Suffolk NYCLU > Newsletters > 4/22/04 E-Newsletter: PATRIOT Act Forum, March for Women's Lives

April 22, 2004
Suffolk NYCLU E-Newsletter

Dear Supporters,

Spring has sprung two exciting events that are the focus of this e-newsletter:

1). PATRIOT Act Forum
2). March for Women's Lives Update

1). PATRIOT Act Forum

On April 29, 2004 at 7:00pm at the Huntington Cinema Arts Centre, the Suffolk NYCLU and the Long Island Progressive Coalition will be hosting an open forum as part of the Suffolk Bill of Rights Defense Campaign's work to pass resolutions that restate the importance of our Constitutional freedoms of due process, association, equal protection and free speech in Suffolk’s local governments. Our campaign is part of a nationwide movement that has passed resolutions in hundreds of communities and four states to protect their combined 49,909,239 residents' civil liberties. The April 29th forum will be a discussion of legislation, the resolution movement and the impact of security concerns on our culture and society.

The first speaker will be Al-Haaj Ghazi Khankan, Director of Interfaith Affairs at the Islamic Center of Long Island and Executive Director for the Council on American Islamic Relations in New York. Khankhan has appeared on CNN’s Talkback Live and ABC News with Peter Jennings, and has worked tirelessly on Long Island to create inter-religious dialogue and awareness of the difficulties American Arabs and Muslims have faced since September 11th. The second speaker will be Sally Robinson, chair of the NYC Bill of Rights Defense Campaign that helped pass a February 2004 resolution in New York City for which they were honored by the City Council with a proclamation noting their “outstanding service to the city, state and nation.”

It is time that Suffolk County join New York City and countless other communities across the nation in passing a resolution. Please consider attending the forum as a chance to learn more about the legal and societal implications of the PATRIOT Act, to ask questions of the speakers, and to lend a hand to our local movement.

2). March for Women's Lives

This Sunday, the March for Women's Lives will take place in Washington D.C. A woman's choice to a safe, legal abortion hinges on one vote in the Supreme Court, and such challenges as the Department of Justice's attempt to secure the medical records of those who received abortions from a New York hospital (http://www.fresnobee.com/24hour/nation/story/1308285p-8450214c.html) chip away at this fundamental right. The March is a very important opportunity to show our elected officials that support for choice is very strong. If you are thinking of attending, please come along. We need you!

If you would like to march with the Suffolk NYCLU, ask a volunteer (they will be wearing easily identifiable shirts) upon arrival at the Mall to be directed to the ACLU contingent. Within the ACLU will be an NYCLU section where Suffolk NYCLU'ers will be gathering and marching.

Here are some quick pointers for the March:

1). Bring water and wear layers, Washington in the summer can start out cool and end up quite warm. 2). You should plan to bring food, and while you are not allowed to have a large cooler, you can take a small cooler or backpack. 3). If you are driving, park outside the District and take the Metro in. 4). Avoid the Smithtown metro stop, L'Enfant will be less crowded.

If you have any questions, please call our office (631) 423-3846. The March is going to be an exciting and wonderful event, and we are here to help. We look forward to seeing you at the March and at next week's forum!

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