Editing American Civil Liberties Union (section)

==Support and opposition==
A variety of persons and organizations support the ACLU. Allies of the ACLU in legal actions have included the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]],<ref name="Walker, p. 60">Walker, p. 60.</ref> the [[American Jewish Congress]],<ref name="W219"/> the [[National Rifle Association of America]],<ref>{{Cite news |title=In an usual and controversial move, the ACLU will defend the NRA in SCOTUS this week |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/aclu-nra-supreme-court-case-b2514125.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241120132803/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/aclu-nra-supreme-court-case-b2514125.html |archive-date=November 20, 2024 |access-date=2025-01-08 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Planned Parenthood]],<ref>"Planned Parenthood Files Lawsuit to Restore Abortion Access, on Heels of Voters Approving Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative" November 6, 2024 ''ACLU of Missouri'' https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-planned-parenthood-files-lawsuit-to-restore-abortion-access-on-heels-of-voters-approving-right-to-reproductive-freedom-initiative
</ref><ref>"Lawsuit filed by Missouri Planned Parenthood to challenge state abortion restrictions" Jessica Schaer	  Nov 6, 2024  ''KSNF News'' https://www.fourstateshomepage.com/news/your-local-election-headquarters/lawsuit-filed-by-missouri-planned-parenthood-to-challenge-state-abortion-restrictions/</ref> the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Homeland Security hit with lawsuit over phone, laptop searches |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/aclu-eff-sue-department-of-homeland-security-for-searches-of-phones-laptops/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=CNET |language=en}}</ref> and [[Americans United for Separation of Church and State]].<ref>"Civil liberties groups file lawsuit against Louisiana Ten Commandments law"  Lexi Lonas Cochran 06/24/24 ''The Hill''  https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4737430-louisiana-ten-commandment-law-aclu-religious-freedom-jeff-landry/</ref>

The ACLU has been criticized by [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberals]], such as when it excluded [[communists]] from its leadership ranks, when it defended [[Neo-Nazis]], when it declined to defend [[Paul Robeson]], or when it opposed the passage of the [[National Labor Relations Act]].<ref>Finan, Christopher M. (2007), ''From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: a history of the fight for free speech in America'', Beacon Press, pp. 158–59. (Robeson)</ref><ref name="Skokie">Walker, pp. 323–31.</ref>  In 2014, an ACLU affiliate supported anti-Islam protesters,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.aclumich.org/en/cases/hecklers-veto | title=The Heckler's Veto | date=December 26, 2014 }}</ref> and in 2018 the ACLU was criticized when it supported the NRA.<ref>{{cite web |author1=[[Mark Joseph Stern]] |title=Who Does the ACLU Fight For? |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/08/the-aclus-decision-to-defend-the-nra-is-under-attack-internally.html |website=Slate |publisher=The Slate Group |access-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828035136/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/08/the-aclus-decision-to-defend-the-nra-is-under-attack-internally.html |archive-date=August 28, 2018 |language=en-us |date=Aug 27, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=David Cole |title=New York State Can't Be Allowed to Stifle the NRA's Political Speech |url=https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/new-york-state-cant-be-allowed-stifle-nras-political-speech |website=ACLU |publisher=American Civil Liberties Union |access-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220904162950/https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/new-york-state-cant-be-allowed-stifle-nras-political-speech |archive-date=September 4, 2022 |language=en-us |date=August 24, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Conversely, it has been criticized by [[Conservatism in the United States|conservatives]] such as when it argued against official prayer in public schools or when it opposed the [[Patriot Act]].<ref>Walker, pp. 219–20 (prayer in school).</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.watchdog.org/issues/accountability/survey-highlights-nonpartisan-aclu-s-liberal-biases/article_8489a54a-0798-58bf-a075-f413a54f6c96.html|title=Survey highlights 'nonpartisan' ACLU's liberal biases|last=Kittle|first=M.D.|work=Watchdog.org|access-date=February 10, 2018}}{{dead link|date=July 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The ACLU has supported conservative figures such as [[Rush Limbaugh]],<ref name=FOXRush>Donaldson-Evans, Catherine (January 12, 2004), [https://www.foxnews.com/story/aclu-comes-to-rush-limbaughs-defense "ACLU Comes to Rush Limbaugh's Defense"], [[Fox News]]</ref> [[George Wallace]],<ref>Walker, p. 242 (Wallace).</ref> [[Henry Ford]]<ref>Walker, p. 103 (Ford).</ref> and [[Oliver North]];<ref>Walker, p. 375 (North).</ref> as well as liberal figures such as [[Dick Gregory]],<ref>[https://www.aclu.org/successes-american-civil-liberties-union ACLU list of successes] (Gregory).</ref> [[Rockwell Kent]]<ref>Walker, p. 200 (Kent)</ref> and [[Benjamin Spock]].<ref name=W2845/><ref name=W82/>

The ACLU is often criticized when it represents an individual or organization that promotes offensive or unpopular viewpoints, such as the [[Ku Klux Klan]], neo-Nazis, the [[Nation of Islam]], the [[North American Man/Boy Love Association]], the [[Westboro Baptist Church]] or the [[Unite the Right rally]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-statement-charlottesville-violence-and-demonstrations|title=ACLU Statement on Charlottesville Violence and Demonstrations|work=American Civil Liberties Union|access-date=February 25, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/16/politics/aclu-free-speech-white-supremacy/index.html|title=ACLU takes heat for its free-speech defense|author-link=Joan Biskupic|last=Biskupic|first=Joan|work=CNN|access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/nyregion/aclu-free-speech-rights-charlottesville-skokie-rally.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/17/nyregion/aclu-free-speech-rights-charlottesville-skokie-rally.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited|title=After Backing Alt-Right in Charlottesville, A.C.L.U. Wrestles With Its Role|last=Goldstein|first=Joseph|date=August 17, 2017|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 25, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore}}</ref>  The ACLU's official policy is "... [we have] represented or defended individuals engaged in some truly offensive speech. We have defended the speech rights of communists, Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members, accused terrorists, pornographers, anti-LGBTQ activists, and flag burners. That's because the defense of freedom of speech is most necessary when the message is one most people find repulsive. Constitutional rights must apply to even the most unpopular groups if they're going to be preserved for everyone."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Free Speech |url=https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803123908/https://www.aclu.org/issues/free-speech |archive-date=August 3, 2022}}</ref><ref>In 2000, the ACLU responded to such criticism by stating "[i]t is easy to defend freedom of speech when the message is something many people find at least reasonable. But the defense of freedom of speech is most critical when the message is one most people find repulsive." from [https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/aclu-statement-defending-free-speech-unpopular-organizations ACLU Statement on Defending Free Speech of Unpopular Organizations], August 31, 2000. Retrieved January 19, 2012.</ref>