DECLARATION: In Defense of Freedom
On September 11, 2001 thousands of people
lost their lives in a brutal assault on the American people and the American
form of government. We mourn the loss of these innocent lives and
insist that those who perpetrated these acts be held accountable.
This tragedy requires all Americans to examine
carefully the steps our country may now take to reduce the risk of future
terrorist attacks.
We need to consider proposals calmly and deliberately
with a determination not to erode the liberties and freedoms that are at
the core of the American way of life.
We need to ensure that actions by our government
uphold the principles of a democratic society, accountable government and
international law, and that all decisions are taken in a manner consistent
with the Constitution.
We can, as we have in the past, in times of
war and of peace, reconcile the requirements of security with the demands
of liberty.
We should resist the temptation to enact proposals
in the mistaken belief that anything that may be called anti-terrorist
will necessarily provide greater security.
We should resist efforts to target people
because of their race, religion, ethnic background or appearance, including
immigrants in general, Arab Americans and Muslims.
We affirm the right of peaceful dissent, protected
by the First Amendment, now, when it is most at risk.
We should applaud our political leaders in
the days ahead who have the courage to say that our freedoms should not
be limited.
We must have faith in our democratic system
and our Constitution, and in our ability to protect at the same time both
the freedom and the security of all Americans.
(The statement, along with a list of endorsers
is available at http://www.indefenseofreedom.org
online.)
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