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Author Message
25 new of 526 responses total.
richard
response 400 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 17:42 UTC 2006

re #398 what is extremist about looking at all cases where a citizen's rights
might have been violated?  You view it as less extremist if they picked and
chose who they represented or when they decided to act?  That would be more
extremist in my opinion.
rcurl
response 401 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 17:50 UTC 2006

I was planning on making the point Marc did in #393: ACLU and Democrat 
positions appear to allign on many issues simply because Democrats tend to 
favor civil rights for all regardless of their opinions. Republicans have 
traditionally tried to suppress opinions that they don't like. Which party 
tries hardest to a) condemn flag burning, b) suppress Nazi, Communist or 
(now) radical Muslim ideas from being expressed, c) deny women personal 
rights, etc?

Re #395: I've never seen the ACLU take "arguments to the extreme". Give us 
some examples of what you think are "extreme"? The "far right" appear to 
be the ones that think that the Bill of Rights in the Constitution is 
"extreme".

Re #396: "more liberal" is good. Consider

liberal (adj).  1. Possessing or manifesting a free and generous heart; 
bountiful. 2. Appropriate or fitting for a broad and enlightened mind. 3. 
Free from narrowness, bigotry, or bondage to authority or creed, as in 
religion; inclined to democratic or republican ideas, as opposed to 
monarchical or aristocratic, as in politics; broad, popular, progressive.

illiberal (adj.). 1. Not liberal; not generous in giving; parsimonious. 2. 
Narrow-minded. 3. Lacking breadth of culture; hence, vulgar.

richard
response 402 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 17:52 UTC 2006

The ACLU defended Rush Limbaugh because his Constitutional rights were being
violated.  If the ACLU was extremist, they would have declined to spend their
money representing him because he hates them and he can afford his own
lawyers.  But they interceded because its what they do as a Constitutional
watchdog, and it frankly didn't matter who he was.
tod
response 403 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 17:53 UTC 2006

Hard hitting news
klg
response 404 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 17:58 UTC 2006

1.  When did the ACLU defend a person's right to rent his private 
property to whomever he wanted?

2.  You mean the proliferation of speech codes on college campuses 
(which are heavily dominated by liberals) is a manisfestation of the 
liberal tradition of promoting the freedom of individuals to express 
their opinions?  (Coulda fooled me?)
richard
response 405 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 18:01 UTC 2006

college campuses are not "heavily dominated by liberals", that is another myth
that shows klg is being brainwashed by the fox news channel.  In fact college
campus administrations often reflect the politics of those parts of the
country.  Southern campuses have conservative administrations as often as not,
Ivy Leagues liberal administrations.  
rcurl
response 406 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 18:04 UTC 2006

Thank you for the opening to show how mistaken you are, KLG:

"Many universities, under pressure to respond to the concerns of those who 
are the objects of hate, have adopted codes or policies prohibiting speech 
that offends any group based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion or 
sexual orientation.

"That's the wrong response, well-meaning or not. The First Amendment to 
the United States Constitution protects speech no matter how offensive its 
content. Speech codes adopted by government-financed state colleges and 
universities amount to government censorship, in violation of the 
Constitution. And the ACLU believes that all campuses should adhere to 
First Amendment principles because academic freedom is a bedrock of 
education in a free society."

http://www.aclu.org/studentsrights/expression/12808pub19941231.html

Now, give us the details about that "right to rent" issue instead of just 
spewing accusations. 

richard
response 407 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 18:06 UTC 2006

klg just answer this question:

"Do you believe that an american citizen's right to free speech ought to be
protected no matter how offensive it is what that citizen is saying?"

yes or no?
richard
response 408 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 18:50 UTC 2006

The ACLU defends freedom and liberty.

The ACLU agrees with Barry Goldwater:

"Extremism in pursuit of liberty is not a vice"

:)

crimson
response 409 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 19:23 UTC 2006

While I agree, it depends on how you define "extremism," "liberty," and
"vice."
klg
response 410 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 20:26 UTC 2006

Oh, RW.  Is that why Larry Summers resigned?

Is the ACLU rushing around the country filing suits against speech 
codes?


"Academia, Stuck To the Left

"By George Will--Townhall.com--11/28/04 
Republicans Outnumbered In Academia, Studies Find, New York Times, Nov. 
18

"WASHINGTON -- Oh, well, if studies say so. The great secret is out: 
liberals dominate campuses. Coming soon: ``Moon Implicated in Tides, 
Studies Find.''

"One study of 1,000 professors finds that Democrats outnumber 
Republicans at least seven to one in the humanities and social 
sciences. That imbalance, more than double what it was three decades 
ago, is intensifying because younger professors are more uniformly 
liberal than the older cohort that is retiring.

"Another study, of voter registrations records, including those of 
professors in engineering and the hard sciences, found nine Democrats 
for every Republican at Berkeley and Stanford. Among younger 
professors, there were 183 Democrats, six Republicans. 

"But we essentially knew this even before The American Enterprise 
magazine reported in 2002 of examinations of voting records in various 
college communities. Some findings about professors registered with the 
two major parties or with liberal or conservative minor parties:

"Cornell: 166 liberals, 6 conservatives.

"Stanford: 151 liberals, 17 conservatives.

"Colorado: 116 liberals, 5 conservatives.

"UCLA: 141 liberals, 9 conservatives.

"The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics reports that in 2004, 
of the top five institutions in terms of employee per capita 
contributions to presidential candidates, the third, fourth and fifth 
were Time Warner, Goldman Sachs and Microsoft. The top two were the 
California university system and Harvard, both of which gave about 19 
times more money to John Kerry than to George Bush. . . ."

jep
response 411 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 20:48 UTC 2006

The ACLU aggressively defends the broadest interpretations of all 
rights?  Like the 2nd amendment?

I know the standard response to this standard accusation, but I don't 
accept it.  The ACLU picks and chooses the rights it supports.
marcvh
response 412 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:12 UTC 2006

Out of curiousity, are there any organizations which you support and
you feel do a better job of supporting all rights?  The ACLJ?  The
NRA?  The SPLC?  Amnesty International?  Anyone?
richard
response 413 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:15 UTC 2006

The ACLU defended Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler, in the famous case 
where Jerry Falwell was suing him for slander that ended up in the Supreme 
Court.

Years later, the ACLU defended JERRY FALWELL in a case where the state of 
Virginia said churches couldn't incorporate.

They won both cases.  
\.
richard
response 414 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:17 UTC 2006

in fact the ACLU has defended many many religious organizations.  Freedom of
Religion is a protected freedom you know.  
nharmon
response 415 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:27 UTC 2006

I like the work the NRA and SPLC do. In fact, I subscribe to 
SPLC's "Intelligence Report". In the NRA's case, they do a good job 
staying non-partisan through endorsing democratic candidates over 
republican candidates in cases where the democrate is stronger on 2nd 
amendment rights. John Dingell is one such candidate.

The SPLC also are not afraid of exposing the KKK, skinheads and radical 
environmental extremists for the terrorists they are.
nharmon
response 416 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:29 UTC 2006

Another thing I like about the NRA: They do none of their own studies. 
They rely totally upon unbiased third party studies such as those from 
the Justice Department.
richard
response 417 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:29 UTC 2006

see now the NRA takes the broadest possible interpretation of the second
amendment.  When the NRA does that its all right, but when the ACLU makes
broad interpretations, its called extremist.  Its ridiculous.
slynne
response 418 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:30 UTC 2006

Hmmm...interesting. 

Let's assume that the article in resp:410 is true (It very well may be 
but I still have some doubt because of the source). It brings up some 
interesting thoughts.

Are there more liberal college professors because conservatives are 
discriminated against?

Are liberals more likely to choose acedemia than conservatives? 

College professors are highly educated. Are non-college professors with 
simiar education levels also more likely to be on the left? And if so, 
does that mean that the more education you have, the more likely you 
are to be progressive in your thought?
richard
response 419 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 21:31 UTC 2006

The NRA also openly contributes to and backs candidats.  The ACLU has never
and will never endorse candidates for political office.  Because the NRA is
a distinctly political organization while the ACLU is not.
rcurl
response 420 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 22:08 UTC 2006

I think you hit it, Lynne: "the more education you have, the more likely you
 are to be progressive in your thought".
bru
response 421 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 22:43 UTC 2006

rcurl, will you please stop submitting this stupid and ridiculous definition!

Re #396: "more liberal" is good. Consider

liberal (adj).  1. Possessing or manifesting a free and generous heart;
bountiful. 2. Appropriate or fitting for a broad and enlightened mind. 3.
Free from narrowness, bigotry, or bondage to authority or creed, as in
religion; inclined to democratic or republican ideas, as opposed to
monarchical or aristocratic, as in politics; broad, popular, progressive.

illiberal (adj.). 1. Not liberal; not generous in giving; parsimonious. 2.
Narrow-minded. 3. Lacking breadth of culture; hence, vulgar.

All it does is make you appear illeberal and vulgar.
keesan
response 422 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 6 22:56 UTC 2006

Bru, could you please use a spell checker?  And if you don't like Rane's
dictionary, submit a definition from another dictionary.
bru
response 423 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 7 00:42 UTC 2006

It doesn't matter what dictionary you use.  The definition does not apply to
teh group or the party in question.  Not all liberals have a generous heart,
I doubt even most of the do.

and just because I am not a member of a liberal party, that does not make me
narrow minded or lacking breadth of culture.
marcvh
response 424 of 526: Mark Unseen   Mar 7 00:44 UTC 2006

Nope, it's just a coincidence.
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