Suggestions for People Concerned About Civil Liberties
- If you or a friend teach K-12, visit our web page of resources for K-12 educators and students, which includes links to resources for teaching about civil liberties, the USA PATRIOT Act, discrimination, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
- Stay informed! Visit our Articles and Links pages for more information about the USA PATRIOT Act and related topics.
- Show a documentary, put on a play, or read a book from our list of recommended resources.
- Copy fliers about the issue and distribute them at events (or give them to drivers stuck in traffic and in need of some reading material!).
- Download, print, and distribute bookmarks with the Bill of Rights printed on them to your local schools and libraries. (Ask for permission first!). Available in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF).
- Take action to oppose torture and extraordinary rendition. Sign our petition and send a message to your representatives in Congress.
- Write a letter to the editor about civil liberties issues.
- Talk with your friends and neighbors about organizing a Bill of Rights Defense Committee in your city or town. Feel free to borrow from our Tools page the ideas for holding public forums, a timeline, fliers and booklets, resolutions, and other tools that communities nationwide have developed. Host meetings in your community. Contact us about your progress, so we can post it on our web page.
- Join the statewide effort to pass a resolution in your state.
- To help voters know where candidates for local, state, and national office stand on civil liberties issues visit our Engaging Candidates on Issues Related to the Bill of Rights page and view BORDC's voter education packet.
- Learn about the new challenges facing the Bill of Rights defense movement and some strategies for moving forward: Opportunities for Civil Liberties in the Upcoming Patriot Act Debate.
- Keep up to date on proposed legislation to help restore civil liberties and legislation that may further erode liberties.
- Call or write your senators and representatives in Washington. Purchase and send Bill of Rights get well cards to your legislators.
Help Targeted People and Groups:
- Prepare yourself and members of targeted populations, such as Muslims, Iraqi students and Iraqi Americans, for visits by the FBI, INS, or police.
- Find out if there's a detention center in your region, and how you can plug into the growing activism to support communities most threatened by repressive post 9-11 "anti-terror" laws.
Other Resources