ACLU, Huh?

The American Civil Liberties Union is the nation's number one defender of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and has played a major role in nearly every key civil liberties battle of the last century. Whether you're young, old, rich, poor, straight, gay, black, white, male, female, pious or atheist-every person in this country should have the same basic rights. Since 1920, the ACLU has been working hard to make sure no one takes these rights away.

Through litigation, lobbying and public education, the ACLU defends:

		Your First Amendment rights-freedom of speech, association and assembly. Freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
		Your right to equal protection under the law - equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.
		Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
		Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

We also work to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including Native Americans and other people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people; women; mental-health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. If the rights of society's most vulnerable members are denied, everybody's rights are at risk.

The ACLU:

		has more than 550,000 members nationwide.
		does not receive any government funding.
		is the nation's largest public interest law firm, with affiliates in 50 states.
		handles nearly 6,000 court cases annually.
		appears before the United States Supreme Court more than any other organization except the U.S. Department of Justice.

Other Links
ACLU main page  
Info on civil liberties issues
Watch the ACLU Freedom Files