To: The Oregon State House, The Oregon State Senate, and Governor Kate Brown
Work locally to defend the Constitution
Presidents swear to defend the US Constitution, yet the George W. Bush administration created the Patriot Act, which blatantly destroys our right to privacy and due process of law. President Obama had the opportunity to let this document die, but instead revived it. The following is the Constitutional amendment to protect us from this action;
- Amendment IV
(Privacy of the Person and Possessions)
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.-
This amendment, and many other aspects of constitutional law, have been violated by the very persons who are sworn to defend those very precious freedoms, from the document that is the very definition of this nation.
We, the signers of this petition, believe that we can no longer trust the federal government to defend the constitution, nor any president to take his oath seriously. We therefore declare that we, the people of the State of Oregon, denounce the Patriot Act, and by such action make it illegal for any federal, state or local officers to move against any Oregon citizen under the cloak of the Patriot Act.
- Amendment IV
(Privacy of the Person and Possessions)
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.-
This amendment, and many other aspects of constitutional law, have been violated by the very persons who are sworn to defend those very precious freedoms, from the document that is the very definition of this nation.
We, the signers of this petition, believe that we can no longer trust the federal government to defend the constitution, nor any president to take his oath seriously. We therefore declare that we, the people of the State of Oregon, denounce the Patriot Act, and by such action make it illegal for any federal, state or local officers to move against any Oregon citizen under the cloak of the Patriot Act.
Why is this important?
There should not be one person in the United States that has their privacy invaded, their property rights ignored, or that is taken forcibly with no due process, by those who should protect the civil liberties that we are guaranteed under the US constitution. Yet many have, under the strength of the Patriot Act. The federal government will not acknowledge this destruction of civil rights, and so we petition state legislators to denounce the Patriot Act. Oregon has had a proud history of disagreeing with federal mandates, and takes invasion of privacy and property rights especially seriously. By acting locally instead of appealing to the federal government, we can at least keep our state free from this unconstitutional act.