Smithers MINNEAPOLIS

The American Civil Liberties Union has one mission: Assure that the rights of the citizens of this country are not infringed upon. These rights are detailed in the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution, plus the three post-Civil War amendments (the 13th, 14th and 15th) and the 19th Amendment.

So long as you operate within the law, I don’t believe it is possible to go to far when defending the rights detailed in our Constitution. This is something that both liberals and conservatives should be able to agree upon. Former Georgia Republican Representative Bob Barr certainly thinks so as he works for the ACLU in an advisory post. Despite his radio show rhetoric, Rush Limbaugh has declared himself a longtime fan of the ACLU.

Where the ACLU typically runs afoul of public opinion is when they defend the speech of groups that are particularly distasteful to the American public. As the ACLU writes on their website:

It is easy to defend freedom of speech when the message is something many people find at least reasonable. But the defense of freedom of speech is most critical when the message is one most people find repulsive.

So be it Nazis or NAMBLA, organizations conducting themselves within the law have a protected right to speech, even when what they have to say is absurd or offensive.

Does the ACLU ever go too far? I don’t believe so. Those that criticize the ACLU have a Constitutional right to do so, and the ACLU will continue to fight to protect that right, but they are misdirected in their attack.

Moses asks:

Will Bush call for more tax cuts or another war?

Both of course!