|
|
Initial Meeting:
Invite a group of people in your community
that might be interested in defending civil
liberties to an initial meeting. This can
be a small or large group of people, formed
as a subcommittee of a larger
organization, a new group, or a coalition.
Next, create a strategy that will help you
accomplish your goals of educating your
community, building an activist base, passing
a resolution, and ultimately working with
other people in different cities and towns
that have passed resolutions to amend or
repeal the unconstitutional provisions of
the USA PATRIOT Act and other anti-terrorism
legislation that threatens civil liberties.
The most effective tactics we’ve seen to
accomplish these goals consist of building
a coalition of diverse groups and elected
officials, circulating a petition, hosting
a forum/educational event, and lobbying
elected officials.
|
|
Press release and flier
announcing first meeting.
|
|
Networking and Outreach
with Other Organizations:
After the first meeting, members of the group
can agree to call other local organizations
and people that might be interested in helping
organize locally against anti-terrorism legislation
that threatens civil liberties.
Members can split up local contacts and let
people in other organizations know about
the next coalition meeting. Your local ACLU
chapter will likely be interested and might have
a mailing list that they will be willing to share.
|
|
|
Community Outreach and
Fund raising:
Set dates for a forum and next meeting to plan
the forum, then send out an invitation letter
to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and
ACLU members in your community. The letter
can ask people to endorse the forum and to
make a donation to cover expenses such as
copying and postage. Benefits of this effort
include:
• Some endorsers will join the committee;
• An endorser list creates a network to which
you can distribute a petition and public
forum poster, and for rallying community
members to speak in favor of the
resolution at the City Council meeting;
• A list of endorsers from the community on
you poster and program will give your effort
credibility and show that it has broad
support and appeal.
|
|
|
Committees:
In preparation for the public
forum, consider forming
subcommittees.
|
|
List of possible
subcommittees with
descriptions of their
responsibilities.
|
|
City Government Contacts,
Program Participation:
Contact and meet with sympathetic elected
officials and the Police Chief about your
group's concerns and plans. Ask one of the
elected officials to sponsor the resolution.
Involve these people in your forum. Invite
City/Town/County Councilors and the Police
Chief to participate in the forum as panelists.
|
|
Flier, "Police Opposition to
Local Law Enforcement of
Immigration Laws (As
Allowed by the USAPA)"4
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)5
Conservatives Against the
Patriot Act 6
|
|
