Leaked Internal Memo Reveals the ACLU Is Wavering on Free Speech

Reason ^ | 21 Jun, 2018 | Robby Soave

[MtnClimber]

The American Civil Liberties Union will weigh its interest in protecting the First Amendment against its other commitments to social justice, racial equality, and women's rights, given the possibility that offensive speech might undermine ACLU goals. "Our defense of speech may have a greater or lesser harmful impact on the equality and justice work to which we are also committed," wrote ACLU staffers in a confidential memo obtained by former board member Wendy Kaminer. It's hard to see this as anything other than a cowardly retreat from a full-throated defense of the First Amendment. Moving forward, when deciding whether to take a free speech case, the organization will consider "factors such as the (present and historical) context of the proposed speech; the potential effect on marginalized communities; the extent to which the speech may assist in advancing the goals of white supremacists or others whose views are contrary to our values; and the structural and power inequalities in the community in which the speech will occur."

The memo also makes clear that the ACLU has zero interest in defending First Amendment rights in conjunction with Second Amendment rights. If controversial speakers intend to carry weapons, the ACLU "will generally not represent them."

[MtnClimber]

If you don’t talk in front of the speech police, is that withholding evidence?

[cgbg]

They have our back--

oops, I meant they are about to stab us in the back.

[T-Bone Texan]

The ACLU, like the SLPC, is an anti-American front group that seeks to destroy our country, culture, and norms.

It is as simple as that.

They both need to be crushed, broken into a thousand little pieces, and those pieces cast to the 4 winds.

And after that are a hundred other groups that must be addressed in the same manner.

Only if we do this will our great Nation survive.

[Forgotten Amendments]

“Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” - Eric Hoffer

Fortunately, there are now dozens of groups like Institute for Justice, Landmark Legal, etc. to do the important work that the ACLU used to care about.

[Rurudyne]

The commies having problems from just being commies, huh?

[marktwain]

Progressives were all for the First Amendment when they controlled nearly all the information flow in the nation.

Now that there are some alternatives to the Progressive media, not so much.

[Billthedrill]

It isn't the first time. The reason the ACLU found for not defending the Second Amendment - this is according to its website - was that its legal "experts" considered that a "group right" (it would have been unique among the Bill of Rights if it were) and so when Heller came along affirming that it was, in fact, an individual right as were all the others, the ACLU placed the matter "under review". Where it remains, some ten years hence. That's quite a review.

Let's not pretend here - the idealistic days of the ACLU defending the rights of the Nazis to march in Skokie are now forty years past, and the current crop of activists in that organization would never have done it. What is being discussed in this article is how they manage to reconcile the two opposing points of view, which, being contradictory, can only be lied about. It's a cover story.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The ACLU opposes free speech for the people it hates.

[brownsfan]

I’m over 60. Donald Trump is a gift from God. President Trump will slow the slide of America into the abyss of leftism. With a 2nd term, President Trump will make it so I don’t have to watch the complete dissolution of all that is good about America. I’ll be dead before the leftists completely ruin America.

The left has won. They took over the public schools, and now indoctrination is on auto pilot. Every year more and more indoctrinated mush heads become legal voters.

You can’t fight the will of the people. But you can craft the will of the people.

[moovova]

American Criminal Liberties Union.

[IC Ken]

AntiAmerican Communists Liberties Union.

[CaptainAmiigaf]

Their name should be changed as follows:
ACCLU
“American CERTAIN Civil Liberties Union”
In the SAME way that a DEVOUT florest or baker is now not allowed to follow the tenets of his most personal beliefs.

[Yo-Yo]

Gone are the days when the ACLU fought for NeoNazis' rights to march in Skokie, Ill, because, you know, free speech.

Now the ACLU is overrun by SJWs who cannot stand the thought of giving even an inch to thoughts or speech they do not approve of.

[Yo-Yo]

Let's not pretend here - the idealistic days of the ACLU defending the rights of the Nazis to march in Skokie are now forty years past, and the current crop of activists in that organization would never have done it.

I should have read all of the comments before posting my own. You said it much more succinctly than I ever could.

[Maceman]

ACLU - America’s Commie Leftist Union

[Ohioan]

Wavering on free speech? They have been at war with actual First Amendment rights throughout their history:

See Leftist Word Games & The First Amendment.

[Garth Tater]

"You can’t fight the will of the people. But you can craft the will of the people."

Yep. And it's been going on for a long time.


Propaganda by Edward Bernays   [pdf]  [other formats]

“The conscious and intelligent manipulation of human behaviors, thoughts and opinions is the primary element in society. Those who hold the knowledge and manipulate these unseen mechanisms in society constitute the invisible government and are the true rulers of humanity. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes are formed, and our ideas are suggested, by men we never heard of”.

- Edward Bernays (1928)            

[MtnClimber]

I know. They were founded to lead the USA into communism using patriotic sounding plans.

[oblomov]

But he's totally cool with being a fig leaf for communists: