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A review of 2003's civil liberties abuses

by Scott McNutt

Let's begin with a definition of terms: By definition, "a" and "of" are "words" and "2003" is a "number," like 1, only different. A "review" is a way to look over stuff in the past, sort of like your life flashing before your eyes when Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft comes for you. "Abuses" and "wrongs" are, by definition, whatever John Ashcroft says they are. And, of course, "civil liberties" are, by definition, those rights of yours that John Ashcroft believes you shouldn't have.

Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to a speedy trial, right to an attorney, right to confront your accusers—such prerogatives are far too dangerous to be left in the hands of mere citizens. So Ashcroft is gathering them up and hiding them some place secret for safekeeping (however, it has been ascertained that they are not hiding at Gauntanamo Bay).

How safe are America's civil liberties under John Ashcroft? Well, read Canadian citizen Maher Arar's terrifying account of his treatment by the U.S. Justice Department, and see if you don't agree that your civil liberties are much, much safer than they would be if you still had your fool hands on the things. (Just in case you are too lazy to read it but still wonder what happened to Arar, the title of his story, "They Put a Bag Over My Head & Flew Me To Syria for Torture and Interrogation," only hints at his suffering from American "justice.") After reading this account, you'll have to admit that America has nothing to fear from Canadians.

So what else was inflicted upon civil rights in 2003? In the summer, Ashcroft continued his attack on them with his 16-city "Flaming Death to the Constitution" tour in support of the PATRIOT (Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act. According to White House Spokesbeing Scott McLellan, Ashcroft's blitzkrieg was necessary to "educate the American people" and battle "a small minority that has spread misinformation" about a set of laws that would more appropriately be entitled the MAUL (Mother of all Assaults Upon Liberty) Act. In undertaking this tour, Ashcroft had something in common with Eminem: Neither's 2003 roadshow stopped in Knoxville.

That's not to say that John Ashcroft (or Eminem, for that matter) had no influence on civil rights locally in 2003. In July, Knoxville-based Bridge Refugee and Sponsorship Services, an organization that helps people fleeing from war-torn lands begin life anew in the supposed land of the free, joined the ACLU and several other groups in a lawsuit challenging the broad search and seizure powers granted under the PATRIOT Act.

Bridge's ordeal began in late 2002, when FBI agents showed up and demanded to go on a fishing expedition into the organization's files, which contain all sorts of personal and confidential client data. Under the provisions of the PATRIOT Act, the government can seize all of Bridge's files and forbid its employees to tell their clients about it. Or else. Bridge executive director Mary Lieberman perceived such groundless nosing into private information and generalized legal threats to be a trifle un-American and sought means of redress. So Bridge joined the lawsuit. Darned unpatriotic of them.

Naturally, Ashcroft and his PATRIOT Act weren't the only agents of civil wrong in the region. In late December, an 87-pound woman was acquitted on charges of assaulting a Knox County Sheriff's Deputy after a videotape of the incident revealed the deputy punching the handcuffed woman, rather than the reverse. It seems civil rights aren't the only liberties Knox County Deputies take. As usual, the Sheriff's Department denied any wrongdoing in this latest outrage, instead blaming the victim, the victim's lawyer, the District Attorney's office, and probably John Ashcroft and Eminem.

A review of 2003's civil rights abuses would not be complete without mentioning Victor Ashe, whose 16-year tenure as Knoxville's mayor came to an end in December. The media showered attention on his exit, sentimentalizing his accomplishments and pooh-poohing his poo-flinging ways. But Ashe will be remembered as no friend to either civil liberties or common decency. The court ruling against Ashe for his 1995 violations of the civil rights of several firefighters should shame all Knoxvillians, if only because they got stuck with the tab for Ashe's losing court battle. And though not a civil rights violation, Ashe's behind-the-scenes maneuvers to prevent Danny Mayfield's widow from finishing her deceased husband's City Council term in 2001 revealed his utter contempt for decency. In this regard, Ashe's career of high-handed "finger" annexations was perfectly symbolic. Hizzoner was always flipping the finger to all and sundry, metaphorically anyway.

What new afflictions await our civil liberties in 2004? Well, fittingly, Knoxville started the new year with a visit from President Bush. While he was here, some 200 or so folks attempted to exercise their freedom of speech and protest presidential policies. They were restricted to a discreetly distant "free speech zone," an oxymoron if ever there were one. Of course, the ACLU has already filed suit against such free-speech-less zones. And we're only 15 days into 2004�