healthy debate

[cos]

The ACLU is theoretically nonpartisan. Really, it's mostly a bunch of liberals who are committed to protecting the rights of people with other political views just as much as protecting their own rights. There are conservatives and Republicans in the ACLU membership, but I'd be surprised if they're more than about 1 out of 5.

Nevertheless, the ACLU as an organization makes an honest effort to be nonpartisan, and it gets fascinating at times. And so, at about this time last week, at the ACLU's national conference, I was watching a debate on 1st Amendment issues with these panelists:

• NPR correspondent Ina Jaffe
  
• ACLU president Nadine Strossen
  
• Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State
  
• Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president/CEO of the NRA
  
• ... and right wing jurist Kenneth Starr (yes, the guy who hounded Clinton to impeachment)

One of my favorite moments came during the discussion of the McCain-Feingold campaign reform law, which among other things bans organizations that are not PACs or candidate campaigns from running any ads mentioning political candidates, within 60 days of an election. Of course this law doesn't cover the likes of CNN, NPR, or Fox from talking about candidates, because they do "news"... but in the USA, you don't have to be licensed to be a journalist. So the NRA set up its own regular newscast, NRA News, to test this law against the 1st Amendment, and Wayne LaPierre was talking about that. Nadine Strossen chimed in to say that the ACLU ought to be able to run an ad shortly before the election urging Bush and Kerry to commit to amend the USA PATRIOT Act, but this law would make that illegal. Her husband had asked her if the ACLU was going to do it anyway, to challenge the law, and she told him that as an officer of the ACLU, she would potentially be subject to up to 3 years in jail. Was it worth the risk? Her husband said "yes!". Ken Starr interjected, offerring to defend her, pro-bono.

If you want to watch the whole thing, there's streaming video available at the ACLU conference web site - the 1st Amendment panel is one of the videos available through the July 8th videos link.

Comments

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's wonderful!
May I link over?

[cos]

Sure, my posts are public so everyone can read. Linking is always fine.

[fyfer.livejournal.com]

Would the law prevent the ACLU from running an ad saying that all presidential candidates should commit to amend the PATRIOT act, without mentioning candidates by name? (That would make a less powerful ad - I'm just curious about what the law prohibits.)

[deedeebythebay.livejournal.com]

Best way for me to reach you is here. I just added you as a friend so I could put you down on my Renn Faire filter. Check my journal so you'll know details.

[cos]

The email in my userinfo is the one I read, I check that more often than LJ (but I get my LJ comments emailed there too, which is why I saw this)

[uniquelynormal.livejournal.com]

(http://www.livejournal.com/community/rq_version2)

Come join the largest and busiest community livejournal has to offer! Ask your random questions and get answers.

Hope to see you there!

[hawkegirl.livejournal.com]

tomorrow dinner is fine for you. sorry no email right now.

[hawkegirl.livejournal.com]

tomorrow dinner is fine for you. sorry no email right now.