The ad says "we cannot stand behind a boundless 'War on Terrorism' that has eroded civil liberties, undermined international institutions, blurred the separation of governmental powers, and caused havoc in the communities we serve both here and abroad."
Launched by students at the University of California, Berkeley's Boalt Hall School of Law, it's also signed by students from Stanford Law School; UC-Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco; UC-Davis School of Law; Thomas Jefferson School of Law; University of San Diego School of Law; Golden Gate University School of Law, and New College of California School of Law.
Increased surveillance powers under the USA Patriot Act, questioning and indefinite detention of immigrants, a vague definition of "domestic terrorism" that chills the right to free speech and other Bush administration activities are violating a wide range of constitutional rights, the students say.
"Part of the reason we started the initiative in mid-October is we were realizing the legal principles we study in the classroom weren't being upheld in Washington ... and that contradiction was not being talked about in our classes," said Abby Reyes, 29, a second-year Boalt Hall student from Herndon, Va.
Boalt Hall students and faculty developed a mission statement before reaching out to their peers at other schools with an informational and fund raising drive, Reyes said: "We used the ad as an organizing tool, as a way of having something to talk about concretely with our friends and outside our circle of friends.
and to make links with students at other law schools."
Students were asked to chip in $25 and faculty somewhat more, with families and neighbors invited to donate as well, Reyes said. It took from early November until last week to complete the effort.
