News & Commentary
Whose Side Are You On? ACLU and Free Speech: Part I
“Freedom of expression is the matrix, the indispensable condition, of nearly every other form of freedom.”
—U.S. Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo in Palko v. Connecticut
The government cannot control individual thought. But if it were to try, its first step would be to limit speech.
The ACLU, as a staunch protector of civil liberties for all, inserts itself into controversies between the government and private groups and individuals. This causes us to be associated with some individuals and organizations with whom we may fundamentally disagree. But we don’t defend these groups because we agree with their underlying message, we defend them because we recognize that when it comes to freedom of expression, their right to express themselves is indivisible from our own.
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