ACLU Statement on the 20th Commemoration of 9/11

WASHINGTON — In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Executive Director Anthony D. Romero issued the following statement:

“Two decades after the tragic attacks on September 11th, 2001, the ACLU remembers the victims, their families, and all of those impacted. We pay particular tribute to John Perry who died in the World Trade Center and who served on the ACLU board in New York.

“Like Officer Perry, we believe that our country is at its best when we keep America safe and free. The ‘war on terror’ has left a legacy of torture, dragnet surveillance, racial profiling and biased profiling of Muslim, Brown, and Black communities, and failed military commissions. It’s also abundantly clear that efforts at accountability were insufficient.

“We can and must pursue a new path forward. The country we want and need must ground security for everyone in human rights and civil liberties, equality, dignity, and accountability, in action as well as words. No exceptions.”