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« Ithica guns goes on auction block | Main | 4th Circuit on "innocent possession" defense »

Member of ACLU ... and of NRA

Posted by David Hardy · 2 December 2005 03:18 PM

Margaret Romao Toigo has an interesting article in blogcritics: "Why I Love the ACLU in Spite of its Warts -- With Hugs and Kisses to the NRA." I wouldn't agree that the ACLU's position on the Second Amendment is "neutral" -- it's a waffling anti-individual rights one-- but the article is worth the read.

BTW, it is interesting that the ACLU's position has been watered down over the years. I can remember when it was solid "collective rights." Today it's that the right is " primarily a collective one" -- note the qualifier "primarily" -- that it does not confer "an unlimited right" (hard to name one substantive constitutional limit that does).

One friend, who travels in ACLU national circles, said that the reason ACLU is so squeamish is that if they recognized an individual right (as all the big names in American constitutional law do these days) a lot of their donors might back out. Against that would be the point that they backed the Nazi march in Skokie many years ago. But then they took a BIG hit in membership and donations over that one, and haven't repeated the experience in the last twenty years or so.

· NRA

2 Comments | Leave a comment

Kitty Crane | December 3, 2005 1:46 PM | Reply

The American Criminal Liberty Union shows another hypocritical face in failing to recognize the individual right in the 2nd amendment, and all because of dues. Concidering the origin of the ACLU, I would be amazed that they would even concider the individual right. From a lifetime NRA member-Kitty.

Margaret Romao Toigo | December 7, 2005 10:46 AM | Reply

Mr. Hardy, there is principle and then there is the pragmatism of financing the fight for principle. Neither the ACLU nor the NRA will be able to do much in the way of protecting and defending rights if they do not have sufficient funds to do so.

I think you are absolutely right about the ACLU fearing the loss of donors, considering that the average ACLU member subscribes to a more libertine than libertarian ideology.

Can you imagine what would happen to the NRA's bottom line if it decided to, in addition to its current work, promote some traditionally "liberal" causes, such as womens' right to choose abortion, the recognition of same-sex marriage or the removal of the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance?

The ACLU's position with regard to our Second Amendment would be far more troubling were it not for the existence of the NRA, which stands up exclusively for the Second Amendment.

It behooves both organizations to steer clear of one another's causes, purposes, principles and donors.

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