The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is well known as an advocate for protecting American’s rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Many people have the opinion that the organization is anti-religion, because of many well-publicized cases where they have taken the side of people objecting to public prayer or other religious observances.
But did you know that there are many cases where the ACLU has advocated for peoples rights to practice their religion? For example:
— The ACLU supported a Christian minister who wanted to preach to the public and distribute leaflets on the sidewalks around a downtown bus station in Spokane, WA.
–The ACLU threatened to file suit against a policy prohibiting baptisms in the park, forcing a change in the policy.
–The ACLU represented a high school student whom school authorities suspended and then attempted to expel for wearing T-shirts with religious messages.
–The ACLU represented a student whose yearbook entry, a Bible verse, was deleted because of its religious content. The school agreed not to censor students’ yearbook entries based on their religious or political viewpoints in the future.
–The Iowa Civil Liberties Union filed a brief supporting a group of Christian students asserting their right to distribute religious literature during non-instructional time.
There are lots of other examples here.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Heather // Mar 8, 2008 at 7:25 am
That is interesting. I was able to skim each article. It seems that it is not news if it is not interesting and judgment get made based on what is displayed by the media. Evil- is a strong word.
2 Don // Mar 8, 2008 at 10:54 am
I never thought the ACLU was evil, just wrong most of the time. I suspect they highlighted these cases to help supporters defend them and it seems to have worked for at least one person(I’m not naming names).
The ACLU is a very far left organization but once in a while even a lefty does something good.
3 Daryl // Mar 8, 2008 at 11:26 am
On the contrary, I think the ACLU is right most of the time; that’s why I donate regularly to them.
“Very far left” is a strange description of an organization devoted to supporting the civil rights of all people. Does that mean that people on the right don’t support civil rights?
They support the rights of the KKK to march as much as they support the rights of Black Panthers. They support the rights of free speech for pro-lifers as much as for pro-choicers. They support the rights of Christians, Muslims, Hindus and atheists to worship or not be forced to worship however they want.
How does this make them “very far left”?
4 Don // Mar 8, 2008 at 3:48 pm
http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2005/11/10/top-ten-reasons-to-stop-the-aclu/
http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2005/11/10/top-ten-reasons-to-stop-the-aclu/
I suspect there are as many pro ACLU websites as there are anti ACLU ones.
5 Don // Mar 8, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Rats. Missed on the second link.
http://stoptheaclu.com/archives/2006/02/09/stop-the-aclus-one-year-blogiversary-blogburst-top-ten-myths-about-the-aclu/
6 Daryl // Mar 8, 2008 at 7:26 pm
The “Stop the ACLU” site was almost laughable. An argument such as “The founder was a communist” is irrelevant, whether true or not.
The ACLU takes a position supporting “reproductive freedom”, but equally supports the rights of protesters who disagree; see here, here, and here.
Their support for freedom of speech for unpopular positions, such as Nazis, porn dealers and NAMBLA draws hatred from many sides, but censoring anyone’s speech is a slippery slope. Who gets to decide what is proper and what is not?
Most of the objections to the ACLU come from people who want their own speech, opinions and religious beliefs protected, but not those of people they disagree with.
7 jocelyn // Mar 8, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I love reading when you two argue. It takes me back to high school. I had some very intelligent friends, it always made for fun lunch time debates.
8 Donna // Mar 10, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Happy Birthday, Daryl! Now you’re two years older than me.