Despite the sad loss of the ACLU as an institution that cares about civil liberties, we can remain hopeful due to other organizations like FIRE. https://www.thefire.org
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Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
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Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#12I honestly think they were compromised from the very beginning, with their mission of "defending every civil right... except the 2nd amendment, we don't like that one."
But they still fought lots of commendable battles, sticking up for people that nobody else would. I think that's what they've lost... they would be scared to stick up for somebody that might get the wrong people upset with them.
Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#13You could write a similar article about a lot of nonprofits, lately. "Once a Developer of Web Browsers, Mozilla Faces an Identity Crisis." "Once a Free Online Encyclopedia, the Wikimedia Foundation Faces an Identity Crisis."
Don't forget Amnesty International.
Edit: placeholder
(Decided it was unfair to throw a large org under the bus without being able spend a few hours to defend the claim.)
Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#14Despite the sad loss of the ACLU as an institution that cares about civil liberties, we can remain hopeful due to other organizations like FIRE. https://www.thefire.org
>Despite the sad loss of the ACLU as an institution that cares about civil liberties, we can remain hopeful due to other organizations like FIRE.
You're just going to leave it there? What/who is FIRE? This isn't one of those unique words easily discovered during a web search.
Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#15I was a member for 10 years and stopped renewing a year or two ago, when it seemed to stop putting free speech and expression first.
I held them up for years and years as an example of an actually principled organization in an age where every other institution was compromising their stated beliefs in favor of genuflection to fashionable slogans. Like you, I stopped doing this a few years ago : (
To their relative credit, they do seem to be struggling with it in a way that very few other orgs are, and you occasionally see them take principled action.
Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#16Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#17You could write a similar article about a lot of nonprofits, lately. "Once a Developer of Web Browsers, Mozilla Faces an Identity Crisis." "Once a Free Online Encyclopedia, the Wikimedia Foundation Faces an Identity Crisis."
I think theres probably an interesting full book here examining exactly how and why "cause based" orgs become all end up looking the same once they cross a certain threshold.
Power, influence and money seem to be a magnet for more of itself, so it fundamentally shifts the guiding principal of each org as it grows bigger.
Like why do no-profits and charities seem to corrupt their aim at a greater speed than for profit businesses?
Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#18Despite the sad loss of the ACLU as an institution that cares about civil liberties, we can remain hopeful due to other organizations like FIRE. https://www.thefire.org
>Despite the sad loss of the ACLU as an institution that cares about civil liberties, we can remain hopeful due to other organizations like FIRE. You're just going to leave it there? What/who is FIRE? This isn't one of those unique words easily discovered during a web search.
"fire org" and "fire civil liberties" both return the correct result in the first ranking. It really isn't that difficult
Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#19ACLU has been subverted by political correctness, mob mentality of internet, and the do-gooder activists. ACLU is a perfect example on how we ended up in the through the looking glass world.
One has to wonder if the useful idiots (according to Lenin) that are propagating this wave of ideological censorship and intolerance realize what they are in for. The powers that be must surely be extremely pleased to see such hated - by corporate and financial kleptocracy - liberal bastions as free speech and open debate dismantled and destroyed. I fear it is already too late.
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Re: Once a bastion of free speech, the ACLU faces an identity crisis
#20I honestly think they were compromised from the very beginning, with their mission of "defending every civil right... except the 2nd amendment, we don't like that one." But they still fought lots of commendable battles, sticking up for people that nobody else would. I think that's what they've lost... they would be scared to stick up for somebody that might get the wrong people upset with them.
It’s probably reasonable for an organization to choose not to conflate the civil liberties they stand for with amendments. In an ideal world the people would happily eliminate or modify laws that do harm, and of the existing US civil liberties, the 2nd amendment is likely the most debatable on whether it is a net win for liberty.