PITTSBURGH — Never before have the stakes on game night been so large.

A group of activists led by the Pittsburgh Bill of Rights Defense Campaign have organized a protest next week intended to persuade the City Council to pass a resolution that would voice its opposition to the USA Patriot Act.

The Patriot Act Game, designed by Pittsburghers Lisa Freeland, a public defender, and Steffi Domike, an artist, is intended to make learning about a complicated series of laws and their widespread implications fun. (Photo/Bill Wade, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

But what they have planned for Tuesday evening is no ordinary march or sit-in. Organizers have planned a "play-in" at which dozens of people will try their hand at the Patriot Act Game, a board game designed by a Pittsburgh art professor and a federal public defender.

Steffi Domike, assistant professor of art at Chatham College, said she and attorney Lisa Freeland created the board game to protest the anti-terrorism legislation adopted by Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

It also helps people better understand what Domike called an indecipherable and expansive law that has the power to strip citizens of their civil liberties.

Domike finds the U.S. Attorney General's guidelines on general crimes, racketeering enterprise and terrorism enterprise investigations especially troubling.

"If you read that carefully ... What we are doing here could be called a terrorist enterprise because two or more persons are engaged in enterprise with the purpose of furthering political or social goals," Domike said of a play-in planning session last Monday. "What group isn't trying to further social goals? A church is furthering social goals. 'Social goals' is extraordinarily broad language."

The game looks a lot like Monopoly, but with glaring differences.

Up to six participants roll a die. Those who roll low numbers receive a yellow, brown or black game piece and are at a disadvantage to those who roll high numbers and receive a red, white or blue game piece.

"The idea that you don't have a choice of where you land in life," Domike said.

Instead of "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards, participants use "Justice," "Surveillance," "History" and "Protest" cards. They offer facts about the legislation and historical figures, such as Rosa Parks and Mother Jones, who, according to Domike, would have been called terrorists under the legislation.

Instead of phony money, players use "Freedom Fries" as currency. The jail space says "No Lawyers or Visitors Allowed."

The goal of the game is to get all the players to "Freedom Corner" before the national terror threat level reaches severe. But one player can secretly get a "snitch" card and turn everyone in to the U.S. Attorney General.

Erik Arneson, chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader David Brightbill, R-Lebanon, and the author of a board game Web site, said political board games date back to the 1880s.

At least a half dozen novelty games skewering President Clinton popped up in the 1990s, but Arneson said he hadn't seen any directed at President Bush.

"Here's the final analysis with games like this: There's a flurry of attention, locally, regionally or nationally, when it first comes out. It might sell out in their first run, but it might take a while. And then by the time they get to the second run, the issue is old and it's not a hot topic."

According to the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, 260 communities around the nation, including three states, have passed resolutions urging curbs on the Patriot Act.

Pooja Bhatt of the Pittsburgh Bill of Rights Defense Committee hopes the City Council sends a message.

"Ultimately, it's up to the people to send a message to Congress who are making these laws to say, 'No, we don't want to give up our freedoms for this supposed security,'" Bhatt said.

On the Net:
Pittsburgh Bill of Rights Defense Committee: http://www.pbordc.org

© Copyright 2004 The Associated Press

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