November 25, 2005
SEATTLE — On Tuesday, November 29, former Seattle Chief of Police Norm Stamper will be speaking at the University of Washington about the controversial USA PATRIOT Act. Entitled Caught in the (Patriot) Act, the event will feature a variety of speakers from the Seattle area discussing their personal and professional familiarity with the Act.
The USA PATRIOT Act, commonly called the Patriot Act, contains provisions that many Americans feel undermine their Constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure. These provisions authorize law enforcement agents to enter private property, run telephone wiretaps, search library records, and access private customer databases without a warrant.
Mr. Stamper will bring his considerable law enforcement experience to bear on this issue when he addresses the UW audience on the pros and cons of the USA PATRIOT Act. Stamper has recently gained national attention with his book Breaking Rank, in which he challenges the Patriot Act, the War on Drugs, and other federal policies.
According to Don Rasmussen, President of Libertarians at the UW, the purpose of this event is to provide the UW community with a balanced presentation about the dangers of the Patriot Act. “Libertarians believe the Act is unconstitutional and poses a severe threat to our liberty,” explains Rasmussen, “After we present the facts to the audience, I’m confident that they’ll come to the same conclusion.”
Caught in the (PATRIOT) Act is sponsored by the Libertarians at the UW. The Muslim Student Association, the UW chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Young Democrats at the UW are co-sponsoring the event and providing additional speakers. The College Republicans will present a speaker in support of the Act.
The event will be held Tuesday, November 29 at 6 pm in the Husky Union Building Auditorium. It is free for UW students and staff, while tickets for the general public cost $2 and will be sold at the door starting at 5:30 pm. Directions to the Husky Union Building are available online.