Maui Rep. Kika Bukoski said yesterday that while he supports President Bush's national security efforts "110 percent," he is concerned the federal government could infringe on the very American freedoms it is trying to protect. Resolutions challenge U.S.
anti-terror laws2 Republicans back measures that
raise civil rights concernsBy Bruce Dunford
Associated PressBukoski is the only Republican among 24 state House members signing a proposed resolution that raises concern that the U.S. Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act could lead to sacrificing fundamental human rights and civil liberties. Sen. Gordon Trimble (R, Downtown-Waikiki) joined three Democrats in introducing the same resolution in the Senate.
"It's kind of ironic that there may be a possibility that we'd lose some of the freedoms that we are fighting for," said Bukoski (Pukalani-Ulupalakua). "My concern is that as we proceed ahead to secure the safety of all American citizens through the Patriot Act and the Homeland Securities Department that we just remain cognizant of all the freedoms that our forefathers have shed their blood for and not relinquish them without due diligence."
Sen. Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Hawaii Kai) dismissed the resolutions as support for the effort by Hawaii's all-Democratic congressional delegation to criticize the Republican Bush administration.
"I think we have so many things here locally that we need to do that that should be our primary focus and responsibility and priority first," he said.
Senate Majority Leader Colleen Hanabusa (D, Nanakuli-Makua) defended the resolution and denied it was political.
"It's a concern about what will happen in terms of the homeland security and the fact that, as we go forward, if, quote-unquote, 'war is declared' and how would the broad language of the Homeland Security Act affect the civil rights of individuals," she said.
"It's dealing more with our citizenry. It's an issue of civil rights and how that may be affected in terms of how they finally implement all the homeland security provisions," Hanabusa said.
She noted that after the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii's roughly 440,000 residents were placed under martial law that suspended many individual rights and that some Japanese Americans in the islands were sent to internment camps.
"I'm sure that given the fact that we did have many people recall those days that that is a concern being raised," she said.
Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings (R, Lanikai-Waimanalo) called the resolution "overtly political and very transparent."
"I don't think the people in the World Trade Center are too concerned about the civil rights of the illegal aliens who dove those planes into those buildings," Hemmings said. "We are at war."
Hawaii appears to be the first to entertain such resolutions on a statewide basis. Civil liberties groups have been waging a city-by-city campaign against the anti-terror laws.
The Bill of Rights Defense Committee is a national group behind such resolutions, which so far have been adopted in 22 cities and towns representing nearly 3.5 million residents, according to the committee.
On Jan. 21 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution challenging the Patriot Act passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and giving federal agencies new powers to obtain personal information about U.S. citizens in an attempt to stop future attacks.