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NYT Op-Ed: ACLU Needs to Stop Defending Free Speech for Right-Wingers

INJOThe New York Times published an opinion article criticizing the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for fighting on behalf of free speech for right-wing Americans.

“The A.C.L.U. Needs to Rethink Free Speech,” reads a headline by K-Sue Park, a UCLA Critical Race Studies fellow and housing attorney.

The ACLU raised eyebrows on the left recently for defending the free speech rights of right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, whose ads were banned from D.C. Metro stations, as well as the white supremacists who obtained a license to protest the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend.

Claire G. Gastanaga, the ACLU of Virginia's executive director, made the following statement after being accused by Virginia's governor of supporting white supremacist groups:

We are horrified by the violence that took place in Charlottesville on Saturday and the tragic loss of life that resulted from it. The ACLU of Virginia does not support violence. We do not support Nazis. We support the Constitution and laws of the United States. We would be eager to work with the governor and the attorney general on efforts to ensure that public officials understand their rights and obligations under the law.

But let’s be clear: our lawsuit challenging the city to act constitutionally did not cause violence nor did it in any way address the question whether demonstrators could carry sticks or other weapons at the events.

We asked the city to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and ensure people’s safety at the protest. It failed to do so. In our system, the city makes the rules and the courts enforce them. Our role is to ensure that the system works the same for everyone.

But free speech cannot be for everyone, says Park, because some groups in the United States are more privileged than others. Park says protecting the First Amendment for everyone makes it unsafe for some.

Read the full story on IJR.com

Photo: Getty Images


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