WHEREAS the Borough of Yeadon, as a community, takes great pride in our long and distinguished tradition of upholding and protecting the fundamental Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties of a diverse populace, many of whom make vital, daily contributions to Yeadon's culture, economy and civic character;

WHEREAS the preservation of these fundamental Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties is clearly essential to the well being of any successful, inclusive democratic society.

WHEREAS our great nation has witnessed - and continues to witness - many struggles, both well known and obscure, for the guarantee that there will be equal protection for all citizens under these same fundamental Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties;

WHEREAS it is the duty of federal, state and local governments to protect the American people at all times from outside aggression and terrorism and its perpetrators, who seek to weaken our government's very foundation with acts such as those that occurred on September 11, 2001;

WHEREAS these governments and their elected and appointed officials should execute these duties in such a manner as to ensure that any new security measures enhance public safety without impairing Constitutional Rights or infringing on Civil Liberties;

WHEREAS federal policies adopted since September 11, 2001, including provisions in the USA Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) and related executive orders, regulations and actions place in jeopardy many of our fundamental Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties by granting exceptional powers to agencies within the federal government, especially through the far-reaching and broadly written provisions contained in Sections 206, 213, 214, 215, 216, 218, 411, 412, 505 and 802 of the Act;

WHEREAS these new powers pose a particular threat to the residents of our community and of neighboring communities who are Arab, Muslim or of South Asian descent, much in the way that many minorities have been profiled and detained over the course of our nation's history;

WHEREAS new legislation entitled the Domestic Security Enhancement Act contains a multitude of new and weeping law enforcement and intelligence gathering powers;

WHEREAS Congressional leaders from each major party and more than 150 other communities throughout the country, including our neighboring community, Lansdowne, have enacted resolutions reaffirming support for our Freedoms in the face of these intimidating policies and demanding accountability from law enforcement agencies regarding their use of these new powers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF YEADON, that while, indeed, we recognize that we face terrorist threats that make us fear for loved ones at home and abroad, it is our paramount responsibility as Americans to revere and respect our fundamental Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties. That we remember with reverence those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and in battles on foreign soil, and we are resilience against the threat of terrorism in any shape and form, be it directed at Americans or at innocent persons of any nationality anywhere in the world. as individuals who share an abiding love for this nation and who cherish daily the very rights and privileges we were given by birth or chose to accept as naturalized citizens, we stand united against any measures whatsoever that compromise and infringe upon our fundamental Constitutional Rights and Civil Liberties and we encourage all citizens not to become complicit in the enforcement of such measures.