THE ACLU'S CLIENT IS THE BILL OF RIGHTS

I first learned what the American Civil Liberties Union is all about while
in Louisiana in the mid-1970s. A parish school system in that state had
barred the Ku Klux Klan from holding an informational membership meeting at
a local school.

The group planned no cross-burning. All it wanted to do was tell those who
voluntarily attended a meeting about the joys of belonging to the racist
organization. After all, belonging to the KKK is no more illegal than
belonging to the PTA or Rotary.

When the school board denied the request, the Klan got help from an
unlikely group - the ACLU. It argued in court that parish schools were open
to any other group after school hours, so it must be open to the Klan.

The courts agreed and the Klan won, thanks to a group some believe is
thoroughly un-American.

It's not surprising that the ACLU has come to the aid of Rush Limbaugh, the
strident right-wing radio commentator who, as an ultra-conservative, is
unlikely to have anything good to say about the group that has come to his
defense.

The Florida ACLU has filed court papers supporting Limbaugh's claim that
investigators violated his constitutional right to privacy when they seized
his medical records last November as part of an investigation into whether
he violated drug laws when he purchased prescription painkillers.

Limbaugh admitted he was addicted to prescription drugs. The state
maintains that it was necessary to seize Limbaugh's medical records to
continue the investigation.

No charges have yet been filed against Limbaugh and a state attorney
connected to the case says prosecutors have followed state laws and have
protected Limbaugh's rights throughout the investigation.

When I heard of what appeared to be raids on the offices of Limbaugh's
physicians, I thought it rather odd. Medical records are supposed to be
sacrosanct, and I wondered if prosecutors had gone through all the proper
legal hoops before getting the records.

Prosecutors have said they were trying to determine if Limbaugh had been
"doctor shopping" to get drugs from several physicians simultaneously.

Perhaps the prosecutors did all they had to do legally to obtain the
records, but Limbaugh and the ACLU don't believe it.

According to the Associated Press, Howard Simon, executive director of the
Florida Chapter of the ACLU, noted that it might seem odd that the group
has come to Limbaugh's defense.

"But we have always said that the ACLU's real client is the Bill of Rights,
and we will continue to safeguard the values of equality, fairness and
privacy for everyone, regardless of race, economic status or political
point of view," Simon said.

That's the ACLU I know and love. Those amendments are to be honored and obeyed.

Unfortunately, interpretations by the right, especially the religious
right, and the far left would weaken or even destroy them. Were that to
happen, our country would be doomed.

No matter what our political persuasion, we'd all be well advised to
consider the Bill of Rights our client the way the ACLU does.

Maybe Limbaugh will figure that out, but I doubt it.