Hello there! My name is Sam Campbell. I’m very excited to be working with the ACLU of Maine this summer as an intern. I was born and raised in Portland, graduated from Portland High School in 2010, and just finished my junior year at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. I am a Political Science major with a minor in Sociology, and am very passionate about the need to stand up against the flaws and inequalities in the American criminal justice system and working to combat the growing corruption and corrosive influence of money at all levels of government. I am also very strong supporter of environmental protection. As a lifelong Maine resident, I have had a love of the outdoors since I was young, and have spent many a summer canoeing some of Maine’s famous waterways. No matter what my future may bring, I will continue to fight to protect this irreplaceable natural resource so that generations to come will be able to enjoy the beauty and splendor of our lakes and rivers just as I have.
I will be assisting the ACLU of Maine this summer with their work on justice issues. My current undertaking with the ACLU of Maine, as well as ACLU members around the country, has been to sift through state and federal government documents related to the growing militarization of local police forces. These documents were acquired through a nationwide Freedom of Information request. They provide an invaluable look into the often concerning practice of providing military grade weapons and vehicles to local law enforcement agencies, often for the purpose of fighting the war on drugs. This emphasis on increased militarization of the War on Drugs is especially concerning for a number reasons: despite the incredible amount of money, time, and effort that have been poured into the drug war, there has been no decrease in the number of users since its inception. The drug war has, however, succeeded in giving the United States the single largest incarcerated population in the world, and as more and more military weapons and tactics are being employed in the drug war, we see the number of innocent casualties rise at an astonishing rate. For more information on the work that we are doing with police militarization and this Freedom of Information request, click here.
Additionally, for the past few days I have been working to raise awareness among Mainers about a bill which the Maine House of Representatives is voting on today (Wednesday, June 19th.) This bill (the minority report on LD 236) would ensure that a warrant must be issued before Maine police can employ surveillance drones to watch suspects. Without this bill, law enforcement agencies will be able to use drones to watch people without warrants or any meaningful oversight. We see this as a stark violation of the right to privacy afforded by the 4th amendment. If you feel as passionately as we do about this, and if you haven’t already, I would suggest that you consider contacting your state representative to let them know you support this bill.
I look forward to working with the ACLU of Maine this summer and I anxiously anticipate the chance to make a real difference and to learn exactly how an organization like this operates in order to effectively help people and defend our rights. Expect to hear from me again very soon.
June 19, 2013 - 4:09pm
