Text Box: magistrates in jails to facilitate the speedy release of detainees, and increasing the use of citations in lieu of incarceration. The civilian review of police policies and practices is also an important element of vigilance. The coming of the Tampa Bay Regional ACLU office, now ably led by Rebecca Steele, has given a new hope for the preservation of our liberties. We seek every opportunity to reach out to the people of our community; to awaken within them an appreciation of our constitution and the freedoms it provides. We participate in a variety of public forums, such as Circus McGurkis, the Times Reading Festival, Banned Books Week and many other venues to acquaint citizens with current issues and concerns that Text Box: Our Chapter has been in existence since 1968. In the years since then, we have vigorously defend-ed the Bill of Rights freedoms guaranteed to all Americans in our constitution. With leadership like Ray and Margo Yazell, Irene Miller, Gardner Beckett, and Perkins Shelton, we campaigned to end Florida’s corrupt municipal courts system, and ended the practice of sending citizens to jail without benefit of attorney. When the Martin Luther King parade was threatened by a city’s demand that liability insurance be required before permits were issued, the ACLU successfully defended every citizen organization's right to use public facilities without overly burden-some financial requirements. The chapter has been instrumental in issues of bail reform, the misuse of curfews, the placement of Text Box: challenge their liberty. Freedom is a constant struggle. A well educated citizenry armed with an understanding of our constitution, is the only reliable safeguard against the daily tyrannies of opportunists and fear mongers who would have the people surrender their liberties for the doubtful value of strict security. As a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, we are committed to a staunch defense of the uniquely American traditions of free thought, religion, speech and assembly. Because the integrity of our electoral process is essential to a democratic government at all levels, from local to national, your ACLU is ready to defend this, and all elements of our national patrimony. Jim Peterson Text Box: The Pinellas County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union Text Box: Pinellas County Chapter, The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida Text Box: Return Address: Text Box: Pinellas County Chapter of the ACLU P. O. Box 12372 St. Petersburg, FL 33733 E-mail: aclu@metrodirect.net Open Board Meetings: 7:15 pm at Pinellas Park Library 52nd Street at 78th Avenue N. on the fourth Thursday of every month. Text Box:

A Celebration of Freedom

Your invitation to the annual ACLU Bill of Rights Dinner is on the other side of this page.

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Board Member, Jerry Abraham Moore enlightening the crowds at Circus McGurkis .
Text Box: Get a free ACLU Bumper Sticker ! Supplies are limited. Cut out this coupon today and mail it in to: ACLU of Florida Communications Department 4500 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 340 Miami, FL 33137

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