美国公民自由协会称地铁搜查有违宪法

ACLU Says Subway Searches Unconstitutional

美国公民自由协会称地铁搜查有违宪法

 

Two weeks ago, police in New York stepped up their campaign against terrorism and began searching the baggage of people using the city's subways and busses. Now the American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit¹, saying the searches are unconstitutional.

 

The ACLU's lawsuit, which it filed on behalf of five New York subway riders, claims that the new search policy violates the Fourth Amendment² of the U.S. Constitution, which protects people against unwarranted searches and seizures³. Police announced they would begin randomly⁵ searching the bags of anyone wishing to ride the city's busses and trains after officials in London discovered a series of un-detonated bombs in that city's public transportation system on July 21st. Terrorist bombings in the system two weeks earlier had killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds.

 

Christopher Dunn of New York's chapter of the ACLU says the police are not searching people randomly -- that they are engaging in racial profiling. But he says even if the searches are random⁴, they are still illegal.

 

Christopher Dunn: Random searches by definition, even if that's the way they're taking place, are searches based on no suspicion whatsoever⁶, that makes no sense as a security measure, and in our country at least, we have a long tradition that the police do not get to search people about whom they have no suspicion of wrong-doing.

 

The plaintiffs in the case claim the new search policy has placed unnecessary restrictions⁷ on their daily lives. Joseph Gehring says he now fears a confrontation⁸ with police, because he will never consent to what he considers an unconstitutional search.

 

Joseph Gehring: I have therefore been forced to look out for police and look out for the checkpoints and try to evade⁹ them when I can, so that I do not even have to worry about the confrontation with police. In essence, I have been forced to act like a criminal in my own city when I have done nothing wrong.

 

City officials have released a statement saying they believe the searches meet all appropriate legal requirements, stressing that individuals do not have to submit to a search. They can simply leave the station without riding the train. The New York Police Department has no immediate¹⁰ plans to stop searching riders. But at least one organization is asking Congress to take a look at the activities of the ACLU.

 

In response to the recently filed lawsuit, Don Swarthout of the group Christians¹¹ Reviving America's Values, has sent a letter to Congress. He is asking for an investigation¹² into what he calls the ACLU's "widespread use of frivolous¹³ lawsuits¹⁴." Mr. Swarthout says the organization's activities are a threat to national security.

 

Don Swarthout: The world has changed. And I understand that the ACLU would say that it's an invasion of privacy, yes, it is. However, to me, the ACLU would just let that terrorist get on that subway car in New York City with a bomb strapped¹⁶ to his back, and the results would be at least the same as they were in London.

 

Officials with the ACLU deny that their actions are a threat to security. They say they plan to ask for an injunction to stop the searches while the lawsuit is in progress.

 

I’m Maura Farrelly.

 

注释：

baggage [5bA^idV] n. 行李

lawsuit [5lC:su:t] n. 诉讼（尤指非刑事案件）

unwarranted [5Qn5wCrEntid] adj. 无根据的

randomly [5rAndEmli] adv. 随便地，未加计划地

suspicion [sEs5piFEn] n. 猜疑，怀疑

plaintiff [5pleintif] n.（律）起诉人，原告

evade [i5veid] v. 逃避，躲避

submit to 服从，忍受

frivolous [5frivElEs] adj. 肤浅的

strap¹⁵ [strAp] vt. 用带缚住，用带捆扎

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

4 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

5 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

6 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

9 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

12 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

13 frivolous   

adj.轻薄的；轻率的

参考例句：

• This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
• He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。

14 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

15 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

16 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》