The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) strongly believes in protecting the rights of minorities. Their website states, “If the rights of society’s most vulnerable members are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled.” So why are they defending the KKK in Georgia state court, as reported by Reuters? Are racists suddenly considered vulnerable members of society, or something?
On the contrary, it seems the ACLU puts freedom of speech first. “We decided to take this case because it is such a clear violation of the speech rights of the group,” said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia. “We can’t let that slide.” Not even for a buncha backwoods, white-supremacist, country bumpkins stuck in the 19th century!?
The issue before the courts is a sign, namely a stretch of highway the state won’t let its Klan adopt. As a spokesman for the governor told Reuters, “A state road sign with ’KKK’ on it would betray our values and would rightly offend the vast majority of Georgians.” But the people of Missouri, who are presumably no more racist than Georgians, weren’t able to stop their local chapter from adopting a highway some 15 years ago. In fact, that matter went all the way to federal appeals court, which declared that “requiring such a group to alter its membership requirements to qualify for the adopt-a-highway program would censor its message and inhibit its constitutionally protected conduct.” It may be against the law, but apparently lynchings, cross-burnings and other such conduct is protected by the U.S. constitution. God Bless America and No Place Else!
