On Thursday March 18, 2004, in Colorado Springs, C0., the UCCS Center for the Study of Government and the Individual hosted an evening dinner program, entitled  “Security vs. Liberty: The Patriot Act”.  Mr. Timothy Lynch, Director of the Project on Criminal Justice at the CATO Institute spoke to a group of students, professors and community leaders.  Mr. Lynch called for a   balance between liberty and security in order to maintain our individual freedoms, while still assuring our country’s safety.

Mr. Lynch made four major points to consider:

1. We need to look at things we can do other than those that require further restriction of our liberty! (i.e. Shore up our civil defense systems; rather than stockpile a small pox vaccine, make it available immediately because it deters attacks and gives people something to do to protect themselves; better coordinate police and firefighter activities during terrorist events.  Police helicopters couldn’t communicate with firefighters in the NY Twin Towers).
   
2. Before conferring more power to the federal government we must better assess  the efficiency of agencies and the powers they have already available. Accountability; (FBI warnings about suspicious flight training activities went unheeded, the FBI/CIA agencies were short of language translators to help decode discovered messages, and agencies had too few staff focusing on terrorism.)
   
3. If we need more power to provide security, proceed cautiously.
   The Act was passed too quickly (two weeks). The Act was passed as one large complicated package encompassing a lot of detail, and should have had more sunset provisions in case it needed changing after some implementation.  Items of concern that Mr. Lynch pointed out included – section 215, seizure of personal and business records where a Judge reviews but has no choice but to issue the legal order. There is no provision to challenge this action.   A gag provision –can’t tell anyone about the investigative action (may be thrown out by courts, but it will take a long time) and delayed notification on secret searches (sneak and peek operations). These are not limited to terrorism.
   
4. At some point a line may have to be drawn in the sand. Our basic liberties are most important and we don’t want to lose our democratic system in the process of securing it.

    
Click here for information explaining how one can listen to or watch Mr. Lynch's presentation on the CSGI web site.