Tonight the West Michigan ACLU will be awarding local activist Karen Henry their annual “Civil Libertarian of the Year” award tonight at a reception at Fountain Street Church. Karen Henry is a longtime activist who has been a strong proponent of civil liberties, with a particular focus on defending the rights of Arab Americans. She also has been one of the most outspoken local voices calling for an end to the occupation of Palestine and Iraq. The ACLU is awarding Karen their annual award for her work with Citizens for a Safe and Free Grand Rapids, a local organization that successfully lobbied the Grand Rapids City Commission to adopt an anti-PATRIOT ACT resolution in early 2004.
On April 28th the West Michigan ACLU will be hosting a debate on the PATRIOT ACT between U.S. Attorney Hagen Frank and former Congressman Bob Barr. Frank, who has defended the PATRIOT ACT in other local public debates, will again be defending the PATRIOT ACT. Bob Barr will be arguing against the PATRIOT ACT. Unlike previous local debates on the PATRIOT ACT, this time Mr. Frank will be debating a conservative, as Barr was one of the most rightwing members of the House during his tenure there. Unlike many republican lawmakers, Barr dislikes the PATRIOT ACT, claiming it goes against “traditional conservative principles” of small government
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