Next month, the American Civil Liberties Union will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Bill Donohue has written a Ph.D. dissertation on the ACLU as well as two books: The Politics of the American Civil Liberties Union (with a preface by Aaron Wildavsky) and Twilight of Liberty: The Legacy of the ACLU. The former was published in 1985 and the latter in 1994 (new material was published in the 2001 edition).
Both were published by Transaction Press and both were chosen as the Book of the Month by the Conservative Book Club.
The ACLU brands itself as the nation’s most non-partisan defender of civil liberties and as an indispensable force for freedom. It will no doubt promote that vision when it celebrates its centennial.
The truth is that while the ACLU has done some important work, its record is one of duplicity. From its founding in 1920, its goal has never been civil liberties for everyone: it has always been the legal arm of the liberal-left (the exception being during the 1940s and 1950s). In more recent years it has become increasingly politicized. Moreover, its unbridled defense of radical individualism has wreaked havoc in American society, weakening social institutions and corrupting the culture.
To set the record straight, Donohue has published a 25-page booklet, “The ACLU at 100,” that is being mass mailed this week to thousands of legal and advocacy organizations, the nation’s top 200 law schools and departments of political science, the media, and others. It contains nearly 100 endnotes, detailing his sources.
If you would like to purchase a copy for $5 (to cover shipping and handling), click here.
