Who could vote against a Bill known as the Patriot Act?

Wisconsin's Senator Russ Feingold spoke out against the anti-terrorism bill on October 25, 2001, and vowed to vote against the bill. He did this for very sound reasons - he wants Congress to work not only to stop terrorism, but also to protect our civil liberties as much as possible. His Statement to Congress is long, but well worth reading. In addition to stating his personal, and emotional reactions to the attacks on September 11th, he writes about the protection of civil liberties, the over reaching scope of the anti-terrorist bill, and the history of limitations on civil liberties during wars and other troubled times in our nation's history. "Sneak and Peak" searches, new treatments of computer crimes, and lowered standards of due process through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Courts are some of the issues that Feingold raises.

Russ Feingold was the only dissenting vote for the terrorism act that passed through the Senate. After reading his statement, I respect his conviction in standing for his beliefs. We can only hope that some of his very well reasoned concerns are addressed in the near future. His vote wasn't for terrorism, but rather against a bill that could have the power to strip us of our civil liberties.

Who voted against the Patriot Act? It was a patriot that did.
- William Slawski

William Penn organized a nonprofit organization in 1764, called the Trustees of New Castle Commons. The Trustees act as an integral part of the management of the commons areas of the City of New Castle. In addition to caring for commons lands, they encourage historical preservation, have built a new library and firehall for the city, and amongst many other fuctions, support education for City residents by financial grants. This organization is the only one of its kind in Delaware, and may be unmatched throughout the rest of the United States. At one point in time, New Castle was the colonial capitol of the State of Delaware. If you would like to capture the spirit of America in the 1700's, the City of New Castle is a thriving example.
-William Slawski

Ever seen a historical marker at a location in Delaware? Curious as to where those came from, and how to find other locations which have similar markers? The Delaware Public Archives are the ones who place those signs in Delaware. The Historical Markers program is part of its mandate, as a state agency. Markers are placed at historically significant locations and sites across the state, in New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County.
- William Slawski

Delaware has a rich, living history. We walk cobblestone streets (mayhap they be refurbished), and meet in century old buildings. Some insight and handy links to life in Delaware can be found at Delaware Living . While some of the more traditional history resources can be found at the Historical Society of Delaware.

Interested in finding out more about Delaware's nonprofit organizations? DANA is the Delaware Association of Nonprofit Associations. It's also a useful site if you're interested in starting up or running a nonprofit organization in Delaware. For instance, here's the type of information you can see in the section they have on finding volunteers:

Frequently Asked Questions Volunteer Management Links

• Volunteer recruitment that really works.


• How do we develop creative volunteer roles?


• Volunteer job description worksheet.


• Community resources to recruit volunteers.


• Recruiting volunteers from your current "Circle of Resources."


• How do we build a stronger staff/volunteer partnership?


• How do we find daytime volunteers?


• Where should we place our volunteer ads?


• Sample volunteer advertising ideas.


• Sample Volunteer Procedure & Policy Manual


• Directory of Volunteer Management Software.

They also cover topics like grants, tradeshows, building a website, jobs, donors, and risk management. Their magazine, called "Good Cause" is filled with articles that can keep you informed of what's going on in Delaware's nonprofit sector, and a listing of volunteer opportunites in their Random Acts of Kindness section.
William Slawski

Many questions have been raised regarding airport security over the last few weeks. Should security be overseen by the federal government? Should security personnel at airports be federal employees? Efforts to increase coordination between the FBI and state law enforcement units regarding passenger lists have also been a topic of much discussion. Many of these questions and issues will probably be answered within the next week. President Bush has vowed to issue an executive order regarding security at airports if Congress doesn't make decisions on those issues soon.
William Slawski