The ACLU has a long and storied history as a defender of civil liberties, defending such diverse groups as the Ku Klux Klan and the North American Man/Boy Love Association.
Although many Americans have mixed feelings about it, they would confidently say:
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
But is it the end of the ACLU as we know it? Has it become just another mouthpiece for a certain portion of our political spectrum?
The issue isn't quite so much, which cases the ACLU takes up, (which is a diary of its own), but which ones it won't touch because it doesn't wish to support certain positions.
The ACLU has ignored Harper v. Poway, a case concerned with whether a student can wear a Tshirt denouncing homosexuality.- (this is being removed. One poster showed me where the ACLU stepped in and did cover this. My apologies.)
It rarely if ever defends pro-life advocates right to protest.
It has many times worked to remove Christian literature or symbols from public places, but hasn't worked to stop universities from requiring reading from the Quran for incoming freshman.
Can you imagine if a public university demanded that freshman had to read the Gospel according to Luke before entrance? There would be an uproar.
A quick Google search of ACLU bias shows quite a few results, but most of them are on avowedly right wing websites (like the Wall Street Journal, for example).
Has the ACLU become a tool for the left wing? Does it hurry to get on one side of the issue, so that it doesn't have to answer to political groups and beliefs it doesn't believe in?
Has it stayed true to its roots?
And if it has taken on a decided one sided agenda, would the progressive media admit it? Or defend it? Or turn a blind eye to this change of policy?
They certainly have the right to engage in political speech as they wish, but are they being hypocritical?
Tell me what you think.