Would a good political stance be "I support everything the ACLU is against"?

Question

I don't think I have ever agreed with the ACLU on one issue. Whenever I am confused about an issue, I usually mull it over for a few days, do some research, and decide my "stance" on that particular issue. However, sometimes I find it hard to decide exactly how I feel about a certain issue.

Whenever this happens, can I just call the ACLU, find out what they think, and do the exact opposite? Or has the ACLU ever made a "good call", where I should agree with them. For instance, they:

-Defend groups such as NAMBLA and the KKK
-Are against Jessica's Law, and other laws aimed at sex offenders
-Pretty much fight for ALL prisoner's rights cases, where I feel they should have little to NO rights, except to not get tortured see my idol:
http://www.cnn.com/US/9907/27/tough.sheriff/
-Supports Affirmative Action, otherwise known as Reverse Racism
-Believe that the Second Amendment does NOT allow for individual gun ownership, when it does
-Is against regulating SPAM and other junk mail

So???

And don't give me "They helped Ruch Limbaugh" because I don't really care for him, either. O'Reily is my man!

Answer 1

Thank God for O'Reilly. He has probably done more to truly educate people through his political analysis than all the networks combined.

There was an episode of "Hogan's Heroes" in which Hogan and Colonel Klink needed to defuse a bomb. Hogan was truly perplexed. He didn't know which wire to cut, and of course the wrong snip would cause instant detonation.

Hogan asked Colonel Klink which wire to cut, and after hearing his answer promptly cut the other wire. Colonel Klink asked Hogan why, if he knew the right wire to cut all along, did he ask for his opinion. Hogan responded, "I didn't. I just knew you'd make the wrong choice."

Same with the ACLU. They are the Colonel Klink of civil liberties.

Answer 2

Since the ACLU protects the Constitutional rights of Americans, then, no, it would not be a good political stance to say "I oppose the Constitution and everything it stands for."

You've cherry-picked what the ACLU does, to only include things you disagree with.

Rereading your whole post more carefully I see that you, yourself hate the Constitution of the United States of America itself.

You could move to a country that believes in torture, does NOT belive in freedom of speech or freedom of thought, or freedom of religion.

You'd love it in such countries. You'll never love living in America (that is, I hope we never become a completely brainwashed dictatorship, such as you would love.)

Answer 3

For number of years the ACLU has fought for the rights of individuals sometimes they are unpopular. But in democracy if rights are to be protected someone must insure protection of the rights.

Take the far right and moral majority who seek to impose there rights upon the majority. They are neither moral nor a majority.

Much rather have someone protect my rights then take them away. Once you start where do you end?

Answer 4

If you're an O'Reily [sic] man, perhaps you're also a fan of Sean Hannity...

"Saved by the ACLU

Hannity challenged his dismissal with help from the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. The civil liberties groups wrote letters on Hannity's behalf, arguing that the state school was breaching his free speech. When KCSB relented, offering him his show back, Hannity held out for more airtime, walking away from the station when he didn't get it.

Hannity's own accounts of his time at KCSB have been selective and incomplete. A few years ago he summed up the experience to Newsday (7/12/99): "You work for free at a college station, where they spit on you and then they fire you." In his best-selling book, Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism, Hannity wrote:

My first gig was with my own talk radio show at the University of Santa Barbara. But it didn't last long. I was too conservative, the higher-ups said, and they didn't like the comments one guest made on the show…The left-wing management had zero-tolerance for conservative points of view. And I was promptly fired. Once my voice was silenced, my destiny was set--do or die, I'd make my career in radio.

In this bit of personal mythmaking Hannity attributes his troubles at KCSB to his conservatism and to the behavior of a guest on his show. Both claims distort what actually happened, exonerating Hannity of any responsibility and casting him as a victim. Maybe that's the point. After all, accurately recounting the KCSB story, including his own hateful language and the inconvenient fact that he was offered his job back, might spoil the pristine image of the free-speech martyr Hannity wants us to believe.

Hannity's relentless application of ideology allows for few exceptions, none of the soft spots or quirks of the sort acquired over time when one's rigid beliefs are tempered by experience. So while one might expect Hannity to maintain at least a quiet gratitude toward the ACLU, it's surprising to see how ungenerous he is toward the group that supported him in Santa Barbara. For instance, in a discussion about free speech last year, Hannity charged Colmes with being "a card-carrying member of the ACLU." When Colmes said he that was proud to be a member, "because they defend all free speech," Hannity interrupted him: "No they don't, actually. But go ahead" (Hannity & Colmes, 7/17/02)."

Answer 5

The ACLU has done some good things to benefit America.

They defended street preachers in Las Vegas after the casinos wanted them removed off the sidewalks.

The groups you speak of are near evil, but in a free nation they have the right to exist.

Answer 6

The ACLU is a lunatic fringe group that promotes anarchy. They scare me very much. They do not fight for the individual rights of the majority.... They fight for insane acts for the minority.

I think the Devil himself is the Chairman Of the Board.

Answer 7

Its a pretty good rule of thumb. If you find yourself agreeing with the ACLU, its probably justthat you don't have all the facts yet...

Answer 8

Well, they have their token cases, like the Rush one you mentioned.

In general, if the ACLU is fer it, I am agin' it. And I would be able to spell if they hadn't shut down the private school I attended in 10th grade.

Answer 9

A better policy is to support everything Lou Dobbs is for.

Answer 10

Yes. Here's a good starting place....

http://www.aclj.org