I'm curious about the ACLU

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

I've been checking out their website for the post few hour reading their position papers and getting a general idea of what they do, how it all functions etc etc. I tried to find some solid criticism of the group but could only find "ACLU hates Jesus, American, and Christians" and "ACLU wants to implement communism" sort of crap. I'm looking for two books about the organization.

One that chronicles the ACLU as a whole, and another that covers all that covers the flaws, criticism, and failures. I'm confident I can find some ACLU members here, do you guys have any suggestions on reading matieral?

[WhollyHeretic]

1. I'm an ACLU member

They do catch a lot of crap from all ends of the political spectrum. They defend everyone's rights, even unpopular groups. The loss of liberties usually starts with small unpopular groups and grows from there.

I don't have any reading material to suggest at the moment, I'm about to go to sleep but I'll check around tomorrow (a friend of mine is the head of the ACLU chapter at her law school).

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

2. Thanks

Yea, I certainly agree with their macroscopic focus though from anecdotes I've gathered from friends/family (which I am always skeptical of) indicate some kind of feeling of hostility from the general populace. I've heard from others, mind you only heard from others, that they believe that the ACLU's message is great but they get wrapped up in petty counter productive lawsuits. I'm trying to get to the bottom of that for myself. I'm going to the local library tommorow morning to do some research. My College runs on the trimester system so I have 5 weeks off right now, all my friends are still at school, and I'm a freshman and was too caught up in the initial chaos of starting college to grab some interesting internship. So I have a lot of time to do my own independent research in whatever I choose.

[RoyGBiv]

3. They defend unpopular causes ...

This is what they were created to do, and I applaud them for it.

You'll find a number of (imo short-sighted) self-described liberals who burned their membership cards when the ACLU took on a case involving defending the right of a neo-Nazi group to stage a gathering in Skokie, IL. This incident was actually used by the right-wing to try to discredit the ACLU, a fact that is rich with irony.

Look up this book:

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/strwhe.html

As I said ... unpopular causes. In matters of free speech, the guiding principle of the ACLU is one of purity. The First Amendment was intended to protect unpopular speech especially, which was the fundamental basis of their reasoning in taking on the Skokie case. What's quite interesting is that those groups and individuals who are most openly opponents of the ACLU and what it does are often the first to turn to it when they find their own feet held to the fire ... again, neo-Nazis in Skokie.

As a general, wandering idea to explore, look into the usage of the term "card carrying liberal" as a pejorative. It and the the phrase "card carrying member of the ACLU" are cousins.

[Conan_The_Barbarian]

5. Very interesting

The more I read the more and more I'm liking this group.

[ComerPerro]

4. yeah, most of the anti-ACLU stuff you will find will be from Bill OhReally's followers

[Pushed To The Left]

6. I have been a monthly ACLU donor ever since

the November 2004 elections. I may not agree with them on every issue, but they are fighting the good fight and are the mortal enemy of the right wing "culture warriors". Actually, I find that the anti-ACLU websites like www.stoptheaclu.org are actually good advertisements for the ACLU, showing how hateful and venomous their detractors are. One hour of Bill O'Reilly's culture war schtick will make you want to join the ACLU in a heartbeat! The ACLU fights for separation of church and state, free speech, against discrimination, for reproductive rights, rights of the poor, etc. An ACLU organizer told me their client is the Bill of Rights.