Anti-Terrorism Bill Too Costly In Rights, Freedoms

Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins tells a story of children who run screaming from a garden snake, telling their mother that even though it won’t hurt them, “Some things will scare you so bad, you hurt yourself.”

That’s what terrorism is designed to do: frighten people so much they become hysterical and hurt themselves.

By that measure, the maniacs who blew up a building and its occupants in Oklahoma City appear to have succeeded. Americans are on the verge of giving up many of our cherished rights in a frenzy of fear.

And it won’t make us safer.

The arson and murder committed by that bombing were a heinous crime. But if the anti-terrorism bill that has passed the Senate becomes law, many nonviolent political, religious or charitable activities of law-biding citizens will be crimes as well.

The bill would give the secretary of state the authority to blacklist foreign organizations as “terrorist organizations” because the secretary finds them “detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

Then, an American citizen or resident who is a member of or makes any contributions to that organization, even for nonviolent religious, political or even charitable purposes, could be arrested, tried and imprisoned for up to 10 years.

This includes Americans whom there is no reason to believe have participated in our supported terrorist acts in any way. Simply being associated with that group would be a punishable crime.

Imagine, for instance, that you donate to a campaign for food and medicine for wounded people in Bosnia. Say the project gives medical care regardless of what side the wounded persons have taken in war. If the Serbians were classified as terrorist, you could be put in prison for contributing to that campaign.

Or imagine you are a member of an international religious organization that takes a position in a political conflict, and the U.S. government puts it on the list of “terrorist organizations” (whether it’s Catholics organized in support of rebels in El Salvador, an Islamic group opposing U.S. actions in the Middle East or a Christian conservative group taking part in anti-abortion protests). You, having taken no part in any terrorist activities, could be prosecuted for being a member of a “terrorist organization.”

And you would be barred from challenging the secretary of state’s designation of that group a “terrorist.”

If you are not a U.S. citizen, not only could you be imprisoned for making a contribution to a “terrorist organization,” you could also be deported, and the government would not have to let you hear all the evidence used as grounds to deport you.

Basically, this “anti-terrorism” bill would authorize the federal government to tell us all who we are allowed to talk with and what political positions we are allowed to take.

Moreover, the FBI, the courts, and our prison system - which already have enough real crime to deal with - get to waste who knows how much time, effort and money to investigate, try and imprison otherwise law-abiding people (for up to 10 years each) solely for their political and religious affiliations.

Will that make anyone safer?

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