Please take a couple minutes if you can to make a phone call or two to help safeguard civil liberties in California against the expansion of high-tech police surveillance. See details in ACLU email forwarded below.
Remember that while the ACLU is warning of the potential right-wing abuse of these powers against people including immigrants, LGBTQ people, abortion seekers, and others, a left-wing or simply authoritarian federal, state, or local government could also abuse them to target libertarians, gun owners, Covid dissidents, "anti-government extremists”, etc. As Mark Twain quipped, no man’s life, liberty, or property is safe when the legislature is in session. Unfortunately, with the exponential growth of the executive branch, neither are we safe when they are not in session. But we can let them know they’ll pay a political price for voting away our freedoms.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))
Chair, Libertarian Party of San Francisco
(415) 573-7997
“If you give the government enough power to create ‘social justice,’ [or to “fight crime!” -Starchild] you have given it enough power to create despotism. Millions of people around the world have paid with their lives for overlooking that simple fact.”
– Thomas Sowell
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: ACLU California Action <info@aclucalaction.org mailto:info@aclucalaction.org>
Date: Fri, Aug 9, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Subject: AB 1814 is exactly what Project 2025 wants<>
https://link.aclu.org/click/36320590.14199/aHR0cHM6Ly9hY2x1Y2FsYWN0aW9uLm9yZy8/5d9e07d652ba1e66294f9ae8Bf7122fcd
California is on the cusp of helping Project 2025 achieve its goals. AB 1814 would greenlight facial recognition for police departments across the state. The bill is so weak and poorly written that it would make California a sitting duck for surveillance authoritarianism.Why is this happening? So far, California lawmakers have ignored their constituents and the more than 70 reproductive justice, LGBTQ, immigrant’s rights, privacy, and racial justice organizations who oppose AB 1814. The surveillance industry is powerful, and to stop it, we need to make our voices much, much louder.
STOP THE BILL: Call the offices of two key California Senators through our hotline 1-866-956-8590 https://link.aclu.org/click/36320590.14199/aHR0cHM6Ly9hY2x1Y2FsYWN0aW9uLm9yZy9hYi0xODE0LWNhbGwtc2NyaXB0Lw/5d9e07d652ba1e66294f9ae8B291aabd1.
When someone answers, ask them to hold AB 1814 in committee for the following reasons:
AB 1814 would be a dream come true for Project 2025. It would open state databases to facial recognition, putting all of us in perpetual virtual lineups.
AB 1814 is one of the weakest facial recognition laws in the country. It would drag California down to the same level as Alabama.
AB 1814 would let police use facial recognition in dangerous and anti-democratic ways. If it passes, it would be frightfully easy for a hostile presidential administration to use facial recognition to identify abortion seekers, LGBTQ people, activists, immigrants, students, and any other people they deem undesirable.
Facial recognition is known to be racially biased, but instead of stopping this problem, AB 1814 all but ensures that black people will continue to be wrongfully arrested. In fact, multiple survivors of wrongful facial recognition arrests oppose the bill, as do their lawyers.
Sacramento’s lawmakers have returned from summer recess, and the next few weeks will determine whether AB 1814 passes or fails. Let’s welcome them back with a strong, unified call to vote hold AB 1814 in committee.It’s now or never,
Becca Cramer-Mowder
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Legislative Advocate, ACLU California ActionThis email was sent by:
ACLU California Action
P.O. Box 630
Sacramento, CA 95814