I am pretty concerned – as maybe you are as well – about the impact of this week’s elections on civil liberties. But I’m not discouraged. Let me tell you why.
Do you remember the final match that the U.S. Men’s team played in this year’s World Cup? I don’t watch a lot of soccer, but that match is helpful in understanding where things stand after this week’s election.
An aggressive Belgian team had the U.S. rocked back on their heels playing defense for nearly the entire match. It should have been a blowout by the Belgian team, but it wasn’t -- because of the heroic effort of the U.S. goalkeeper, Tim Howard. He made an incredible athletic effort, refusing to give up. He set a World Cup record for blocking shots, keeping the Belgians scoreless in regulation and forced overtime.
That’s what ACLU is. You, me and all of our thousands of members and supporters across Florida -- when civil liberties are under attack, we are the goalkeeper.
Pledge to stand with the ACLU at the goal line for freedom in Florida.
We’ve been in this situation before. Four years ago, we warned Floridians that they could expect an unprecedented attack on civil liberties and individual freedoms from the newly-elected Scott administration and the Florida Legislature. We were right. But we were also prepared for the fight. From voting rights, to marriage equality, to freedom from invasive government searches, to free speech about gun safety for doctors, the ACLU of Florida filed a dozen lawsuits in the first 4 years of the Scott administration, challenging executive actions and laws that eroded personal freedom – winning victories in the courts that blocked the most egregious attacks from going through. Our supporters also mobilized at the local level to expand LGBT rights, scale back criminal justice programs that harm young Floridians, and score other key wins for freedom.
The ACLU -- our attorneys, advocacy staff, policy specialists and volunteers -- is the last line of defense for civil liberties and constitutional rights. We’ve done it for the past four years, and we will do it again.
But we can’t do it without you. The ACLU of Florida is where Floridians who care about civil liberties work to defend freedom. That defense is only as strong as the people who step up to be a part of it.
Sign the pledge to stand up for civil liberties in Florida, and we’ll keep you updated about how you can be involved in the work to protect personal freedom.
The results of this week’s election mean defending civil liberties in Florida is going to be tough. Certainly the last four years have been tough! We may not be able to stop every attack – some of the shots may get into the net – but we will fight to protect Floridians’ rights when the next wave of attacks begins and with your help, we will prevail in the long run – as we have so far.
Thank you for pledging to be a part of the fight.
