ACLU

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posted by Kristi Wachter on April 18, 2025

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization that provides legal assistance in civil liberties cases.

What they do

The ACLU files lawsuits and provides legal representation for people who have had their civil liberties violated. They also provide advocacy, education, and analysis.

Why I support them

I've been a fan of the ACLU for ages. I was probably first drawn to them for their work opposing censorship of the arts, but they've been doing groundbreaking work on a wide range of issues (privacy, voting rights, religious liberty, immigrants' rights, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, disability rights, juvenile rights) since before I was born.

During the 1988 presidential campaign, Republican candidate George H. W. Bush accused Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis (a member of the ACLU) of being a "card carrying member of the ACLU". I've been proud to call myself a card-carrying member of the ACLU ever since.

An important note about the ACLU: they often partner with other organizations when bringing important court cases. For example, in New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Donald J. Trump, a birthright citizenship case, the ACLU is working with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the State Democracy Defenders Fund, and the Asian Law Caucus. If you'd rather support smaller legal organizations, one good way to find them is to look at court cases and see what other organizations are working with the ACLU.

Links

ACLU - Home

ACLU - Donate

ACLU - Take Action

October 17 - Vote Early Day

Join in a national day of voter participation on October 17 - join your neighbors in helping eligible voters understand their options and make a voting plan.

Check your voter registration
Make a plan to vote early
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Other things you can do:

Connect with Indivisible - join a local group or take action on your own or with friends
Use 5calls to call your legislators about whatever matters most to you
Check out Mobilize to find protests, postcard-writing parties, virtual events, and volunteer opportunities.

Now is a great time to take action.

Take Action

You can make a difference.

It's okay to start small.

Connect with Indivisible. They have groups all over the country and actions you can take on your own or with others.
Use 5calls to call your legislators about whatever matters most to you.
Check out Mobilize to find protests, postcard-writing parties, virtual events, and volunteer opportunities.

Action is the antidote to fear and despair.

Even doing small things - learning more about how we can strengthen our democracy, sharing what you know with others, making a phone call - can make a difference.

Right now is a great time to take action.