By Greg Szymanski

A grassroots movement to repeal the Patriot Act has been burning across the 

country like an out of control wildfire. The fire of dissent has even spread to 

many of President Bush's "red states," where conservative Republicans want to 

become part of what has been called "America's free zones."

 A "free zone," coined by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, a watchdog 

group formed to protect the Bill of Rights and the U.S.  Constitution, is a 

place where citizens openly denounce the Patriot Act through a public resolution 

or ordinance supported by a vote of the city, county or state government.

Although the mainstream media has covered the story like a flicker not a 

flame, presently 4 states, 375 municipalities and approximately 60 million 

Americans have joined the "free zone" movement. The movement openly denounces the 

oppressive Patriot Act and the Bush administration's tactics of spying on the 

American people.

Many critics have compared the Patriot Act to legislation passed by the Nazi 

Party to quell dissent and even Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), a well-respected 

constitutional scholar, has compared President Bush to Hitler in what he calls 

a one voice, one party ideology.

The Patriot Act, which has a chilling effect on freedom of speech and other 

constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure, right to 

counsel and right to a fair trial, was hurriedly passed into law 45 days after 

September 11,  most legislators not even reading the bill and frightened into 

signing it due to the threat of terrorism.

Since the act was passed, widespread abuse has been reported due to an 

overzealous FBI and Justice Department using its overly broad powers against the 

American people for non-terrorist related activities.

One typical community disgusted with the loss of civil rights is Paonia, 

Colorado, a town of 1,600 located 200 miles from Denver. Last February, the Panoia 

Town Council voted 4-2 to pass a resolution denouncing the Patriot Act, 

joining the growing list of municipalities who openly oppose it.

Leader of the Paonia "free zone" movement, longtime resident Rand Kokernot, 

said he finally became "fed up with Bush politics" and organized the petition 

drive along with the help of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, who lends 

assistance to local communities.

"I am opposed to the Patriot Act because parts of it open up the door to the 

gutting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," said Kokernot, who 

operates a bed and breakfast near Paonia. "If one person's freedoms can be taken 

away by a 'mad' attorney general, anyone's freedoms become as fragile. I began 

the movement because I felt we needed a victory. Lately, fighting the system has 

been like banging one's head against the wall."

Although the town's support is split in half with the mayor opposing the 

"free zone" movement, Kokernot wanted Paonia to be an example for other 

communities who feel that efforts to end terrorism should not be waged at the expense of 

essential civil rights and liberties.

To illustrate Paonia's concerns, reports surfaced in 2003 that the FBI had 

collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of 

anti war demonstrators by using the Patriot Act to circumvent normal 4th 

Amendment search and seizure guidelines. 

In response to the civil rights violations similar to those used against 

Martin Luther King in the 1960s, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said the 

September 11 attacks made it essential that the FBI be allowed to investigate 

terrorism more aggressively.

However, concerning Ashcroft's comments, Kokernot said to think about the 

words of Benjamin Franklin in 1759,  "They that can give up essential liberty to 

obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

"Kokernot then added: "In the future, I plan to lead a local campaign to end 

the unjust war in Iraq. I think Bush wants to control dissent under the guise 

that he is protecting America. He is disguising colonialism and exploitation 

in the guise of democracy, something our government through its foreign policy 

has been doing for quite awhile."

Other recent additions to America's "Free Zone" communities include 

Farmington and Exeter, NH. Some larger cities also officially denouncing the Patriot 

Act include Albuquerque, NM., Milwaukee WI., Boise, ID., Savannah, GA., Seattle 

WA., Washington D.C.,  Alexandria VA., Kansas City, MO., Jackson MI., and 

Denver, CO.

By Greg Szymanski

A grassroots movement to repeal the Patriot Act has been burning across the 

country like an out of control wildfire. The fire of dissent has even spread to 

many of President Bush's "red states," where conservative Republicans want to 

become part of what has been called "America's free zones."

 A "free zone," coined by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, a watchdog 

group formed to protect the Bill of Rights and the U.S.  Constitution, is a 

place where citizens openly denounce the Patriot Act through a public resolution 

or ordinance supported by a vote of the city, county or state government.

Although the mainstream media has covered the story like a flicker not a 

flame, presently 4 states, 375 municipalities and approximately 60 million 

Americans have joined the "free zone" movement. The movement openly denounces the 

oppressive Patriot Act and the Bush administration's tactics of spying on the 

American people.

Many critics have compared the Patriot Act to legislation passed by the Nazi 

Party to quell dissent and even Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), a well-respected 

constitutional scholar, has compared President Bush to Hitler in what he calls 

a one voice, one party ideology.

The Patriot Act, which has a chilling effect on freedom of speech and other 

constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure, right to 

counsel and right to a fair trial, was hurriedly passed into law 45 days after 

September 11,  most legislators not even reading the bill and frightened into 

signing it due to the threat of terrorism.

Since the act was passed, widespread abuse has been reported due to an 

overzealous FBI and Justice Department using its overly broad powers against the 

American people for non-terrorist related activities.

One typical community disgusted with the loss of civil rights is Paonia, 

Colorado, a town of 1,600 located 200 miles from Denver. Last February, the Panoia 

Town Council voted 4-2 to pass a resolution denouncing the Patriot Act, 

joining the growing list of municipalities who openly oppose it.

Leader of the Paonia "free zone" movement, longtime resident Rand Kokernot, 

said he finally became "fed up with Bush politics" and organized the petition 

drive along with the help of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, who lends 

assistance to local communities.

"I am opposed to the Patriot Act because parts of it open up the door to the 

gutting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," said Kokernot, who 

operates a bed and breakfast near Paonia. "If one person's freedoms can be taken 

away by a 'mad' attorney general, anyone's freedoms become as fragile. I began 

the movement because I felt we needed a victory. Lately, fighting the system has 

been like banging one's head against the wall."

Although the town's support is split in half with the mayor opposing the 

"free zone" movement, Kokernot wanted Paonia to be an example for other 

communities who feel that efforts to end terrorism should not be waged at the expense of 

essential civil rights and liberties.

To illustrate Paonia's concerns, reports surfaced in 2003 that the FBI had 

collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of 

anti war demonstrators by using the Patriot Act to circumvent normal 4th 

Amendment search and seizure guidelines. 

In response to the civil rights violations similar to those used against 

Martin Luther King in the 1960s, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said the 

September 11 attacks made it essential that the FBI be allowed to investigate 

terrorism more aggressively.

However, concerning Ashcroft's comments, Kokernot said to think about the 

words of Benjamin Franklin in 1759,  "They that can give up essential liberty to 

obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

"Kokernot then added: "In the future, I plan to lead a local campaign to end 

the unjust war in Iraq. I think Bush wants to control dissent under the guise 

that he is protecting America. He is disguising colonialism and exploitation 

in the guise of democracy, something our government through its foreign policy 

has been doing for quite awhile."

Other recent additions to America's "Free Zone" communities include 

Farmington and Exeter, NH. Some larger cities also officially denouncing the Patriot 

Act include Albuquerque, NM., Milwaukee WI., Boise, ID., Savannah, GA., Seattle 

WA., Washington D.C.,  Alexandria VA., Kansas City, MO., Jackson MI., and 

Denver, CO.

By Greg Szymanski

A grassroots movement to repeal the Patriot Act has been burning across the 

country like an out of control wildfire. The fire of dissent has even spread to 

many of President Bush's "red states," where conservative Republicans want to 

become part of what has been called "America's free zones."

 A "free zone," coined by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, a watchdog 

group formed to protect the Bill of Rights and the U.S.  Constitution, is a 

place where citizens openly denounce the Patriot Act through a public resolution 

or ordinance supported by a vote of the city, county or state government.

Although the mainstream media has covered the story like a flicker not a 

flame, presently 4 states, 375 municipalities and approximately 60 million 

Americans have joined the "free zone" movement. The movement openly denounces the 

oppressive Patriot Act and the Bush administration's tactics of spying on the 

American people.

Many critics have compared the Patriot Act to legislation passed by the Nazi 

Party to quell dissent and even Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), a well-respected 

constitutional scholar, has compared President Bush to Hitler in what he calls 

a one voice, one party ideology.

The Patriot Act, which has a chilling effect on freedom of speech and other 

constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure, right to 

counsel and right to a fair trial, was hurriedly passed into law 45 days after 

September 11,  most legislators not even reading the bill and frightened into 

signing it due to the threat of terrorism.

Since the act was passed, widespread abuse has been reported due to an 

overzealous FBI and Justice Department using its overly broad powers against the 

American people for non-terrorist related activities.

One typical community disgusted with the loss of civil rights is Paonia, 

Colorado, a town of 1,600 located 200 miles from Denver. Last February, the Panoia 

Town Council voted 4-2 to pass a resolution denouncing the Patriot Act, 

joining the growing list of municipalities who openly oppose it.

Leader of the Paonia "free zone" movement, longtime resident Rand Kokernot, 

said he finally became "fed up with Bush politics" and organized the petition 

drive along with the help of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, who lends 

assistance to local communities.

"I am opposed to the Patriot Act because parts of it open up the door to the 

gutting of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights," said Kokernot, who 

operates a bed and breakfast near Paonia. "If one person's freedoms can be taken 

away by a 'mad' attorney general, anyone's freedoms become as fragile. I began 

the movement because I felt we needed a victory. Lately, fighting the system has 

been like banging one's head against the wall."

Although the town's support is split in half with the mayor opposing the 

"free zone" movement, Kokernot wanted Paonia to be an example for other 

communities who feel that efforts to end terrorism should not be waged at the expense of 

essential civil rights and liberties.

To illustrate Paonia's concerns, reports surfaced in 2003 that the FBI had 

collected extensive information on the tactics, training and organization of 

anti war demonstrators by using the Patriot Act to circumvent normal 4th 

Amendment search and seizure guidelines. 

In response to the civil rights violations similar to those used against 

Martin Luther King in the 1960s, former Attorney General John Ashcroft said the 

September 11 attacks made it essential that the FBI be allowed to investigate 

terrorism more aggressively.

However, concerning Ashcroft's comments, Kokernot said to think about the 

words of Benjamin Franklin in 1759,  "They that can give up essential liberty to 

obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

"Kokernot then added: "In the future, I plan to lead a local campaign to end 

the unjust war in Iraq. I think Bush wants to control dissent under the guise 

that he is protecting America. He is disguising colonialism and exploitation 

in the guise of democracy, something our government through its foreign policy 

has been doing for quite awhile."

Other recent additions to America's "Free Zone" communities include 

Farmington and Exeter, NH. Some larger cities also officially denouncing the Patriot 

Act include Albuquerque, NM., Milwaukee WI., Boise, ID., Savannah, GA., Seattle 

WA., Washington D.C.,  Alexandria VA., Kansas City, MO., Jackson MI., and 

Denver, CO.

Greg Szymanski