What's the ACLU and what do they do?

Answer 1

I am a lifelong member of the ACLU, or the American Civil Liberties Union.

Freedom does not defend itself. In the history of the United States, numerous political prisoners have been incarcerated by the government, notably anarchists after the assassination of McKinley, and socialists after World War I (on Wilson's orders). The constitution relies upon the judiciary to interpret and apply the protections provided in it, e.g. the Bill of Rights and the other amendments. As such, those who wish to exercise their constitutional freedoms (such as freedom of speech) when their ideas may be unpopular (such as communsits, or the NAMBLA pedophiles) may be persecuted because of the unpopularity of their beliefs and need to be defended in court. In cases like these, the ACLU offers free legal assistance and will defend these individuals, regardless if they agree with their often-unpopular viewpoints, and stand up for our civil liberties.

The ACLU has historically been important in the United States. One notable example (out of very many) was that desegregation of the school system was a result of the ACLU's efforts (Brown v. Board of Education).

Critics of the ACLU in this question cite how the ACLU defended NAMBLA, the National Man-Boy Love Association, and try to equate the ACLU with actually being NAMBLA. These arguments are lies made by people who do not believe in defending freedom. NAMBLA is an unpopular group for obvious reasons, and the ACLU defends their right to state their unpopular opinions as long as they do not commit crimes in the process. This is because, like everyone, they have the American Freedom to express their views as long as they do not harm anyone (the ACLU would NOT ever defend them if they engaged in illegal sexual acts, but they merely try to get illegal sexual acts made legal/accepted -- with little chance of success). As such, the ACLU is often associated with some very nasty and unpopular groups of people. This is because freedom of speech does not mean your speech needs to be popular and or well-liked for you to be free to say it, and the ACLU is not biased in helping groups who wish to express their freedoms -- as we as Americans have the right to.

The ACLU also gives a voice to the voiceless, notably, standing up for the tortured inmates at Guantanamo Bay prison and offering them legal assistance. Additionally, the ACLU is at the forefront of the legal battle to get the patriot act declared unconstitutional and its restrictions on American freedoms nullified.

In short, the ACLU is a noble organization dedicated to protecting people's rights, no matter how unpopular their opinions may be, in order to ensure that Americans continue to have the same freedoms they always have. If the ACLU did not exist, it is safe to say that freedom of speech and the press in the United States would not nearly be as extensive (and did you know the US is only ranked 46th in the World, out of 200 countries, in respect for freedom of the press?) and the government would exert more influence upon our personal lives.

Answer 2

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU):

Is a major American non-profit organization with headquarters in New York City, whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States".[1] It works through litigation, legislation, and community education.[1] According to its annual report, the ACLU had over 500,000 members at the end of 2005.

Lawsuits brought by the ACLU have been influential in the evolution of U.S. constitutional law.[2] The ACLU provides legal assistance in cases in which it considers civil liberties to be at risk. Even when the ACLU does not provide direct legal representation, it often submits amicus curiae briefs.

Outside of its legal work, the organization has also engaged in lobbying of elected officials and political activism.[3] The ACLU is independent and hard to classify on the left/right political spectrum. The ACLU has been critical of elected officials and policies of both Democrats and Republicans. Its views are often controversial and criticized by both parties.

Answer 3

The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), is an agency which works to defend and preserve the rights and liberties guaranteed to the citizens of this nation by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America.

Answer 4

The ACLU stands for American Civil Liberties Union. Their stated mission is to to "defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". Basically they file lawsuits to try and correct whatever injustices they find. The link below will give you a more detailed explanation and history.

Answer 5

Well I am An American citizen being surveillanced by our gov't here in their making of a film called a snuff in which i or my family will be killed they have told me.You too can be violated through your t.v. set. I went to the aclu they don't help Americans there. My contact is [e-mail]. This is what the US gov't does, to children of vets, my dad served over 30 years in the military and the Thanks he gets is having his family subjected to violations of privacy,filmed audio and videod, raped and murdered in a film that they claim on the internet in not real, then keep in touch, and find out for yourself.

Answer 6

Atheists
Communists
Liberals
United

They seek a land without God and morals where anyone can do what they want. They have no conscience. They say everyone should be able to have the freedom to do whatever they want. Think about this for a minute and you can see all the problems that would result from this set of morals and standards.

Answer 7

Wikipedia is too kind.

They have sought to bend the Constitution to their interpretation. They seek to stamp out all public references to faith and religion.
They also support NAMBLA (the National Man-Boy Love Association).

While I think they may have done a good job in the past, they often take on ridiculous causes like NAMBLA and also try to coerce municipalities into removal of public objects of faith (such as suing the City of San Diego to remove a cross that has stood for more than 100 years)...

Answer 8

ACLU stands for American Civil Liberties Union. I've heard the acronym frequently, but I'm afraid I don't know exactly what they do. Wikipedia.com has some good information, I'm sure.

Answer 9

The ACLU stands for "American Civil Liberties Union." They are an organization founded during our extremely racist early 20th century. They were originally dedicated to racial equality. Way back when, they were a cause worth fighting for.

Now, they spend their time making sure rapists, murderers, and other felons get out of prison; they want the death penalty banned; they believe illegal immigrants should be welcomed with open arms; are against everything that has to do with Christianity/Judaism, but every other religion is okay; and are hoping to one day make Berkeley the nation's capital, where anarchy with harsh undertones of communism reign free in the streets.

Answer 10

Ageing Communist Leftovers Union. They were found by Roger Baldwin, an avowed marxist. Their purpose is to defeat democracy in this country and bring it under socialist rule - pure and simple.