General Discussion

2banon

(7,321 posts) Sat Mar 15, 2014, 06:02 PM Mar 2014

Do you support the work of the ACLU? [View all]

The American Civil Liberties Union says on their website:

The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country

Note: I've been a "card carrying" member for almost my entire adult life and thats a number of decades now. I operate on the premise all "Liberals" proudly make that claim as well, sing their praises and certainly defend and support their work. But since the Snowden revelations, it occurs to me that my assumptions may no longer be based on reality, hence this poll.

Here's a list of the groups and/or issues which the ACLU dedicates their work and energy to:

Capital Punishment

Criminal Law Reform

Disability rights

Free Speech

Human Rights

Immigrant's Rights

National Security

Technology and Liberty

Voting rights

Women's Rights

LGBT Rights

Prisoners Rights

Religious Freedom

Reproductive Freedom

32 votes, 0 passes \| Time left: Time expired
	I support the ACLU, wholly agree with the principles of the organization and their work.
	26 (81%)
	I do not support the ACLU and do not agree with their principles of the organization or their work.
	0 (0%)
	Somethings the ACLU fights for I support, Somethings I do not..
	5 (16%)
	other
	1 (3%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

73 replies

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Highlight:

Do you support the work of the ACLU? [View all] 2banon Mar 2014 OP

Yep, Too poor to give, tho. DiverDave Mar 2014 #1

I support the ACLU in all their endeavors Cirque du So-What Mar 2014 #2

Well said, I'm with you on that. rgbecker Mar 2014 #3

Pretty much what I was going to say. NuclearDem Mar 2014 #6

This sarisataka Mar 2014 #12

Me, too. Warren DeMontague Mar 2014 #47

this. nt La Lioness Priyanka Mar 2014 #57

I haven't donated to them since citizens united. DireStrike Mar 2014 #4

It was the correct decision. n-t Logical Mar 2014 #9

Also, dumb idea, lets say 95% of the time you like their side of it. Why not support them? n-t Logical Mar 2014 #10

I support them FreeJoe Mar 2014 #15

I'm guessing you're a billionaire, then? Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #39

You'd be wrong FreeJoe Mar 2014 #62

I just have this thing about $$$$ being legally equated with speech Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #68

Are you OK with banning a corporation from publishing a book during election season Nye Bevan Mar 2014 #71

$$$ aren't speech, but banning spending on speech is banning speech FreeJoe Mar 2014 #73

They do take on things that I find really hard to support or am in complete disagreement 2banon Mar 2014 #16

+1 Blue_Tires Mar 2014 #38

Yeah, I'm a libertarian. A civil libertarian. Comrade Grumpy Mar 2014 #5

Donated for years. Savannahmann Mar 2014 #7

I would love to see the people who voted against the ACLU reasons. n-t Logical Mar 2014 #8

My guess would be that this is because the ACLU supports the Citizens United decision, Nye Bevan Mar 2014 #22

yeah, I agree that was actually infuriating. 2banon Mar 2014 #30

My take on that, simplistic, but I think, to the point: If Money Equals Speech, then the MADem Mar 2014 #31

Exactly so. Not simplistic at all, it's just what it boils down to. n/t 2banon Mar 2014 #32

Card carrying member since 2000. nt NutmegYankee Mar 2014 #11

I support the ACLU and their aims. hrmjustin Mar 2014 #13

They strongly support the 1st Amendment Warren DeMontague Mar 2014 #14

Well, to be fair, free speech is great, except when people use it to say mean things (nt) Nye Bevan Mar 2014 #33

Or when people get unauthorized jollies from looking at consenting adults nude. Warren DeMontague Mar 2014 #35

I changed my vote to other bigwillq Mar 2014 #17

ACLU has two separate entities. One for Lobbying, and one for Protection/Litigation work 2banon Mar 2014 #25

Sure I mostly support what the ACLU stands for Agony Mar 2014 #18

I support their mission in principle; in actual fact they occasionally take on a case that MADem Mar 2014 #19

We agree on something!! 2banon Mar 2014 #26

I don't, either.. However I understand that the principle of free speech is more antithetical to Warren DeMontague Mar 2014 #64

Certainly. In the public square, anyway, the solution to speech is more speech. nt MADem Mar 2014 #65

Oh yeah. I mean, those kinds of arguments don't apply for instance to DU, right. Warren DeMontague Mar 2014 #66

Precisely! nt MADem Mar 2014 #67

I agree with them most of the time... Jeff In Milwaukee Mar 2014 #20

I didn't see 2nd Amendment rights on the list. We don't have a cafeteria style Bill of Rights badtoworse Mar 2014 #21

Priorities are given to that which is threatened 2banon Mar 2014 #34

You can't be serious. badtoworse Mar 2014 #36

Oh, I've been paying attention. 2banon Mar 2014 #37

There'd be no need for an NRA if gun control zealots weren't pushing ever more restrictive gun laws. badtoworse Mar 2014 #40

I live near Oakland. 2banon Mar 2014 #43

There is a point at which "strict regulation" of rights becomes denial of rights badtoworse Mar 2014 #45

That principle applies to all of our rights.. 2banon Mar 2014 #46

There needs to be restrictions on all rights, but only the minumum necessary. badtoworse Mar 2014 #48

I'm in complete agreement with the principle on policies you've posited here 2banon Mar 2014 #49

"if the NRA is for it, then I'm against it, and vice versa" badtoworse Mar 2014 #70

We can all remember when the NRA so valiantly saved our country in 1996 LanternWaste Mar 2014 #52

The ACLU at the national level doesn't support the 2nd Amendment Lurks Often Mar 2014 #50

Here is an issue on which the NRA and ACLU are collaborating: Maedhros Mar 2014 #54

I'll flip that around on you: Maedhros Mar 2014 #53

+1000. (nt) Paladin Mar 2014 #59

They do attach the same importance to the 2nd as others hootinholler Mar 2014 #56

Blowing off the ACLU over their 2nd Amend. stance is the very essence of cafeteria-style behavior. Paladin Mar 2014 #58

I don't agree with their support of Citizens United n/t eridani Mar 2014 #23

Pretty much... yuiyoshida Mar 2014 #24

Everything but Citizens United. Vashta Nerada Mar 2014 #27

They are benighted on the 2nd Amendment aikoaiko Mar 2014 #28

been a dues paying member since Reagan was elected SteveG Mar 2014 #29

I support them and I'd like to see them put in charge of the NSA and CIA. Tierra_y_Libertad Mar 2014 #41

Indeed! That'd be day for celebration.. :) n/t 2banon Mar 2014 #61

Yes, even when I don't. Throd Mar 2014 #42

that's about the way i see it.. n/t 2banon Mar 2014 #44

I'm a member and a huge fan. nt Zorra Mar 2014 #51

Im almost in 100% agreement with them on every issue LostOne4Ever Mar 2014 #55

Don't agree with them on every specific case they support Token Republican Mar 2014 #60

The ACLU is one of the few organizations I still support Blue_In_AK Mar 2014 #63

Member here...K&R. n/t Jefferson23 Mar 2014 #69

As long as $$$$$$$ = "speech" to them, they could never work for me. They work for $$$$$$. nt Romulox Mar 2014 #72