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The American system of government is founded on two counterbalancing principles: that the majority of the people governs, through democratically elected representatives; and that the power even of a democratic majority must be limited, to ensure individual rights.
Majority power is limited by the Constitution's Bill of Rights, which consists of the original ten amendments ratified in 1791, plus the three post-Civil War amendments (the 13th, 14th and 15th) and the 19th Amendment (women's suffrage), adopted in 1920.
The mission of the ACLU is to preserve all of these protections and guarantees:
- 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 work also 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 transgender 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 imperiled.
The ACLU was founded by Roger Baldwin, Crystal Eastman, Albert DeSilver and others in 1920. We are nonprofit and nonpartisan and have grown from a roomful of civil liberties activists to an organization of more than 500,000 members and supporters. We handle nearly 6,000 court cases annually from our offices in almost every state.
The ACLU has maintained the position that civil liberties must be respected, even in times of national emergency. The ACLU is supported by annual dues and contributions from its members, plus grants from private foundations and individuals. We do not receive any government funding. Learn more about joining the ACLU.
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ACLU Announces Publication of Administration of Torture, a Groundbreaking Account of Prisoner Abuse in U.S. Custody Abroad (10/22/2007)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union and Columbia University Press today announce the publication of Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond. Written by ACLU attorneys Jameel Jaffer and Amrit Singh, the book presents a detailed account of the treatment of prisoners held in U.S. detention centers in Afghanistan , Iraq , and Guantánamo Bay. Based on thousands of government documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the book supplies substantial evidence that the torture and abuse of prisoners was systemic and resulted from decisions made by senior U.S. officials, both military and civilian.
The End of America? Feminist Naomi Wolf to Speak for ACLU of Indiana (10/18/2007)
INDIANAPOLIS -- The ACLU of Indiana will host a reception and guest lecture, entitled "In Defense of Our America: A Call to Action," to kick off its annual Bill of Rights campaign on Thursday, October 25, 2007, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring best-selling author and feminist, Naomi Wolf. Her most recent book, The End of America: A Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot, illustrates how events of the last six years parallel steps taken in the early years of the 20th Century's worst dictatorships. She identifies ten common steps that can be witnessed in any shift from a democratic state to one of fascist rule. She urges Americans, especially young patriots, to take action to restore their constitutional values before they suffer the same fate. Wolf has been a long-time advocate andauthorof women's issues.
ACLU of Arizona Mourns Passing of Former Executive Director Louis Rhodes (10/16/2007)
PHOENIX - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona today expressed its deep sorrow over the death of former ACLU of Arizona Executive Director Louis Rhodes, who passed away Sunday, just three years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Rhodes was the ACLU of Arizona's longest serving executive director, a position he held from 1979 to 1996. He was 59.
ACLU Veteran Beth Wilson Appointed First-Ever Deputy Director of the ACLU of Florida (7/17/2007)
MIAMI - The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced that Beth Wilson, the current Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky, will join the ACLU of Florida as Deputy Director effective September, 2007. The newly created position of Deputy Director at one of the nation's largest ACLU affiliates was created to steer the organization's multi-year growth plan and further advance civil liberties in the Sunshine State by expanding staff, volunteers and infrastructure.
ACLU Hires Veteran Journalist Karen Curry as Communications Director
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