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From
the Executive Director's Desk
We find ourselves in "post 9/11" - engulfed in a sea of assaults on the liberty that we have fought so diligently to protect. We are facing new, complex and many-faceted threats to civil liberties both nationally and here in Colorado. As we strive to find a reasonable balance between protecting our freedom and assuring our security, we are examining proposed legislation that has far-reaching implications on our civil liberties. The Colorado Legislature opened its session on January 9th. We have already seen proposed legislation (SB 077) requiring a trial judge rather than a three judge panel to determine whether a defendant should receive the death penalty. We anticipate the introduction of legislation that will thwart our freedom of speech, that will erode our right to privacy, and that will erode the wall that separation of church and state - bills designed to make us "feel" more secure but in fact, fall short of "making" us more secure. So, in our 50th year here in Colorado, we will be even more vigilant than ever. We will be at the Capitol monitoring proposed legislation , we will be in the offices of our legislators advocating for the protection of our civil liberties, and we will be at House and Senate Committee hearings testifying on behalf of our right to liberty. We will be wherever we need to be - as protectors of the Bill of Rights - to protect our rich heritage of liberty. Join us in our fight by watching the ACLU of Colorado web site for opportunities for action (www.aclu-co.org). Thank you for your role in making possible our last … and our next 50 years! Sue Armstrong O |
