My name is Anthony Brown the director of American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU). ACLU is a non-profit making organization whose objective is to defend the rights which are stated in the constitution of the people in the United States. It accomplishes this objective through lawsuit, public education effort and lobbying. It draws its affiliate members in all the states.
As the director of the ACLU I am responsible of setting policies and organization of fundraising. I am also responsible of the management of daily operations of the organization. From the time of my tender age I have always had an inner drive to defend the oppressed in the society therefore I have a passion for my work. It is this inner drive that has seen me rise to the position I currently occupy. My leadership has seen an increase in the membership of the organization and also its affiliate staff. This growth has effected litigation, public education effort and lobbying thus enhancing the achievement of the organization’s mission. Several great legal achievements were challenging the grant of patents on human genes to a private company and litigation against Arizona’s anti-immigrant law.
However there are always challenges in the organization such as disagreements on policy setting and conflicts within the leadership. Some of the disagreements grow and reach the public. Current issues include those of separation of church and state freedom of speech, press, assembly and worship.
The issue of separation of church from state is a tricky for one to decide on considering one’s individual religious affiliations. But decisions on such matters requires consideration of the well-being of the overall public rather than ones individual concerns. This is in seeing that the mission of the ACLU is to defend public rights. Separation of church from state was a proposal majorly by the Catholic Church which required the state to interrelate as independent organizations. . My leadership has seen an increase in the membership of the organization and also its affiliate staff. This growth has effected litigation, public education effort and lobbying thus enhancing the achievement of the organization’s mission
The church and the state should act as separate entities but to a reasonable extent. A large separation would result in conflicts on many issues including state laws. On the other hand a small distance of separation would have ignored the important role played by the church. The church is as a source of unity among the people and plays a role in reducing crimes by enhancing spiritual growth of the people.
Some opinions by some ACLU members challenging some of the activities carried out in religious schools can be considered petty. An instance is challenging the holding of prayers in religious schools. Prayers should not be forbidden in these institutions as long as attendance of such prayers is on free will. Furthermore, those in religious schools must have known such activities existed before joining. As long as religious affiliation is based on one’s conscience this should not be a big deal.
The issue of freedom of speech, press, assembly and is a major one. Each of these can be analyzed separately. The freedom of speech and press affects distribution of items such as movies and magazines where some associations argue that the content in some items is being harmful, immoral and offensive. My position on this issue is that an individual should have freedom of expression as long as it does not have a negative effect on other people. However, I disagree with some members who argue that expression should be allowed despite opinion.
If some content is allowed in movies and magazines could bring peace disruption in the country. An example is speaking against the government on unjustified grounds. The law should be however clear on when speaking against the government should be termed unjustified. Adult content in music, magazines and movies has negative impact on the psychology of children. Obscenity should be defined clearly by law to avoid conflicts. An instance is challenging the holding of prayers in religious schools. Prayers should not be forbidden in these institutions as long as attendance of such prayers is on free will. Furthermore, those in religious schools must have known such activities existed before joining. As long as religious affiliation is based on one’s conscience this should not be a big deal. Such content should be censored or be distributed on specified channels where children cannot access it. Freedom of worship should be allowed but such worship should not conflict with the state laws.
The issue of crimes which the ACLU should defend is an issue. Some cases have been termed as politically driven. This is especially on its campaign against the torture of detainees and also the unauthorized spying by the NSA. ACLU has been accused over been too liberal. Hot debate erupted over whether a certain writer should be allowed to distribute content against the union. The aim of the organization is protection of rights and therefore it accepts critics. However such critics should be factual. The content supplied by the writer meant to insight the public against the major role of the organization. ACLU has organizations which both support and oppose it. The criticisms from organizations which oppose ACLU have been overlooked.
In conclusion, as the director of the ACLU I am responsible of setting policies and organization of fundraising. I am also responsible of the management of daily operations of the organization. From the time of my tender age I have always had an inner drive to defend the oppressed in the society therefore I have a passion for my work. However there are always challenges in the organization such as disagreements on policy setting and conflicts within the leadership. Some of the disagreements grow and reach the public. Current issues include those of separation of church and state freedom of speech, press, assembly and worship. The issue of separation of church from state is a tricky for one to decide on considering one’s individual religious affiliations. The church and the state should act as separate entities but to a reasonable extent. A large separation would result in conflicts on many issues including state laws. On the other hand a small distance of separation would have ignored the important role played by the church. Some opinions by some ACLU members challenging some of the activities carried out in religious schools can be considered petty. The issue of freedom of speech, press, assembly and is a major one. Each of these can be analyzed separately. If some content is allowed in movies and magazines could bring peace disruption in the country. An example is speaking against the government on unjustified grounds. The law should be however clear on when speaking against the government should be termed unjustified. The issue of crimes which the ACLU should defend is an issue. Some cases have been termed as politically driven
Works Cited
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