The American Civil Liberties Union describes itself as the “our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.”

This includes the defense of the First Amendment or the “freedom of speech”. However, ACLU lawyer, Chase Strangio, has decided that it’s okay to pick and choose who gets to have the freedom of speech in our country. The ACLU, who has even defended the First Amendment rights of the Ku Klux Klan, has decided that Milo Yiannopoulos has much to hateful of a message to allow him the freedom of speech.

Milo is an immigrant to the U.S., here on an O-1 Visa, which is granted to immigrants “who possess extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business or athletics.”

Chase Strangio, the American Civil Liberties Union lawyer who defended Chelsea Manning, distanced himself from the organization’s defense of Milo Yiannopoulos Wednesday.

“I don’t believe in protecting principle for the sake of principle,” he stated.

On Wednesday, the ACLU announced its lawsuit against the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in defense of Milo Yiannopoulos’ right to free speech. The organization’s decision has raised the ire of progressives, who equate his mockery of social justice warriors to hate speech — including Strangio.

The ACLU, which has defended the First Amendment rights of thousands of individuals and organizations — including the Ku Klux Klan and the Nation of Islam — had finally crossed the line. Strangio claims that Yiannopoulos’ words “exacerbate the many harms that transgender people, people of color, Muslim people, immigrants and others regularly experience.”

“Though his ability to speak is protected by the First Amendment, I don’t believe in protecting principle for the sake of principle in all cases,” Strangio wrote. “His actions have consequences for people that I care about and for me. The norms that we establish through the people we validate, contribute to the disturbingly common attacks on Black people, immigrants, trans people, women, and others.”

“And yes, the First Amendment is critical in protecting the ability of marginalized communities to protest, mobilize and build power. But it has already been eroded for those communities,” Strangio added.

Ironically, Strangio’s dispute against the ACLU’s stance will only erode the First Amendment that much further. Should Milo lose his right to free speech, so too will everyone else whose words are deemed too dangerous by those in power.

“The ACLU has a long history of representing despicable people in the service of protecting valuable First Amendment principles and in some cases I support decisions that have been made and in other cases, I do not. Here I do not,” Strangio wrote, speaking of the ACLU’s lawsuit for Yiannopoulos, which also includes the ACLU, PETA, and abortion medication provider Carafem. For entire story: Daily Caller

 

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