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| NOVEMBER 12, 1998 9:30 AM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: American Civil Liberties Union |
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| The ACLU on Morality: Special Web Collection On 'Public Morality' Launched | ||||
| WASHINGTON - November 12 - The
American Civil Liberties Union today launched a special website aimed at provoking
discussion over what constitutes public "morality" in America. The new web collection -- which can be found at http://www.aclu.org/morality -- includes an interactive survey, links to special faxable letters to Congress and the ACLU’s new National Freedom Scorecard. Additional features will be added over the next several weeks. The web collection is an adjunct to a year-long advertising campaign on the same topic that has been running in The New York Times and other publications since February. Each of the advertisements in that campaign -- all of which are featured as part of the web collection -- has contained a brief message from ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser on topical subjects ranging from the war on drugs to religious freedom to government intrusions in the bedroom. "Some people may be surprised that the ACLU is talking about morality," Glasser said. "But we believe it is crucial to counter the voices of people like Pat Robertson, like Jesse Helms and Pat Buchanan. They want to use government power to tell you how to live your life. "They've whined about the 'moral decay' of our society. They've said people shouldn't be allowed to make their own sexual choices. They've tried to have government force particular religious views down our childrens' throats in public school. And they've tried repeatedly to censor books, libraries and the Internet," Glasser added. The ACLU campaign is designed to encourage people to think back to the moral principles upon which our nation is founded: what used to be called 'civic virtue' as opposed to personal virtue, which, Glasser said, is usually none of the government's business. "The ACLU believes that the morality of a nation is measured not by what occurs in the privacy of our bedrooms or doctor's offices or telephone conversations, but by how the government treats its people," Glasser said. "Through this web collection, we hope to offer a vision of a world where it's safe to be different and easier to be free." The ACLU is a nationwide, non-partisan organization dedicated to defending and preserving the Bill of Rights for all individuals through litigation, legislation and public education. Headquartered in New York City, the ACLU has 53 staffed affiliates in major cities, more than 300 chapters nationwide, and a legislative office in Washington, D.C. The bulk of its $35 million annual budget is raised by contributions from members -- 275,000 strong -- and gifts and grants from other individuals and foundations. The ACLU does not accept government funds. The
new web collection can be found at: ### |
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