ACLU responds

I wrote them about the NYT article. Here's their reply.

"Like you, I was deeply troubled by the New York Times article “ACLU May Block Criticism by its Board.” The story wrongfully portrays the nation’s premier civil rights organization, its Board members and leadership. Let me assure you that the ACLU will never advocate censorship. Nor has the Board considered removing two members as incorrectly reported in the article. The ACLU will always fight for the free expression of ideas, will always foster debate, and will always tolerate dissent. Simply put, the ACLU is larger than any one person – it is a boisterous family of more than 550,000 members, 360 employees in the National Office alone, and 83 National Board members. We may disagree on issues from time to time, but we are unanimous in support of our mission … a mission that is critical now more than ever.



Ours is a unique organization. We probably put more importance on process than many other advocacy organizations, in part, because we want to ensure a truly democratic process and the type of robust debate that guarantees a free exchange of ideas, even those that are ultimately rejected. All of our policies and practices are carefully scrutinized and implemented with this core value in mind, including a recent proposal from the Board to review policies related to the rights and responsibilities of Board members.



And yet, there is nothing exceptional about the ACLU Board – or any nonprofit board – thoughtfully considering its governance roles and responsibilities. In fact, we ought to do exactly that, especially during times when the need for a strong and vibrant ACLU is so critical in our country. It is an enormous responsibility to lead an organization of this size and importance and our Board members take their role very seriously. The committee examining these issues only just convened last year and has yet to make its report to the Board, though you would hardly know it from the Times story, which portrayed the process as much further along than it actually is. The issue of rights and responsibilities of Board members has never been discussed by the full Board. It will be a topic of discussion at our next Board meeting in June and I am completely confident that the Board will stay true to its principles of advancing free speech and to the principles of sound governance.



Rest assured, I have and will continue to embrace robust policy debate with the ACLU Board, with affiliates, with staff … that is the heart of the ACLU.



I appreciate your longstanding commitment to the ACLU and our shared passion for civil liberties. I would simply ask you to withhold judgment on the committee’s proposal until after it has been discussed and fully vetted by the Board. Let me assure you that the ACLU is more focused than ever on the bigger issues that unite us all: defending civil liberties, protecting our Constitution and putting a stop the Bush administration’s unprecedented abuse of presidential power. I want to assure you that we have our eyes on the prize and we will never waver from our mission. The ACLU has a long and proud history and I am honored to be a part of it. I consider myself a custodian of its legacy and its unique role, and I will continue to do all that I can to ensure it remains focused, effective and, most importantly, true to its mission.



I treasure my relationship with ACLU members. As always, my mailbox is open for your questions and comments. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with me regarding the information I have shared here. I can be reached at the address above or via email at aromero@aclu.org. You may also email Jeffrey Outler, Member Services Manager at joutler@aclu.org.



Thank you for your understanding and support. Please stick with us.



Sincerely,



Anthony D. Romero

Executive Director"