ACLU....... your thoughts, good or bad?

Answer 1

Every society needs a conscience. Many or most don't have them. It's more or less the same thing as despising the lawyer who defends a notorious suspect (an accused spy or child murderer). You can't have "justice" without a disinterested tribunal and adequate representation. Since the justice system is (in Anglo-Saxon countries anyway, an adversarial proceeding).

I am always impressed when somebody argues (or advocates) against interest. Like an observant Jewish lawyer on behalf of an accused Nazi war criminal. Or an organization such as the ACLU against the interests of the bulk of its contributors.

Answer 2

Good. And it is a good thing that it is unpopular!

The ACLU is there to protect the civil rights guaranteed in the constitution. Those rights are to protect the MINORITY against the will of the majority. Civil rights are limits on the government (which should reflect the will of the people).

As a result, the ACLU is, in each individual case, trying to STOP the will of the majority, to protect the rights of a minority (or individual). If its actions were popular, then most people would agree with it (popular opinion). In that case, it would not be "taking on" the majority, which is its function.

Only by fighting the will of the majority (in an individual case), can the ACLU be effective in its mission. It is heartening to see that so many people find the ACLU frustrating, for that means that it is doing its job!

Over the long haul, by protecting the rights of individuals and minorities, the rights of all are protected. It is often hard to see this in any individual case, but the protections of the US Constitution should be vigorously defended.

Answer 3

Great. Mission statement



The American system of government is founded on two counterbalancing principles: that the majority of the people governs, through democratically elected representatives; and that the power even of a democratic majority must be limited, to ensure individual rights.

Majority power is limited by the Constitution's Bill of Rights, which consists of the original ten amendments ratified in 1791, plus the three post-Civil War amendments (the 13th, 14th and 15th) and the 19th Amendment (women's suffrage), adopted in 1920.

The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:

Your First Amendment rights-freedom of speech, association and assembly. Freedom of the press, and freedom of religion supported by the strict separation of church and state.

Your right to equal protection under the law - equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.

Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.

Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.
We work also to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor.

If the rights of society's most vulnerable members are denied, everybody's rights are imperiled.

The ACLU was founded by Roger Baldwin, Crystal Eastman, Albert DeSilver and others in 1920. We are nonprofit and nonpartisan and have grown from a roomful of civil liberties activists to an organization of more than 500,000 members and supporters. We handle nearly 6,000 court cases annually from our offices in almost every state.

Answer 4

The ACLU is basically good. It is not just a conscience, it's there to help protect our legal rights.

It is significant that the Republican right demonizes this organization and that some say it should be outlawed. Even if you don't agree with some of the causes they promote, this should raise a yellow flag in your mind. The Bush administration HAS reduced or restricted some of our privacy rights and some of our procedural due process rights in the courts. Should we listen to them as they try to hobble a group that has been a watchdog for our "freedoms"?

Answer 5

The ACLU is good. They protect the large and small aspects of our liberty for us because we are too lazy to slice and dice the issues small enough to see a loss ourselves.

I have read WAY too many people on message boards say they don't mind being spied on by the government - thank God for the ACLU. "The Government" that is in office isn't always going to be one you agree with. Not to mention the potential for abuse down the road when the spying is done against rival candidates for political advantage

They sometimes overshoot, but that is good, too. It gets a clear decision put down so that we all are on the same page.

Answer 6

I may not always agree with them, but it is comforting, in this day and age, to know that there is an organization dedicated to the protection of our civil rights. I think they get an unfair reputation as being too "liberal", but don't forget, it was the Florida ACLU who defended Rush Limbaugh against the release of his medical record. Of course, it goes without saying, that if we did a better job of defending our own civil rights, the ACLU would be a lot less busy and, consequently, a lot less powerful. Something to think about.

Answer 7

ACLU. American Civial Liberties Union

It's sole purpose is to protect and defend the Bill of Rights. Hard to say it is bad

I think it is very good but I also think sometimes they get WAY TOO PC and waste their efforts

Answer 8

I think the aclu has it all wrong. We have a lot of freedoms in this country (according to the constitution). But the aclu seems to think we have the freedom to not be offended.

If any group of people are offended by ANYTHING in this country, it seems like the aclu takes up their cause.

Answer 9

Good, even though they defend causes I don't agree with. I realize that without the legal challenges that allow for court review of the constitutionality of a variety of laws, those laws that were put in place to place limits on groups I dislike would be turned and used against me.

Answer 10

IMO, the ACLU has completely lost its way. The AMERICAN Civil Liberties Union no longer looks out for American Civil Liberties in any way, shape, or form. They've become a laughing stock to both Americans and foreigners.

Can you imagine an ACLU type organization in Iran telling the Iranian government they are being sued for mistreatment of prisoners of war?