American Civil Liberties Union

American Civil Liberties Union's Opinions

Drugs Should psychoactive drugs be legal? Agree [We] oppose criminal prohibition of drugs. Not only is prohibition a proven failure as a drug control strategy, but it subjects otherwise law-abiding citizens to arrest, prosecution & imprisonment for what they do in private. In trying to enforce the drug laws, the government violates the fundamental rights of privacy and personal autonomy that are guaranteed by our Constitution. [We] believe that unless they do harm to others, people should not be punished - even if they do harm to themselves. The Liberal Pitch   Edit Pitches 06 Jan 1995    Source Is the health risk of a psychoactive drug a legitimate reason to make it illegal? Disagree [We] oppose criminal prohibition of drugs. Not only is prohibition a proven failure as a drug control strategy, but it subjects otherwise law-abiding citizens to arrest, prosecution & imprisonment for what they do in private. In trying to enforce the drug laws, the government violates the fundamental rights of privacy and personal autonomy that are guaranteed by our Constitution. [We] believe that unless they do harm to others, people should not be punished - even if they do harm to themselves. Edit Pitches 06 Jan 1995    Source Liberty Should flag burning be legal? Agree For over a decade, the ACLU has fought to keep a proposed constitutional amendment [banning flag burning which would] limit the First Amendment from becoming a reality. We must always remain vigilant against any attempts to write censorship into our Constitution. We applaud the Senators who voted to reject this attack on freedom. Sadly, it remains likely that this misguided proposal will come back again. Edit Pitches 21 Feb 2003    Source Should the US close Guantanamo Bay? Agree We believe that torture is illegal and un-American. Our founders rejected dungeons and chose due process – and so do we. We believe that no president should be given the unchecked power to call someone an enemy and lock them away indefinitely. We are calling on the government to stop indefinite detention, try detainees in the U.S., or release them to countries where they won't be tortured. Edit Pitches 01 Jan 2008    Source Are gun control laws a serious breach of civil liberties? Disagree Given the reference to "a well regulated Militia" and "the security of a free State," the ACLU has long taken the position that the Second Amendment protects a collective right rather than an individual right. ... We do not, however, take a position on gun control itself. In our view, neither the possession of guns nor the regulation of guns raises a civil liberties issue. Edit Pitches 08 Jul 2008    Source

Religion Should Intelligent Design be taught in science class? Disagree "Intelligent Design" is a religious view, not a scientific theory, according to U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III in his historic decision in Kitzmiller v. Dover. The decision is a victory not only for the ACLU, who led the legal challenge, but for all who believe it is inappropriate, and unconstitutional, to advance a particular religious belief at the expense of our children's education. Edit Pitches 20 Dec 2005    Source Should the burka be banned? Disagree The government's tendency in the aftermath of September 11th has been to restrict numerous freedoms merely for the sake of restricting liberty, rather than to make us truly safer. ... Today's ruling [banning the burka on a driver's license photo] runs counter to the most basic principles of religious freedom that give everyone -- including members of minority religious communities as well as majority Christian faiths -- the right to practice and worship as they choose. The Liberal Pitch   Edit Pitches 29 Jul 2008    Source Politics Should homosexual couples be able to adopt kids? Agree One does not have to look too closely to realize that this legislation [to ban gay people from adopting] is about politics, not protecting children. Prohibiting lesbians and gay men who wish to become parents from doing so goes against decades of science and child welfare practice. Moreover, it does nothing to alleviate our current child welfare crisis. We need more permanent families for our foster children, not fewer. The Family Pitch   Edit Pitches 13 Nov 2006    Source Health Should abortion be legal? Agree The decision when and whether to become a parent is one of the most private a person can make and one that has a profound affect on all aspects of our lives. To participate fully in society, we must be free to answer for ourselves whether we are ready and capable of being parents. To achieve this world, we must continue to strive for reproductive freedom for everyone. Edit Pitches 22 Jan 2007    Source Law Is the death penalty acceptable? Disagree The ACLU believes that, in all circumstances, the death penalty is unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. We also believe that the death penalty continues to be applied in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Edit Pitches 09 Apr 2007    Source

Comparisons with Other Experts and Influencers

The similarity between American Civil Liberties Union and each expert and influencer is calculated by looking at how the same questions were answered. These figures are used to calculate conforming, nonconforming, and projected opinions. The accuracy of the analysis depends on American Civil Liberties Union's coverage, which grows with the number of their opinions entered into TakeOnIt.

Conforming Opinions

American Civil Liberties Union's conforming opinions are opinions that align with the group of experts and influencers American Civil Liberties Union typically agrees with.

Projected Opinions

American Civil Liberties Union's projected opinions are opinions American Civil Liberties Union is expected to have if their opinions align with the experts and influencers that they typically agree with.