ACLU

I give lip service to a number of causes and organizations here on this blog, but there is one that I support consistently with my purse. That organization is the American Civil Liberties Union.

Glenn Greenwald explains their vital importance here:

It is not hyperbole to say that, over the past decade, there has been no organization more important to the United States, the Constitution, and basic political liberties than the ACLU. From the start of the Bush/Cheney assault on core civil liberties — when most organizations and individuals were petrified of opposing any efforts justified by “terrorism” — the ACLU was one of a small handful of groups which defied that climate of fear by vigorously and fearlessly opposing those erosions. Along with that same small handful of civil liberties and human rights groups, the ACLU since then has been at the center of virtually every fight against government incursions into basic rights. They defend core Constitutional principles regardless of party or ideology, and they continue to lead this fight even now that Bush is gone from office.

Here’s an excerpt from an e-mail I received recently from the ACLU:

For a number of years, the ACLU has received extraordinary support from an anonymous donor, including over $20 million in 2009 alone. He has informed us that, due to market conditions, he will not be able to lend us that support in 2010. This loss of funding will have a particularly hard impact on ACLU programs targeted at the most vulnerable in our society.

In one fell swoop, we stand to lose nearly 25% of the whole organization’s budget—unless you and others step in to help.

David Gelbaum, the largest individual donor in ACLU history—someone who chose to give anonymously for years—decided to reveal the reasons for his support to the ACLU so that we can fully describe this situation to our supporters. In Mr. Gelbaum’s own words, he’s made this decision so that the ACLU, “will not be constrained by donor confidentiality, may fully explain how these programs were created and financed, and may ask others to step forward to help sustain them in the future.”

In response to this crisis, we are engaged in belt-tightening at every level of our organization. We’ve already seen remarkable acts of generosity from donors large and small all across the country.

But protecting the ACLU’s most essential work will require an extraordinary outpouring of support.

You can help by being part of our Acting Together campaign. If we can get 100,000 friends like you to donate to the ACLU by December 31, we’ll be well on our way to keeping essential work on track.

Whatever their virtues, it’s obvious that the Democrats now in control of our Federal government are not going to investigate or even reverse the incursions against civil liberties made by the Bush administration. It’s up to organizations like the ACLU. Greenwald again:

. . .their crucial efforts extend far beyond litigating and lobbying, as they have often been forced to fulfill the investigative and oversight role intended for — but abdicated by — our national media and Congress. Indeed, most of what we know about the Bush torture regime and other lawbreaking schemes is the result not of newspapers or Congressional investigations but the ACLU.

I urge you to support the ACLU. Include them in your seasonal giving.

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By the way, Facebook privacy is one of ACLU’s issues, though I’m not sure there’s anything they can do about malicious viruses.