ACLU Celebrates July 4th with Advertisement On "Life, Liberty & U" During a Time of Crisis

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK-The American Civil Liberties Union is celebrating the diversity of America in a new national magazine advertising campaign launched this week in honor of the Fourth of July.

"During this time of national crisis, in which civil liberties are under fire, we wanted to remind people that the values of diversity and liberty that we cherish are well worth fighting for - and celebrating," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. 

Latest ACLU advertisement celebrating the diversity of America. (Click on the ad for larger version)

Under the headline "Life, Liberty & U," the copy reads: "We celebrate our right to live in freedom, embracing our differences and the values we hold dear. In these difficult times, we must stay true to who we are - a mosaic of individuals, cherishing liberty. Happy July 4th to U." 

"The uplifting tone of the ad reflects the energy and spirit - and yes, humor - the ACLU brings to its defense of the core values embodied in the Constitution," Romero said. 

A series of photographs shows a diverse group of people celebrating with flags and red, white and blue balloons. The group of men, women and children include a soldier, a fireman and his dog, members of a marching band, a punk rocker, a biker, a lesbian couple, and a Rabbi, of all different ages, religions and ethnic backgrounds. 

The advertisement appears in the July 8 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands today); it will also run throughout the summer in People magazine (July 15); Time (July 29); U.S. News & World Report (August 12); The New Yorker (July 15); Congressional Quarterly (July 5); and The New Republic (July 8). 

The media buy in major national magazines is a first for the ACLU, Romero said. Subsequent advertisements planned for 2003 will address the wholesale assault on civil liberties head-on, but "we decided we first wanted to tell people who we are and why we're here," Romero said. 

Readers are directed to the ACLU's website, aclu.org, where they can find more information about the ACLU and the people it defends. The advertisement also encourages readers to support the ACLU. The advertisements were created by the Los Angeles-based firm Benenson/Janson.