3 ms·

> As an aside, it's wildly funny to me that the ACLU won't defend free speech anymore but they'll defend terrorists and their supporters. When has the ACLU sto

> As an aside, it's wildly funny to me that the ACLU won't defend free speech anymore but they'll defend terrorists and their supporters. When has the ACLU stopped defending free speech? They defend convicted terrorists or alleged terrorists?

koolba 6y ago
The ACLU’s moral compass needle has been wobbling for a while now, and it broke off completely after Trump was elected. They realized that they collect significantly more donations by framing themselves as champion of leftist ideals rather than the original purpose of defending actual civil liberties.
- freen 6y ago
  I find your lack of evidence unsurprising.
  - indrax 6y ago
    Possibly this: https://www.vox.com/2017/8/20/16167870/aclu-hate-speech-nazis-charlottesville https://www.vox.com/2017/8/20/16167870/aclu-hate-speech-nazi...
  - koolba 6y ago
    https://fortune.com/2018/07/05/aclu-membership-growth/ https://fortune.com/2018/07/05/aclu-membership-growth/ https://reason.com/2019/04/12/the-aclu-defends-the-rights-of-gun-owner/ https://reason.com/2019/04/12/the-aclu-defends-the-rights-of... https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/commentary/the-aclu-loses-its-way https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/commentary/the-acl...
    - morsch 6y ago
      1: ACLU gained membership after Trump was elected. So? 2: ACLU is not a strong proponent of individual gun ownership, according to the article this has been true for at least 30 years. 3: Article makes far reaching claim in headline but mostly focuses about a single issue, the changes to title IX. Clearly the author disagrees with the ACLU, but the article doesn't give any context on the issue. It's hard to tell if it really is an uncharacteristic position for them to take. I think the heritage foundation has hated the ACLU for a very long time, so that's consistent.
- lawnchair_larry 6y ago
  Not sure why he is getting downvoted, this is accurate. They used to defend free speech rights for abhorrent people whose positions they strongly opposed like KKK members and Neo-Nazis, on principle. They are now entirely focused on left activism.
  - smolder 6y ago
    Are there examples of the ACLU declining to defend free speech for KKK members/neo Nazis that would illustrate this? Is it possible there haven't been any meritous "censorship of a Nazi" cases for them to help with since the last time?

koolba 6y ago

The ACLU’s moral compass needle has been wobbling for a while now, and it broke off completely after Trump was elected. They realized that they collect significantly more donations by framing themselves as champion of leftist ideals rather than the original purpose of defending actual civil liberties.

freen 6y ago
I find your lack of evidence unsurprising.
- indrax 6y ago
  Possibly this: https://www.vox.com/2017/8/20/16167870/aclu-hate-speech-nazis-charlottesville https://www.vox.com/2017/8/20/16167870/aclu-hate-speech-nazi...
- koolba 6y ago
  https://fortune.com/2018/07/05/aclu-membership-growth/ https://fortune.com/2018/07/05/aclu-membership-growth/ https://reason.com/2019/04/12/the-aclu-defends-the-rights-of-gun-owner/ https://reason.com/2019/04/12/the-aclu-defends-the-rights-of... https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/commentary/the-aclu-loses-its-way https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/commentary/the-acl...
  - morsch 6y ago
    1: ACLU gained membership after Trump was elected. So? 2: ACLU is not a strong proponent of individual gun ownership, according to the article this has been true for at least 30 years. 3: Article makes far reaching claim in headline but mostly focuses about a single issue, the changes to title IX. Clearly the author disagrees with the ACLU, but the article doesn't give any context on the issue. It's hard to tell if it really is an uncharacteristic position for them to take. I think the heritage foundation has hated the ACLU for a very long time, so that's consistent.
lawnchair_larry 6y ago
Not sure why he is getting downvoted, this is accurate. They used to defend free speech rights for abhorrent people whose positions they strongly opposed like KKK members and Neo-Nazis, on principle. They are now entirely focused on left activism.
- smolder 6y ago
  Are there examples of the ACLU declining to defend free speech for KKK members/neo Nazis that would illustrate this? Is it possible there haven't been any meritous "censorship of a Nazi" cases for them to help with since the last time?