Amanda Sweat (’12)
Connecticut’s Capitol Building, Hartford
Janice Brea (’12) and Amanda Sweat (’12) founded the Trinity College branch of the American Civil Liberties Union just this year in an effort to increase awareness of civil liberties issues on campus. In keeping with this goal, they hosted Juan Melendez earlier this year, a human rights activist and former Death Row inmate of 17 years, who spoke about the judicial system and his experience being wrongly convicted of murder. This past week, the group had another big event- the ACLU of Connecticut’s first annual Lobby Day.
Members traveled downtown to the Capitol Building for a crash course in effective advocacy and subsequent participation in actual lobbying of state legislators. Throughout the day, students and citizens from the surrounding area advocated for various issues, including the abolition of the death penalty, the legalization of medical marijuana, the decriminalization of marijuana, transgender and gender equality issues, and the use of safe taser techniques.
The program began with a moving speech by Shujaa Graham, a former death row inmate who called for an end to capital punishment. His story of incarceration demonstrated the pitfalls of the current death penalty system and the frequency with which it condemns innocent men to an irrevocable punishment. With this heart-wrenching account of the horrors of capital punishment as a reminder of the ultimate mission of the day, the ACLU then gave a short presentation on effective lobbying techniques before sending volunteers to persuade representatives and senators to vote in favor of these important issues. While unable to formally speak with any representatives, the Trinity students spoke with staff members and gained insight into the inner workings of our local legislature and how lobbying is successfully performed. Students also observed the successes of other attendees and were able to get a sense for how ordinary citizens can have a voice in state politics.
The ACLU of Trinity College works closely with the Connecticut branch of the ACLU and plans to hold on-campus events within the coming months concerning the recent repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the current debate pending in Connecticut regarding In State Tuition for Children without Immigration Documents. For more information on how to get involved, check back with the Policy Voice for updates or email acluofct@gmail.com.