June 27 – With Independence Day approaching, the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC) calls on Americans who are unwilling to sacrifice their fundamental liberties in the name of national security to sign a new Declaration and to pledge their support for fully restoring Constitutional rights and human rights.

More than 500 people and organizations across the US have already signed “A Declaration for Our Times,” which BORDC is running as a half-page signature ad in the New York Times during the week of July 4 and is producing as video and audio public service announcements. BORDC is accepting additional signers until Sunday, June 29, at midnight.

“Many Americans have become dispirited by the continuing array of freedom-robbing laws, policies, and government actions, including warrantless domestic spying, torture and unlimited detentions, that they see as un-American,” BORDC director Nancy Talanian explains. “Looking at all of the administration’s usurpations together, through the Declaration, and committing ourselves to resolving our grievances, as the founding fathers did, is a positive step toward restoring our constitutional rights.”

The Declaration is part of BORDC’s new People’s Campaign for the Constitution, which is organizing local grassroots coalitions during the 2008 election year and beyond to hold candidates for public office accountable to the constitutional principles to which they must swear an oath.

In 2002, BORDC launched a nationwide campaign that put city, county and state governments on record for upholding their residents’ Constitutional rights. Although members of Congress took notice of the passage of eight statewide resolutions and the more than 400 local resolutions and ordinances that resulted, BORDC recognizes new approaches are needed. In order to end the practice of Congress giving in to fear mongering about terrorism, Talanian says, “the people need to organize themselves locally and to meet with legislators and candidates face to face, in coalitions. After all, the American people created the government to work for them. Therefore, we need to set the government’s agenda and communicate to our representatives clearly that we are unwilling to accept suspensions of our liberties and of anyone’s human rights in exchange for our government’s promises of greater security.”

According to the author of “A Declaration for Our Times,” Christopher Pyle, “The situation that we face today is in many ways worse than the situation that sparked the War for Independence…George W. Bush’s violations of liberty far exceed anything that King George the Third ever did.”

Links:
* Read the “Declaration for Our Times” at http://constitutioncampaign.org/ad/ad.pdf%20
* Sign the New York Times ad (deadline June 29 at midnight EDT) at www.constitutioncampaign.org/ad
* Pledge support for the People’s Campaign for the Constitution and join or form a local coalition at http://www.constitutioncampaign.org/

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CONTACT: Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC)
Nancy Talanian, Director, Bill of Rights Defense Committee
413.582.0110, ntalanian@bordc.org