Preserve Americans' Civil Liberties
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Watch
in Real Audio
Alexandria,
VA - At an educational, open-to-the-press panel discussion at
the National Press Club earlier today, American Conservative Union
(ACU) Chairman David A Keene urged Washington policy-makers that
while considering anti-terror legislation they "must tread
lightly when it comes to rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution."
The
discussion among conservative civil liberty activists-moderated
by the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) Director Laura Murphy-included
ACU Foundation's 21st Century Chairman for Privacy and Freedom,
Bob Barr, Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, and
Eagle Forum Executive Director Lori Waters.
As
the U.S. Congress begins to deal with legislation pertaining to
Homeland Security, computer-assisted pre-passenger screening (CAPPS
II), a general expansion of the first PATRIOT Act, and the potential
removal of sunset provisions from the first PATRIOT Act, Keene said,
"Congress must look skeptically at these requests… civil
liberty infringements happen in times of war and times of national
crisis. The problem is that a lot of what is put in place during
those times are liable to remain in place and permanently alter
the government-citizen relationship."
"These
infringements on the individual freedoms of American citizens are
not part of some plot or conspiracy to deprive us of our civil liberties.
The President, the Attorney General and those interested in maximizing
individual liberty need to work together to guarantee that we can
defend ourselves without altering the nature of the greatest society
on earth. The USA PATRIOT Act was passed in haste included ideas
previously shelved by the Congress, like expanded civil forfeiture
and roving wiretaps: ideas that law enforcement wanted, but could
never get. When creating sound anti-terrorism legislation, the line
should not be drawn at 'what is helpful for law enforcement,' but
at what is needed to protect us while preserving the proper balance
between preserving civil liberties and our nation's national security
needs."
Keene
concluded by urging civil liberties advocates to work closely with
Congress and the Administration to scrutinize old and new laws alike
with an eye to "both protecting and preserving the America
we all love."
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