New state NAACP president

(McAlester-AP) -- The incoming state president of the NAACP says the US Patriot Act is one of the biggest challenges facing the organization. <br><br>Miller Newman, state president-elect of the National

Friday, January 2nd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(McAlester-AP) -- The incoming state president of the NAACP says the US Patriot Act is one of the biggest challenges facing the organization.

Miller Newman, state president-elect of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, says he's concerned that freedoms and rights are being chipped away by government.

The US Patriot Act was passed by Congress the month after the September 11th, 2001, attacks. It granted the government new power to prevent acts of terrorism including broad powers for searches, wiretaps and electronic and computer eavesdropping.

Newman says he would like to see all the branches of the NAACP, both in Oklahoma and around the nation, become closely aligned on the issue.