A clash of political oppositions met Saturday at the Sheraton Hotel in Durham as U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft arrived to drum up support for Patriot Act I and II.
Using evocative and emphatic rhetoric, the Attorney General presented a short speech highlighting both the success and necessity of the Patriot Act in post Sept. 11-United States to select law enforcement, military and a generally conservative and supportive audience.
"Sept. 11 has led to a new seriousness, a new appreciation, a renewed love for the noble vision of liberty and the rule of law that guides this nation," he said.
Following his speech, Ashcroft also acknowledged growing concerns of civil liberties defenders. He explained that the Patriot Act was comprised mostly of existing laws and provisions that "are tools that are respectful of civil liberties."
The attorney general made clear, however, that his main concerns focused solely on finding an end to terrorism in a way that preserved the American way of life.
"In the days after Sept. 11, we vowed to do everything within the law to prevent additional terrorist attacks... we have used the tools provided in the Patriot Act to fulfill our first responsibility to protect the American people."
In stark contrast to the reserved atmosphere in the Sheraton, some 450 protesters monitored by police gathered outside to demonstrate against Ashcroft and the Patriot Act. Incited by alarming provisions that they believe encroach and restrain civil liberties, they voiced their opinions boisterously.
Some drew comparisons of Ashcroft to notorious Orwellian figures such as Joseph Stalin and Senator McCarthy. The most prominent display came from local Durham activist Roger Erhlich--who was involved in the Chapel Quadrangle Tenting for Peace at Duke last year--as he drove around in a painted van, bearing slogans and shouting at the crowd through a megaphone.
"When the process of public debate becomes so corrupt, that's when the public itself must resort to more flamboyant protest," he said. Highest among the agenda of the protesters was the American Library Association, which, under a new provision of the Patriot Act, would be required to disclose library records of suspected terrorists.
Opting to express their concerns more melodically, a group of librarians sang in verse to passing cars and pedestrians. "If you don't hear dissent then you know we are not free," they sang.
The protest also included representation from Duke--several professors and graduate students arrived in addition to an entire contingent of freshmen from Gilbert-Addoms dormitory.
Diane Nelson, associate professor of cultural anthropology, offered her own reasons for attending the protest. "It is the time to let Mr. Ashcroft know that there are people here with a different definition of what patriotism means," she explained.
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