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The proposed legislation would add the death penalty as punishment for federal felonies that result in death and meet the PATRIOT Act's definition of international or domestic terrorism ? a definition which has itself been a point on contention for rights groups across the political spectrum because of its breadth. The PATRIOT Act says domestic terrorism includes any crimes that "involve violent acts or acts dangerous to human life" and "appear to be intended" to influence government or a civilian population by "intimidation or coercion."
The ACLU says this definition is "so broad that many legitimately fear they could cover the civil disobedience activities of diverse protest organizations, including Operation Rescue, Greenpeace, and the anti-globalization movement."
In his statement to the Judiciary Committee, Edgar wrote: "This 'catch-all' death penalty provision would ? seriously exacerbate the already considerable chilling effect of the USA PATRIOT Act's 'domestic terrorism' definition on political protest groups that use tactics of civil disobedience. . . . Protest organizations have already been significantly chilled by the USA PATRIOT Act's definition of some civil disobedience tactics as forms of terrorism. A death penalty based on that definition would multiply the chilling effect dramatically."
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