The ACLU e-mail.

[TNDemo]

Have you seen this? Got it from my freeper relative. It says the ACLU is trying to prevent any crosses on federal property and then says DUH and shows a picture of Arlington cemetery with all the crosses on it. Then it goes on to say to forward this to everyone even if you don't normally do that (like they don't normally do that). Is there some kind of new legislation about that?

[La_Serpiente]

1. I DOUBT

that the ACLU would do something like that. They are just playing scare tactics.

[Wickerman]

4. I got that Freepish piece of crap long ago

Have received it at least twice from well-meaning folks who are appalled for at least long enough to click forward but not long enough to think for themselves or long enough to do a simple web search to find what the ACLU really stands for. I usually send ACLU links back.

http://www.aclu.org/ReligiousLiberty/ReligiousLibertyMain.cfm

Americans enjoy a degree of religious freedom unknown in most of the rest of the world, and they take full advantage it: the United States is home to more than 1,500 different religious bodies and 360,000 churches, synagogues and mosques.

The right of each and every American to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all, is among the most fundamental of the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The Constitution's framers understood very well that religious liberty can flourish only if the government leaves religion alone. The free exercise clause of the First Amendment guarantees the right to practice one's religion free of government interference. The establishment clause requires the separation of church and state. Combined, they ensure religious liberty. Yet assaults on the freedom to believe continue, both in Washington and in state legislatures around the country.

The ACLU will continue working to ensure that religious liberty is protected by keeping the government out of the religion business. Use the resources on this page to learn more and take action to protect the rights guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights. Our latest news releases are listed to the left; actions you can take now are listed to the right, along with additional resources. The most recent religious liberty features are included directly below.

[Walt Starr]

2. Debunked

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/cemetery.asp

[CO Liberal]

3. This Is a Fairly New Piece of Crap

I noticed that the Snopes page is only two days old......

[Walt Starr]

5. That's just the latest update

It's older than that.

[Qutzupalotl]

6. Remind them that Bush's policies

are putting far more crosses on that particular piece of property. :-(

[Walt Starr]

8. So much so

that he just signed a bill designating additional property as that sort of property.

[WeirdSceneGoldmine]

7. Heads up

When crosses start showing up in court houses how will it be handled?

[HFishbine]

9. Good Gawd -- Not This Again

I got this from my state senator over the summer. It's complete and total bunk. Do you have access to the CC list on the e-mail? Reply to all and send them my reply:
--------------
Hold on a minute. This is one of the oldest debating tricks in the book. Set up an inflammatory premise and imbue it with some meaningful sounding authority in order to have visceral emotions take over before one fully evaluates the truthfulness of the argument. Skip an evaluation of the supposed "facts" as stated, accept that they must be true because they were "in the news" and move directly to indignation.

But what if we back up a second and take just a moment to ask, "Did the ACLU say they don't want crosses on federal property? Was this really in the news last week, or ever?"

An internet search yields absolutely zero news stories where the ACLU has taken this position. A search of the ACLU web site also comes up empty. So just where did this "news" story come from. Apparently, out of thin air.

A Google search of "crosses federal property" does reveal some interesting results though -- numerous posts on message boards that all say the same thing: "Did you see in the news last week..." and they all have one thing in common: NOT ONE cites the source of this "news" report. They do tend to revel in a hatred of the ACLU though, with such comments as the ACLU is "an evil, warped, egotistical bunch of communists and socialists, blathering nitwits, anti-Americans."

Maybe, if people didn't allow themselves to be taken in by hoaxes, and instead sought the truth, they might be less inclined to demonize the ACLU and actually appreciate its efforts to protect civil liberties in America.

The truth is that the ACLU has actually fought on behalf of families seeking to halt the removal of religious symbols from cemeteries. Yes, it was "in the news," but unlike the "news" about crosses on federal property, this news you can actually read for yourself:
http://www.conservativenews.org/InDepth/archive/199904/IND19990402c.html

Meanwhile, the good work of the ACLU, which should be of interest to all Americans, is ignored by some because they fall victim to bogus smears. Rather than becoming disgusted by false stories, people may wish to actually take a look at just how the ACLU is working to defend the rights of American citizens, something that is in short supply with the current White House administration. As John Ashcroft continues to try to strip away constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties, with the quiet approval of George W. Bush, the ACLU is fighting to preserve American freedoms.

Do you have an open mind? If you think you do, visit http://www.aclu.org/ and compare the activities of the ACLU to those of the Bush administration and it should be clear who the real defenders of freedom are.

[karlschneider]

10. A couple years ago the ACLU (yes, I am a proud card-carrying member)

intervened in a county jail here in Oklahoma to reverse a policy that did not allow prisoners to have bibles in their cells. We are not against religion, per se, but oppose mandatory or government-sponsored mandates of any particular faith. (I am an atheist, but I support the right of people to engage in whatever sort of mythology they want so long as I do not have to pay for it, support it, or have it stuffed in my face.)

[Oracle]

11. The ONLY oganization who will be consistantly fighting Ashcroft

and the right-wing fascist in the years to come. Of course the pigs on the right will lie, make shit up to convice their sheep that the ACLU is bad. The ACLU is the ONLY ones protecting our civil liberties against the right wing conservative fascist gaining more and more power each day.

I am a member and a huge supporter of the ACLU and I send them donations as often as I can. They will be the ONLY ones left to help us when the fascist steal another election in 2004.

Just look at that fucking republican fascist asshole who just took office today in California.

Please help and support the Amerian Civil Liberties Union.

http://www.aclu.org/


(Also support, People For The American Way http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/)