LEWISTON – Three speakers at a “Maine Voices for Freedom” forum pointed out excesses they perceive in the USA Patriot Act.

They pointed out facets of the federal law that they believe give too much power to law enforcement agencies and bring about a climate of fear and apprehension among immigrant and minority populations. The act was passed by Congress just six weeks after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

A small audience heard the presentation sponsored by the Maine Civil Liberties Union at the B Street Community Center. It was one of the events offered during the Many and One Coalition’s celebration, “Ten Days of Community, Diversity and Justice.”

Anne Davis, president of the Maine Library Association and director of the Gardiner Public Library, voiced concern that the Patriot Act goes too far in requiring libraries to provide information about the identity of library patrons, which books they read and which Internet sites they visit.

“Libraries are among the purist form of American democracy,” she said, adding that provisions of the act “cast a pall over that.”

A librarian can’t tell a patron or anyone else that the FBI has asked for information, she said.

“I start every meeting (of the Maine Library Association) by saying, “The FBI hasn’t been around this month.'” Members can draw their own conclusions if some month she doesn’t make that statement, she said.

She said there is no good reason for librarians to be required to provide such information and she urged members of the audience to tell their local libraries they should avoid keeping any records that are not required by law.

Alysia Melnik, a graduate assistant at the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, said she has seen evidence that anxiety has increased among immigrants and minority groups.

“People are really trying to stay under the radar,” she said, explaining that paperwork related to immigration is complex and constantly changing. Minor or unintentional errors can lead to bureaucratic complications that are almost impossible to unravel.

She said that motivates people in minority communities avoid as much interaction with authorities as possible. Such anxiety means people are not getting many services to which they are entitled. Even some cases of domestic violence go unreported, she said.

A member of the audience said he was aware of a large Latino population living in the B Street Community Center neighborhood, but few of them take advantage of health care opportunities at the center. The services require verification of income and other information, he said.

Another man in the audience who identified himself as a Muslim employed as an on-road truck driver told of how federal authorities came to his house, asked questions of his wife and later questioned him. He said he was asked if he knew any terrorists or if any terrorists had stayed at his house.

When asked if there was any reason why he might not cooperate with officials, the man said, “I told them, ‘I won’t answer that,’ but I told them when I became a United States citizen I took an oath to defend the United States.” He emphasized that he would stand by that oath.

Louise Roback, executive director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union, moderated the discussion.

She described efforts to modify the Patriot Act and said opposition to the act is not a partisan issue and not an anti-Bush issue, although it might be considered an anti-Ashcroft issue. John Ashcroft is the U.S. attorney general.