The ACLU: "We the People's" first line of defense
Press Release: 12/20/2004

Right-wing commentators and mainstream reporters alike are abuzz this holiday season with reports of "threats to Christmas." A few lawsuits have been filed around the country regarding Christian displays, some of the with the support of the ACLU, and this has led such pundits as Bill O'Reilly to declare that Christmas is "under siege."

The ACLU is in the business of defending the civil liberties of Americans, including their freedom of religion. Their activities on behalf of those who feel that overtly Christian displays at this time of year are an infringement of their first amendment rights has led many on the right to declare the ACLU the "Anti-Christian Legislation Union."

This appelation has very little basis in fact. Randi Rhodes, of the Randi Rhodes show on Air America Radio, recently did a survey of ACLU cases supporting the rights of Christians. These include: defending the rights of street preachers on the strip in Las Vegas, supporting baptisms in a park in Virginia, challenging the censorship on religious grounds of high school yearbook entries, defending students "punished for distributing candy canes with religious messages", challenging zoning decisions restricting African-American churches, supporting a minister who refused for religious reasons to have his picture taken for a drivers license, and demanding the rights of prisoners to possess religious articles such as rosaries in prison, among many other cases.

The ACLU has also defended Rush Limbaugh in his attempt to keep his medical records confidential and worked with Jerry Falwell to allow churches to incorporate. In short, the ACLU is exactly what is claims to be: An organization dedicated to defending the civil liberties of all Americans and, far from being an anti-Christian organization, is equally dedicated to the rights of Christians as it is to the rights of Muslims, Jews, atheist, and all other Americans. The Center for Traditional American Values wishes to affirm its wholehearted support for the ACLU and rejects those who seek to undermine its work based on lies and selective memory.

Inquiries to: c4tav.pr@gmail.com
- posted by Auguste @ 1:50 PM