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American Civil Liberties Union

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American non-governmental organization devoted to defending civil rights and liberties. Lawsuits brought by the ACLU have been central to several important developments in U.S. constitutional law. The ACLU provides attorneys and legal expertise in cases where civil rights are allegedly being violated.

The organization has involved itself in cases to oppose official prayers in public schools, to prevent the display of religious symbols on public property, to support the legality of abortion and the rights of homosexuals, and to defend the freedom of speech of persons with unpopular, controversial, even extremist, opinions.

While the organization is generally supported by individuals who identify themselves as liberal, it has on occasion taken on cases which enrage liberals - for instance defending the free speech rights of neo-Nazi groups (to the disgust of Jewish ACLU members), or NAMBLA, a group which allegedly supports pedophilia.

The group is not without critics, generally conservatives. Many of these allege that the ACLU has not dedicated itself only to the defense of constitutional rights, and that it seeks mainly to advance a liberal agenda, clothing this as a defense of "civil rights". They point to its opposition to the death penalty, which they say is supported by the Constitution. And they argue that the ACLU has not been consistent in defending all civil liberties, pointing out that it has not been active in litigating to protect gun rights, which the critics claim enjoy the same constitutional protection as rights with which the ACLU has been concerned.

Initially formed in 1920 as the Civil Liberties Bureau during the time of the Palmer Raids. Founders include Crystal Eastman and Roger Baldwin.

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