September 05, 2003
Flood The Zone
Head over to Not Geniuses to get talking points on civil liberties, the theme of this Friday's letter writing extravaganza. Many of these points come from the ACLU, and I'd add my endorsement of becoming a card-carrying member.
The ACLU works pretty tirelessly at watching the watchers. In the best traditions of our liberal democracy, they uphold the right for everyone to dissent and speak their mind. Whether the government gets too invasive, or interest groups get a little carried away with the power to set down 'community standards,' the ACLU will fight for the minority.
They never forget that even though people or their viewpoints may be unpopular, the liberty our society grants to them is a bellweather for the liberty it grants to the rest of us. The erosion of rights and legal protections always starts with the whipping boys of public discourse, all the better so that no one complains until it's too late.
Reflect early and often on which laws you want to be equal under.
Also, while Ezra has lots of good tips on writing letters to the editor, don't forget the other people it counts to write: your elected officials. Congress.org has tools whereby you can email, fax, or get a hand-delivered letter to your representatives in Washington. Email is free, the other services are reasonably priced, and the interface is very intuitive.
So, ready, set... GO!
Posted by natasha at September 5, 2003 04:28 PM | TrackBack