Submitted by the Ethical Society of St. Louis and Passed by the AEU 66th Assembly

The American Ethical Union has always believed in upholding the civil rights of all citizens. The intrusion of federal agents into the area of citizens’ rights has been revealed in frightening detail in recent months. It pursuit of first amendment principles we urge all Senators and Representatives to oppose the attempt of the Administration to enact any bill such as the “Criminal Code Reform Act of 1973” (S1400 and H.R. 6046) which would turn back the clock of justice on a wide range of progressive judicial precedents and legislative enactments in the area of criminal law. Among the repressive features we oppose are: wiretapping without court approval, entrapment of the innocent, restoration of the death penalty, revival of the McCarthy era Smith Act and rejection of effective gun control.