NationStates Jolt Archive

A lot of people have strong negative opinions towards the ACLU and I think it might be informative to delve into the actual case history of the organization.

What are some examples of ACLU cases that give a negative opinion of them and what are some examples of the ACLU doing good ?

Doing good: they took on the Mormon Church on issues of free speech and won.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/mormon/mormon129.html

A lot of people have strong negative opinions towards the ACLU and I think it might be informative to delve into the actual case history of the organization.

What are some examples of ACLU cases that give a negative opinion of them and what are some examples of the ACLU doing good ?
I'll have to go back and find my bookmarks, but I have far more negative news regarding the ACLU as opposed to good things they've done.

With that said...they DO do good things every now and then... like their current fight to keep the government out of individuals' private medical records. They're actually helping Rush Limbaugh on this. :eek: Truth is stranger than fiction. :)

Doing good: they took on the Mormon Church on issues of free speech and won.

http://www.rickross.com/reference/mormon/mormon129.html
Read the article. "Free speech" was peripheral and actually a strawman argument in the suit. The suit was actually about property rights...which the ACLU routinely spit on.

They are evil. Hence the Rush Limbaugh thing, but the head scratching over Real ID. (They are looking into it, which is ACLU speak for not going to do a damn thing).

Read the article. "Free speech" was peripheral and actually a strawman argument in the suit. The suit was actually about property rights...
Quite true. I should have read that a bit closer.

Read the article. "Free speech" was peripheral and actually a strawman argument in the suit. The suit was actually about property rights...which the ACLU routinely spit on.


Okies...

I assume you have a lot of citations of cases where the ACLU "spit on" property rights, as you claim that they do so *routinely.*

I didnt intend for this thread to be "i heard that they did this" or "i think that they did that" or "somone reported this."

Lets ground this discussion in solid, accurate citations, shall we?

Well, they did defend NAMBLA (http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/Rage/NAMBLARAGEPAGE.html) . And I have a hard time seeing that as a good thing, under any conditions.
But beyond that, they've protected people's religious (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=17318&c=139) liberties (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=16295&c=142) time (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=16138&c=142) and time (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=16031&c=142) again (http://aren.org/news/darla/thestate3.html) , as well as their right to free (http://www.aclu.org/FreeSpeech/FreeSpeech.cfm?ID=18186&c=20) speech (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=17237&c=29) . They have also fought discrimination based on race (http://www.aclunc.org/annual99/disc-race.html) , gender (http://www.aclu-em.org/pressroom/2004pressreleases/genderequityatprom.htm) , religion (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=17523&c=141) , or sexuality (http://www.aclunc.org/annual97/gay-discrimination.html) . They have also time and time again stepped up to the plate to defend (http://www.aclu.org/LesbianGayRights/LesbianGayRights.cfm?ID=18233&c=101) simple (http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18226&c=206) human rights (http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=15674&c=206) . They also fight government (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLiberty.cfm?ID=17963&c=139) endorsement (http://www.aclu.org/court/court.cfm?ID=17602&c=286) of religion (http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLibertylist.cfm?c=37) , a worthy cause.

However, most people who oppose the ACLU seem to be advocates for a fascist theocracy.

wow, that link list was a lot of work.

Commendable!

Indeed they defended NAMBLA, a superlatively distatsteful group, but that nambla was their client is only incidental to their defense of rights in general.

Law is based so much on precedent that cracks cannot be allowed to open up in the integrity of our rights.

It should of course also be noted that the ACLU did not advocate for NAMBLA's beliefs, only for their right to publish and speak freely.

I think Voltaire said something along the lines of "i would like to kill you for what you say, but would die for your right to say it." Ought to be taken in that spirit, I suppose.

I sadly can't find the case link...for some reason my computer keeps locking up when ever I try to search something.

but there was a case where the KKK wanted to march in a town that was mostly holocaust survivors. The town tried to ban them without reason (aside from who was in the town, but that is not a good enough reason to limit free speech), so the ACLU took on the KKK's case. Moreover, it was argued by a Jewish lawyer. Personally, although I detest the KKK, I find it commendable that they support everyones free speech. if/when I find the court case document, I'll post it

I think Voltaire said something along the lines of "i would like to kill you for what you say, but would die for your right to say it." Ought to be taken in that spirit, I suppose.

The quote you're looking for was written of Voltaire, not by him, by someone named Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre.

The quote you're looking for was written of Voltaire, not by him, by someone named Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre.

bravo