The Daily Background
| Video- FOX News promotes myth about the ACLU
by Arlen Parsa
Bill O’Reilly likes to say that the American Civil Liberties Union is a liberal organization, but the truth is that it has no political motivation: it protects the civil liberties of all kinds Americans in court. It won the right in court for black people to marry white people in the south in the 60s, and it’s also defended the right for far-right-wing neo-nazis to express their freedom of speech (more ACLU history over at their Wikipedia entry). They also recently had a suit against AT&T over the NSA program thrown out of court on bogus “national security” grounds.
Anyways, Bill O’Liely (who once called the ACLU a bunch of terrorist-loving “Jihadists”) and Fox News love to promote their little ACLU= liberal myth, but it’s simply not true. They’re currently defending the God Hates Fags church’s right to protest military soldier’s funerals. They don’t agree with the God Hates Fags church (Wikipedia entry on the church), but they’ll defend their right to protest as guaranteed under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. The ACLU isn’t liberal or conservative. They’ve defended liberals who use marijuana, and also conservatives (and fellow drug users) like Rush Limbaugh.
The following video explains the FOX News myth about the ACLU.
but I thought Fox News was fair and balanced? no makey sensey!
Thanks for the link!
If I disagree with any of your comments it’s your argument that the ACLU is not “liberal” and that depends on your definition of liberal. If you look at , you’ll find several definitions, including “a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties.” Is the ACLU “liberal” by that definition?
I think you’re really arguing that the ACLU is a non-partisan organization which is true. Part of the ACLU nonpartisanship policy itself is quoted in a stating:
“policy 519 of the ACLU specifically states ‘The ACLU does not endorse or oppose candidates for elective or appointive office. The ACLU is a non-partisan organization committed to defending the Bill of Rights’.” My understanding is that the only exception that can be made according to the unquoted part of the policy is for Supreme Court nominees because of their overwhelming and integral involvement in the protection of civil liberties. I seem to recall the ACLU opposed the nomination of Robert Bork.
But, the ACLU did not endorse or oppose GW Bush or John Kerry for President, John Ashcroft or Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General, or even Miguel Estrada or Janice Rogers Brown for federal judge.
The ACLU fights for civil liberties not political parties. The ACLU’s commitment to civil liberties has aligned it in lobbying and litigation with such varied people/groups as Rush Limbaugh, Oliver North, Jerry Falwell, Bob Barr, Dick Armey, the KKK, the American Nazi Party, the NRA, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Green Party, the Natural Law Party, the Conservative Party, the Libertarian Party, and the U.S. Taxpayers Party, among others.
The ACLU finds itself aligned with such a wide variety of different partisan personalities and parties because the ACLU acts on principles like free speech, free exercise of religion, and due process that apply to all people regardless of political persuasion. When Rush Limbaugh’s privacy rights are violated, the ACLU sides with Rush Limbaugh. When Oliver North’s due process rights are violated, the ACLU sides with Oliver North. When Jerry Falwell’s free exercise rights are violated, the ACLU sides with Jerry Falwell. When the KKK’s free speech rights are violated, the ACLU sides with the KKK (or with the Westboro Baptist Church protesting in my video).
Anyway, I think our only disagreement there is semantic. And, I really do appreciate the link. Because I believe in free speech (not censorship, thought suppression, or, even, “political correctness”), I believe the best antidote to false speech is true speech. I’m trying to spread some truths that are very important to me. Therefore, I really appreciate any help you or anyone can give in making my videos more viral. The rest of them are at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=LiberalViewer
OUCH! My HTML code got all messed up
Sorry
Good points, LV.