Watching this was amusing, horrifying, and made me somewhat defensive. I remember former ACLU of MAINE Assistant to the Directors Claire Cooper's final blog post, in which
she discussed the "ACLU Chromosome."
One of my favorite moments while working for the ACLU of MAINE was when the staff went out for holiday refreshments the week before Christmas. We spent about an hour discussing our own religious beliefs, experiences, and values, which are deep and diverse. It was during this week that the annual “Christmas Card Campaign” to ACLU offices was underway, and I thought to myself, if these letter writers only knew the conversation this Maine affiliate of 7 employees were having the week before Christmas.
I mention this because in a country that values dialogue and dissent that survives in a world where free speech and a free press are often oppressed and disdained, we should talk about the myth of the “ACLU Chromosome” rather than use it to dismiss a fellow citizen’s opinion. We should talk about ideas and facts, and confront chain emails and hateful calls rather than allow ourselves to be defined by assumptions. I’ve appreciated every opportunity I’ve had to speak to someone has called or emailed our office with a reservation about one of our stances. Those conversations don’t necessarily end with agreement, but they do contain civility. If you call the
ACLU of MAINE, we will value the opportunity to talk to you about the issues we advocate for.
Couldn't have said it better myself!
For more thoughts on the ACLU Chromosome, read the rest of Claire's blog post here.