In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, members of Congress passed legislation giving the executive branch sweeping new powers to fight terrorism. This legislation, named the USA Patriot Act, was passed after only six weeks of deliberation, an unusually brief period for such an important piece of legislation. While it passed, many members of Congress have stated that they had insufficient time to read the 342-page document.

The USA Patriot Act is a complex piece of legislation that has wide ranging effects on many of the rights and freedoms we take for granted as United States citizens. Some of its provisions threaten rights specifically granted under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth amendments to our constitution. These include rights of free speech and assembly, freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, public trial with the assistance of counsel, and freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.

One of the primary functions of the USA Patriot Act is to minimize judicial oversight of criminal investigations. Judicial oversight of wiretaps, subpoenas, transfer of information between agencies, etc, provides a system of checks and balances that serves to prevent abuses of power. When do these checks and balances become hindrances to conducting the War on Terror? When do abuses of power hide under the guise of national security needs? These are vitally important questions that must be openly debated and decided upon in any free and open society.

Presently, some ten percent of the provisions in the USA Patriot Act are due to expire under sunset clauses making this an important time for citizens to learn about and decide what they think regarding this balance between our traditional freedoms and the need to fight the War on Terror.

There will be a non partisan, pubic educational forum on this topic on Flag Day, Tuesday, June 14, 2005, at 6:30 PM, sponsored by the South Portland Public Library, in the meeting room of the Library. The forum will be comprised of a panel of presenters with opportunity for questions from audience members. To date, panel members are:

Richard Maiman, head of the Political Science Department at the University of Southern Maine, will provide an overview of the Patriot Act.

Nancy Crowell, a local library professional, who will speak to the effects of the Act on business records including abuse of library records.

Police Chief Edward Googins of the South Portland, ME., Police Department will speak to the affects of the Act on local security issues.

Jeff Weinstein, president, Maine Gunowners’ Association.

Maine U.S. Senator Susan Collins and her staff have offered to have a representative from their staff also be a member of the panel, to speak to the Act from the perspective of the Senator.