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Patriot Act finds little support at university By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings Southern Oregon University's Student Senate put the university on the map last week as the first higher education institution in Oregon to pass a resolution of non-compliance with the USA Patriot Act. Following the singular decision, a Wednesday night forum was held to help the campus community learn more about the act and how it could potentially infringe on the liberties of the students, faculty and staff. The forum, organized by the SOU Peace Club and Honors Club, hosted panelists Gerald Cavanaugh, an Ashland resident and former political science professor at the University of California at Berkeley; Lynn Ackler, SOU computer science professor; and Paul Copeland, co-chair for the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Panelists gave little praise to the act, urging students to be concerned, be active and be aware of how the Patriot Act amputates the civil liberties guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. "It can not be overstated how rickety our democracy is right now and how fragile our civil rights are," Cavanaugh said to a full room of more than 40 campus community members. "We can only survive if we maintain our true democracy and retain all, all of our civil liberties." The Patriot Act was signed into law in October 2001 following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The act targeting terrorism now threatens the rights of American citizens, according to the panelists. Cavanaugh said under the guidelines of the Patriot Act, the government can monitor and surveil students and their records and even conduct secret searches without a warrant. The act also permits information sharing - allowing the U.S. Attorney General to distribute information obtained during criminal investigations to various agencies without judicial review, Cavanaugh said. According to Keith Quick, SOU Peace Club founder, the FBI has already approached the campus for information on specific students. "The FBI has actively approached our International Studies programs," Quick said. "It's a real concern here at SOU." A petition to keep university officials from handing over information about International students is circulating, Quick said. Copeland said this is not the first time the U.S. government has weakened the rights of the citizens it serves. According to Copeland, the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, President Abraham Lincoln's declaration of martial law during the Civil War, and the Japanese internment camps during World War II are just a few examples of when and how the government has used its power to overstep the rights of the people. "Where we are now in post-9/11 is that we're doing a lot of the things we once did historically but we're doing them with increased vigor," Copeland said. SOU sophomore Randy Johnson said he supports the Student Senate's decision to pass the resolution of non-compliance not just for today's society but for future generations. "If our generation doesn't stand up and fight for the rights our children should be inheriting from us, then our grandkids don't have a chance," Johnson said. "I refuse to allow freedoms to go to waste." Campus activists, including SOU safety and security officer Wes Brain, said they would like to see the non-compliance resolution go beyond the Student Senate to the Faculty Senate and the university's workers union. "Personally, I have a lot of interest," Brain said. "I'm an activist and I want to see them pass it." Brain said he brought SOU's resolution to the Oregon University System board last week to circulate it among representatives of higher education. He said he has also worked with activists within the SEIU-503 - a union that represents more than 35,000 workers across the state - to generate interest in passing a resolution against the Patriot Act. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -