Anthony Romero
Executive Director
American Civil Liberties Union
Dear Mr. Romero,
After a decade as a full-time journalist in the employ of a large media company, I bought myself a bit of freedom last year when I accepted a university faculty job.
Freed of professional expectations that limited my civic and political participation, I had been considering resurrecting an ACLU membership that began as president of my high school chapter.
Then I received a letter from the ACLU warning of "right-wing extremists at the highest levels of government." And I'm reconsidering.
I accept and embrace the ACLU's generally left-leaning social tilt. And I know you didn't actually write this fund-raising letter.
But since your name is on it, I thought I'd let you know what a big turn-off this is.
Having served as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Navy and later as a newspaper correspondent in Iraq, I know a little something about extremists. We can argue semantics, I'm sure, but the bottom line is this: To me, and many Americans I know who are generally supportive of the ACLU's mission and objectives, that word carries some pretty grave connotations. I've lost friends and colleagues to extremists. They died in horrible ways.
There are lots of jackasses in our government. I suppose I tend to think they're stacked a little more deeply on the right side of the aisle. They say stupid shit. They're working to limit the rights and freedoms of some of my closest friends. Catch me at the pub, and you'll hear me say some pretty nasty things about them.
But there are some words I won't use. Because really, pray tell, who "at the highest levels" of our government qualifies to be called "an extremist"? Care to name names?
Look, I understand it plays well to the base. But in my view the ACLU shouldn't have a base. The ACLU has, and does, and should continue to speak for all Americans. Liberals and conservatives. Right wing wackos and leftist idiots. In many cases, it has stood for the rights of actual, no-semantics-about-it extremists — and I commend the bravery and compassion and patriotism of an organization that has, for nearly a century, brazenly stood for justice and fairness even when it was roundly unpopular to do so.
That is powerful, compelling and attractive. So may I humbly suggest you leave the political histrionics to the politicians? The ACLU's record should speak for itself.
Respectfully,
Matthew D. LaPlante
