TESTIMONIES

Press Statement for Daniels and Younge Fellows on USA Patriot Act

On August 6th, 2002, at 2:00 p.m., young people will gather in Freedom Plaza to hold a press conference in protest of the Homeland Security Proposal. We, interns from SpiritHouse: the Jonathan Daniels and Samuel Younge Forum for Social Justice and our allies at Black Voices for Peace call this conference to redeem the heart of American democracy.

As a group of diverse young people who are the true face of the nation, we resist the right wing ideology of the USA Patriot Act, Homeland Security Proposal and other policies that throw our constitution into disarray. The Homeland Security Proposal reduces congressional power and therefore disrupts our system of checks and balances.

We refuse to use our talents and resources to support militaristic policies. We will not squeal on our neighbors through Operation TIPS. We will not waste our time witch-hunting for terrorists. We are better than that and can contribute much more. Nor will we participate in racial profiling because we are a nation that believes that America is a place for people of all colors and religions. We reject this vision of a divided and contentious society. When President John F. Kennedy issued his call to build a better world, he did not intend to achieve it through military use. We believe, like Kennedy, that the great call of the 21st century is "not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need-not as a call to battle, though embattled we are-but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"-a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself."

The Homeland Security Proposal suppresses the hope we hold for the future. We demand that our members of Congress and others with power turn from this death-driven legislation. We call on our leaders to join us in realizing our life-affirming vision of the future.