LWV in action: protecting civil liberties.

I would like to comment on the importance of the work the League is
doing in the field of Individual Liberties. It is because of its
unwavering dedication to our democratic principles that the League
recognized communism as a deadly threat to our national security ... In
1954 at the League's National Convention, we concluded that our best
contribution would be to develop a widespread awareness in regard to our
American heritage of individual liberty and its relationship to national
security.
--Percy Maxim Lee, 1955 address on the League's Freedom Agenda Program

Protecting "Individual Liberties" has long been a fundamental concern for the League. In the 1950s, LWVUS President Percy Maxim Lee was not breaking new ground when she addressed this issue.

Nearly a decade earlier in January 1942, national League President Marguerite Wells called an emergency council of state presidents. In a subsequent letter to Leagues, Wells summed up the League's objective in that wartime period: the support of democracy. To do so, she wrote, required reaching "more individuals, remembering it is individuals, their freedom and independence, for whom the government of a democracy is instituted." She cautioned that in times of crisis such as war, "the citizen loses sight of government and what government is doing, who is doing it, how it is being done. Thus the citizen becomes inattentive to all but headline news of government; becomes passive; remains a spectator."

Today, the world and our country are focused on a different kind of war, a "war against terrorism." In this uncertain time, as the League focuses on making sure that citizens do not "lose sight of government and what government is doing, who is doing it, how it is being done," we are consistent in our proud history. What could be more basic to the League's mission?

So what has the League been doing? The League has been an active voice and educator on issues related to individual liberties, including ensuring our government's accountability to the people and the preservation of checks and balances in our government. Our Web site section on "Civil Liberties" provides educational and advocacy-related material, including information on current projects.

From the time that the USA PATRIOT Act became law in 2001, the League of Women Voters has actively lobbied in support of legislation that would limit some of the law's extreme provisions. Since 2003, the League has pushed for passage of the SAFE (Security and Freedom Ensured) Act introduced in both the House and Senate. The League also supported the Freedom to Read Act, passed by the House of Representatives as an amendment to existing appropriations bills but never included in the final version. As we go to press, the House and the Senate have passed different versions of reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. It is anticipated that they will work out the differences in the two bills and present a reauthorization to the President for his signature this fall.

The League has supported proposals to limit the excesses of the USA PATRIOT Act, not only because of its threats to individual liberties that are central to our civic life, but also because of the impact that the Act is having on the system of checks and balances that is basic to the working of our government. The League believes that Congress must know of the actions of the Executive and Judiciary branches, and that the courts must be kept apprised of and have the opportunity to review the actions of law enforcement. In addition, it is important for local and state governments to be able to work in concert with the federal government in the critical balancing of security concerns and individual liberties.

In 2005, the League's work and commitment to civil liberties continue in advocacy and educational arenas. The "Local Voices" project (see feature on p. 4) is a prime example. On the educational front the League also has sponsored panels and workshops focusing on civil liberties and security issues at our Councils and Conventions in recent years. Additionally, since 2001 the League's Judicial Independence Project has focused on educating citizens about protecting access to a fair and independent judiciary. In early August of 2005, the national office was informed that the League's proposal entitled "Safeguarding U.S. Democracy: Promoting an Independent Judiciary by Defending the U.S. Constitution" has been funded for three years.

These are challenging times for all of us. The League recognizes the seriousness and reality of terrorist threats. It also recognizes the seriousness and reality of threats to our individual liberties. The League is acutely aware that when we are vigilant about our civil liberties, we are working to preserve the security of our democracy.