The ACLU is a non-profit corporation that protects people’s freedom of speech.  The controversy behind the ACLU lies in the clientele that they protect. From neo-Nazis to Christians the ACLU will protect anyone who feels their freedom of speech or religion is being violated. But in today’s world everyone has a side. There are people that are both for and against the ACLU.

For example, Stephen Carter, for Christianity Today, disagrees with the notion that the ACLU is bad for society. Carter says, “More to the point, the ACLU is often right about the First Amendment’s free exercise clause, taking on fights that others refuse. It might surprise some critics that the ACLU defends the free speech and free exercise rights of, well, Christians.” But with everyone that likes the ACLU there is someone who dislikes it. Diane Dew, an author, thinks that the ACLU is destructive. Dew says, “The ACLU is destructive to the fabric of our society. Christians must recognize Satan as the source – the instigator – when the end results of an organization’s efforts are only “to kill, to steal, and to destroy.” Dew thinks that the ACLU is destructive to our society and is derived from satan which is not good for anyone in our society.

Another example of people for the ACLU is Doug Mataconis, a writer for Outside the Beltway, says, “As the ACLU points out in their email, though, the school’s policy constitutes an infringement of the student’s First Amendment rights”. This quote shows the ACLU protecting people’s first amendment rights. A website called Reclaim Democracy would like to thank the ACLU for all of the good work that they have done. They were especially thankful for the ACLU for protecting corporation’s freedom of speech and not just individual’s freedoms.

People also dislike the ACLU. Drew Zahn, a writer from WND Faith, disagrees with the ACLU. Zahn says, “The initial impulse of the ACLU was to fight for a definition of civil liberties that lined up with atheist, communist ideals.” Zahn believes that the ACLU is trying to make America become Communist. Warner Todd Huston, an author for Renew America Says the ACLU is bad for our country. Huston says, “Sure the ACLU has done a few good things, but their bad things far outweigh the good. Not only that, but they have an agenda that is antithetical to the USA. This organization was started at the turn of the last century, and is today perpetuated by, communists/socialists who wish to destroy just about everything that makes our nation great only to have it remade on a communist/socialist model.” Although Huston thinks that the ACLU has done some good things. He thinks that the ACLU has done too much bad for the good to outweigh it.

Although people are both for and against the ACLU, The ACLU tries to protect people’s rights no matter who they are, they have been around for a while and have always been a controversial subject. I think it will stick around for some more time and remain controversial.