The American Civil Liberties Union - 1714 Words

The American Civil Liberties Union is a large and influential non-profit organization that was founded in 1920. The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonpartisan group that serves to protect the individual rights and liberties of American citizens and is considered a powerful interest group, especially within movements that advocate civil rights and civil liberty. Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert define interests group as â€Å"individuals who organize to influence the government’s program and policies† (pg. 455). The American Civil Liberties Union is an effective interest group because of its long and established history of confronting social injustice, its firm and ever increasing membership basis, and its unrelenting persistence to protect and uphold civil rights and civil liberties. The American Civil Liberties Union has a long and righteous history of being an interest group. The non-profit group was officially founded in 1920; during the years following World War I, America was engrossed by the fear that the Communist Revolution that had taken place in Russia would spread to the United States. As is often the case when fear outweighs rational debate, civil liberties paid the price (American Civil Liberties Union, n.d.). In November 1919 and January 1920, in what infamously became known as the â€Å"Palmer Raids,† Attorney General Mitchell Palmer began rounding up and deporting so-called radicals. Thousands of people were arrested without warrants and without regard toShow MoreRelatedThe American Civil Liberties Union1418 Words   |  6 Pages When Americans first set their eyes on the 20th century, they hoped for a better life without war and a prospering economy. This vision of freedom and liberty in America was quite bold, knowing there were challeng es ahead. There’s always a price to pay and obstacles to go through when the circumstances are not ideal. During the early 1900s, our country was evolving and starting a new era. An era where blacks were no longer slaves, civil rights movements were occurring, and citizens were having issuesRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1639 Words   |  7 Pagesgoverned on what white men could do. It had no rights for men of different races. This went on to show that we needed a section that could relate to the people of the states, so that their freedom was protected in this new Constitution. (American Civil Liberties Union) This debate of do we need to include a Bill of Rights for the everyday citizens of the states went on for four years. The Federalists did not think we needed a Bill of Rights because they did not believe in giving the people of the statesRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1155 Words   |  5 Pages According to Carl Takei, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, ICE has somewhat complied with President Obama’s mandates. They have released documents on cases of medical negligence leading to deaths but only to people who ask under the Freedom of Information Act. The purpose of President Obama’s mandated reviews was to improve the medical care of the next person. Through investigation by the American Civil Liberties Union, ICE was found to not use these reviews for betteringRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1233 Words   |  5 Pagesthe judicial system is the obvious bias in criminal sentencing in the court. Many studies support the conclusion that people of color are sentenced longer in prison for the same crime as a white person (McElrath, Tran, and Taylor 2). The American Civil Liberties Union released data and specific cases that contribute to this topic. Kenneth Rouse, a Black man, was tried by an all-white jury after the prosecutor eliminated every eligible Black juror from the panel. This is a common discrepancy in theRead MoreThe American Civil Liberties Union1630 Words   |  7 Pagesin incarnations by placing many people in jail more than the last four decades. Mostly because of the war on drugs. So far whites and blacks have been involved in many drug offenses, possession and sales, at a very comparable rate. â€Å"While African Americans comprise 13% of the US population and 14% of monthly drug users they are 37% of the people arrested for drug offenses† (Marc Mauer). The police usually stop blacks and Latinos at rates higher than whites. Within New York City, the people of colorRead MoreAmerican Civil Liberties Union Of Michigan ( Aclu )1378 Words   |  6 Pagesinterest groups is the Flint water crisis. Although many local and global organizations seek to provide support and resources for the city of Flint, the three non-economic interest groups that will be discussed in this paper include the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLU), the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF). The approaches, stances, and effectiveness of these organizations will be interpreted, while recommendations aboutRead MoreAmerican Civil Liberties Union: Study Notes1252 Words   |  5 Pagesin American history. The African American community in particular has worked very diligently over the years to end segregation as a means to achieve equal rights for its entire constituent base. Body paragraph #1 - Topic Sentence #1- To begin, the African American community has obtained equal rights through collectivism. The African American community has always been close knit in response to oppression. Instead of disbanded as a result of turmoil and mass confusion, the African American communityRead MoreBlack Men And The American Civil Liberties Union1088 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to to the American Civil Liberties Union, California’s research shows that black men are three times more likely to be stopped and frisked than whites. (Quigley) Some may say that this topic is based on nothing but opinions. That is not true. There are facts behind the accusations made by so many people accusing law enforcement agents of being racist. The job of law enforcement is to serve and protect the people, showing no bias towards any specific race, but this is not always the caseRead MoreRacial Profiling And The American Civil Liberties Union1081 Words   |  5 Pages but the community may never know the whole tru th. The pain and misery caused by racial profiling greatly outweighs the positive aspects. Racial profiling is vastly different from criminal profiling. Racial profiling, as stated by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), â€Å"refers to the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin† (â€Å"The Reality of Racial Profiling†). RacialRead MoreRacial Profiling And The American Civil Liberties Union998 Words   |  4 Pageshold a variety of meanings. As defined by the American Civil Liberties Union, however, racial profiling is the discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials of targeting individuals for suspicion of crime based on the individual s race, ethnicity, religion or national origin (â€Å"Racial Profiling†). Every day, blacks are stopped much more frequently for aimless searches and minor infractions than their white counterparts. Several African Americans share experiences like these, such as Roscoe