The ACLU Loses Its Way
19th May 2020
Over its 100-year history, the ACLU has—to its credit—vexed both sides of the political aisle because it refused to compromise the principles of its “civil libertarianism.”
Sadly, that is no longer the case. In recent years, the group has retreated from its principles when they clash with trendy left-wing priorities.
By now, the ACLU’s retreat from the First Amendment is well documented. It will not defend the First Amendment rights of pro-life pregnancy centers or small religious businesses. It no longer defends religious freedom, although it once did. And in a leaked internal memo, the ACLU takes the position that free speech denigrating “marginalized groups” should not be defended.
Sadder yet, however, is the ACLU’s recent abandonment of the right to due process. For a group founded to help the powerless, this is a repudiation of its founding ideals.