Today, I finally pulled the trigger and joined the ACLU. I am now a card-carrying member. Why, because they defend our freedoms!!!
My question is: If you are not already a member, why not?
I know, I know, there is the whole `ulta-liberal' factor. Any conservative person or non-political person will look at you like you are crazy for joining that group of nutjobs who only fight for the worst people in our society. Well, that is what I used to think years ago.
But really, if, as a society, we won't stand up for the worst of our society, how can we hope to help the best. As we are seeing, the Bush Administration is trying to destroy or ignore the lowest levels of our society. Put them in jail, take away their healthcare, take away any financial support (even the opportunity for college assistance) and maybe they will all just die off, or at least most of them (after all, we do need some really cheap, under-the-table labor to keep our gardens and mansions looking good).
The ACLU stands up for those who have no one to stand up for them. They fight the tough fights no matter who it is. Heck, the even defended Rush Limbaugh. Not because they like him but because it was the right thing to do. But nowadays, they are standing up for all of us by fighting the fights against the most corrupt administration in history. Take a look at this link from their website:
http://action.aclu.org/...
They have:
Filed several lawsuits to fix the fundamental inequities in our electoral system that were revealed in the 2000 elections.
Spearheaded the overwhelming defeat of an effort by the Christian Coalition and others to overturn a Florida human rights ordinance that bans discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing, employment, lending and public.
Defeated many of the Bush Administration's most egregious attempts to deny liberty in the name of national security.
Just today, they filed a lawsuit against the illegal wiretapping by the NSA!
There are others at the site.
As they say on their site: "There are always those in powerful positions who wrongly insist that we must trade away our fundamental freedoms to secure our safety. No organization can challenge that idea more effectively than the ACLU. And no individual can take your place in supporting our work."
Here are more reasons:
http://action.aclu.org/...
You can pay a small amount to join. I only paid $35. (I would have liked to give more, but my 2 young daughters have Cystic Fibrosis and I give them all the money I can).
I read somewhere that ACLU membership is at an all-time high. We NEED to make it even higher.
So, why haven't you joined?!?!