The Right to be Free from Unreasonable Search

and Seizure

by Frank C. Wood, Jr.

from an Address given at ONE's 1963 Midwinter Institute

It seems that the protection of human rights is a never-ending fight. It's the sort of thing where you go forward a step and then go back a step and a half. Sometimes I am afraid we don't go forward at all during some periods. But we must keep trying.

There is no group in the United States today that is more persecuted than the homosexual. It is strange but society never recognizes a problem until it is passed. You might ask, what are our problems today in the field of civil rights? The Negro. And before them the Irish and Italian. people, and before them the Germans, and before them the English, and before them the Dutch. Maybe there are others. Each wave of persons entering the country has been considered a minority and a problem. One at a time these problems have been solved. In the southern part of the U.S. there are still troubles at the universities. Individuals are persecuted; but these are isolated cases. Because the biggest victories in civil rights have already been won in these areas even though the people have just gotten around to realizing that a real problem existed.

Many of you here today are faced by a problem which is not recognized by the general public and which cannot even be discussed in polite company in many places, and yet it is a problem which deprives many of you of your civil rights. I am here to discuss the problems of homosexuals' rights. I will have something to say about the problems of arrestof even search and seizure, perhaps.

Let us look at the ways the police in many areas work. It is the duty of each citizen to fight unlawful and improper police infringements upon our liberties whenever and wherever they may arise. In order to do so we must be aware of what is going on. What is the most important civil right that we have? Freedom of speech? Certainly it is important. If a man can't say what he thinks he can't be much of a man. Freedom of religion? Certainly, at times in our history, it has been the most vital freedom of all. But these are freedoms that have been pretty much established, as have freedom of the press, etc. High in importance on our list of freedoms is the right against unreasonable search and seizure the right of privacy -

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