POLSC 10 CRITICAL THINKING ESSAY FOUR: IS THE AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION GOOD FOR AMERICA?
Mr. Zimny
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is one of the most controversial “public interest groups” in the United States today. Here is its mission statement.
The ACLU is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. These rights include: Your First Amendment rights - freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. Your right to equal protection under the law - protection against unlawful discrimination. Your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake. Your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs. The ACLU also works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.
The ACLU’s lawsuits and lobbying efforts have led some to blame it for America’s moral decline and the weakening of strong traditional values. Others have praised it as one of the strongest forces for equal rights in American politics. What do you think? The topic for Critical Thinking Essay Four is: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is good for America. For this critical thinking assignment, write an essay of roughly 500 words (two word-processed pages, double-spaced), either agreeing or disagreeing with the statement above. You should make the strongest argument possible for your side of the issue. Your essay should do three things: 1. Explain the reasons for your position. Assume that the reader is interested in the issue, but has not yet made up his mind on the question. Convince him that your position is logical – that it makes sense. 2. Support your argument with evidence. This evidence may consist of any real-world facts – examples, case studies, statistics or data – that make your position more convincing. Remember that arguments never stand by themselves; they must be upheld by the facts of the case. All the evidence for this essay should be taken from the ProCon.org web page on the ACLU (http://aclu.procon.org/) and the documents linked to it. Pay special attention to the useful links on the left side of this page. 3. Finally, explain why arguments on the other side of the case are wrong. This step in your argument is known as refutation, and it is very important for any social or political issue. Assume that there are some opposing arguments that may seem persuasive; convince your reader that these arguments are incorrect. There are several ways to do this: for instance, demonstrating that opposing arguments are based on incorrect assumptions, that they offer only a partial or biased view of the problem, or that they are based on false or one-sided evidence. You must choose the best way to refute the opposing arguments that seem most persuasive. Remember: This assignment will be graded according to how well you accomplish all three of these objectives.