I’m proud to sit on the foundation board of the ACLU Southern California.
Voltaire said, “I disagree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” But what does that really mean for us in America? We are lucky to have one of the strongest constitutional protections for speech in the world. However, the words on the document don’t mean anything without someone to enforce them. As the ACLU saying goes, freedom can’t protect itself. That’s why the ACLU has worked tirelessly to preserve the right of artists, political activists, war resisters and many others to express their beliefs and opinions, however critical of the government they may be.
I believe we have to judge our society not by how we treat the privileged and the empowered. We judge the civility and quality of our society by how we treat the silenced, the condemned, the undocumented, and all those whose views and rights are deemed inconvenient. The ACLU upholds the promise of the Constitution for those people. One day, some of you may find yourself in a position of holding an inconvenient view and looking to the ACLU for support. I am so proud of all of us for helping the ACLU fight the good fight. I am a member of the ACLU. You all are members in spirit. I hope that you will choose to become a member in practice.
