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The ACLU MandateThe mission of the ACLU is to assure that the Bill of Rights -- amendments to the Constitution that guard against unwarranted governmental control -- are preserved for each new generation. To understand the ACLU's purpose, it is important to distinguish between the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The Constitution itself, whose bicentennial we celebrated in 1987, authorizes the government to act. The Bill of Rights limits that authority. What rights are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights? First Amendment rights: These include freedom of speech, association and assembly,freedom of the press, and freedom of religion, including the strict separation between church and state. Equal protection of the law: The right to equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, physical handicap, or other such classification. These rights apply to the voting booth, the classroom, the workplace and the courts. Due process of law: The right to be treated fairly when facing criminal charges or other serious accusations that can result in such penalties as loss of employment, exclusion from school, denial of housing, or cut-off of benefits. The right to privacy: The right to a guaranteed zone of personal privacy and autonomy which cannot be penetrated by the government or by other institutions, like employers, with substantial influence over an individual's rights. Expanding those protections: Although some segments of our population have traditionally been denied these rights, the ACLU works to extend protection to racial minorities, homosexuals, mental patients, prisoners, soldiers, children in the custody of the state, the handicapped, and Native Americans. |
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