Takeback Tuesday: our rights

Takeback Tuesday is Team LRK’s weekly vote of confidence in the future, when I talk about steps our community of readers can make in asserting the good.

My husband Noel was born in what is now Pakistan. He grew up among Muslims, lived in Africa for many years, and had friends of all religious persuasions all over the world. When he first came to the US, it was on a work visa. Later he was given a green card, and eventually became a citizen. People seemed to agree that he enriched his community.

At one time, the father of my two children would have been among those turned back at Immigration under the recent xenophobic Executive Order. That his sort has been allowed to return to their families and homes is due in part to the instantaneous and unflinching work of ACLU lawyers.

The American Civil Liberties Union is a nonprofit organization that since 1920 has fought for individual rights as given by the US Constitution. You may have heard of them in recent weeks. Some of their causes are pretty fringe, but others are central to what we are as Americans. When I talked about having to “outsource our checks-and-balances” back in November? I meant groups like the ACLU.

They need our donations, they need our numbers. I make an automatic monthly donation. I encourage you to do so too, here.

7 Comments

  1. Merrily Taylor on February 7, 2017 at 8:32 am

    I’ve joined with a monthly donation. Go, ACLU – we need you! Who knows whose rights will be trampled next?

  2. Barbara on February 7, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    Thank you for this reminder. I have joined with a monthly donation. And thank you for speaking out.

  3. BradH on February 7, 2017 at 4:19 pm

    I joined a month ago. I live in the South, but put my ACLU member sticker on the back of my car anyway. A Good Old Boy saw it in the parking lot, and asked, “What’s that for?”
    I said, “Consider it my NRA sticker.”

  4. Linda Hay on February 7, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    Thanks for speaking up and speaking out. Your books have been most helpful in opening my eyes to places and people I have known about mostly from being good at geography . Even if it is looking at them as they were 90 years ago, I rather enjoy seeing them thru Russell’s eyes before they were “westernized.”

    The ACLU speaker at a vigil I attended last week reminded us that they are winning their cases. That was a hopeful note, as was hearing from local Moslems, Jews,. Christians, peoples of many races and ethnicities, taking their turns speaking out, supporting the Constitution from the steps of our Vermont State House.

    If nothing else Russell reminds us to be brave … and smart

  5. Agnes on February 8, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Set up a monthly donation to the ACLU for the first time in a long time last week.

    Also, first link doesn’t appear to be working?

  6. Margaret on February 10, 2017 at 12:46 am

    Is no one going to mention the Dalai Lama? Okay, I won’t either.

  7. Carol Didier on February 14, 2017 at 9:57 am

    Thank you for Takeback Tuesdays! I feel empowered anew, and will do everything I’m able to stand up to the bigotry and chauvinism that seems to be overtaking my country. Monthly donation done.

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