I urge you to withdraw participation of local and state police officers in
the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) until the FBI assures us it is
not routinely spying on political and religious groups. These task forces have
been spying on environmental, anti-war, political, and faith-based groups and
centers of worship. I believe it is wrong for the government to be spying
on the peaceful activities of individuals, and that this surveillance will
chill free speech.

Government surveillance mutes free expression of ideas.  People become fearful
to speak against government policy if they anticipate that the government will
single them out for retribution.  Public dialogue is essential to democracy,
and cannot happen if people fear unreasonable government surveillance.

Documents obtained by the ACLU prove that the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task
Forces (JTTFs) are gathering information about peace groups, and intimidating
anti-war activists through aggressive questioning.  In one instance, the
Colorado Springs Police Department supplied information on 80 participants
in a peaceful demonstration, along with licence plate numbers of 30 of them,
to the Denver Intelligence Bureau.

The FBI has a track record of abuse. Between 1960 and 1974, the FBI kept files
on one million Americans, and investigated 500,000 so-called "subversives"
such as Martin Luther King, Jr. -- all without a single court conviction.
To allow government to increase surveillance capabilities would be to
re-create a situation that resulted in abuses of power, as we know from
bitter experience.

Once again, I urge you to put a hold on local and state law enforcement
participation in the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces  at least until the
FBI assures the public that it is not routinely spying on political and
religious groups.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.