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ACLU

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The ACLU is the American Civil Liberties Union, which was run for its first 30 years by a American citizen named Roger Baldwin, who helped found it in 1920 in response to the Espionage Act and Sedition Act. Baldwin once declared being "for Socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself... We seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and the sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal." [1]

ACLU and the First Amendment

A example of ACLU litigation regarding free exercise of religion was Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School Dist., 400 F.Supp.2d 707 (M.D. Pa. 2005), also known as the Intelligent design case. The ACLU prevailed in prohibiting teachers from even mentioning Intelligent Design to students. At the end of this case the trial judge simply copied more than 90% of the ACLU's brief for his ruling.[2] The judge then entered a judgment for $2,067,226.00 against the school board members for the legal fees and expenses of the ACLU's side. The judge's order also prevented any appeal of his opinion in the case.

The judge relied heavily on the decision in Selman v. Cobb County Sch. Dist., 390 F. Supp. 2d 1286 (N.D. Ga. 2005). But that decision was later reversed on appeal in Selman v. Cobb County Sch. Dist., 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 13005 (11th Cir. May 25, 2006).

ACLU chapters frequently sue to compel removal of the Ten Commandments from public property. For example, in McCreary County v. ACLU, 545 U.S. 844 (2005), the ACLU of Kentucky forced two counties to remove displays of the Ten Commandments from their courthouses. In Utah, the ACLU even announced a scavenger hunt for anyone who could find a display of the Ten Commandments monument that the ACLU could demand be removed. The ACLU typically receives substantial legal fees from the government in each of these cases.

Occasionally an ACLU chapter does side with a Christian student. The ACLU of Michigan defended a Christian student seeking to have a Biblical passage on the student's yearbook page.[3]

Abortion

The ACLU is against any laws restricting what they see as the Right to Choice. ACLU attorneys have argued several reproductive rights cases.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.leaderu.com/real/ri9402/aclu.html
  2. ↑ http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=3829&program=CSC%20-%20Views%20and%20News
  3. ↑ http://www.aclu.org/studentsrights/expression/12845prs20040511.html

External Links