ACLU MEMBERS DISCUSS UNPOPULAR STANCES

LOGAN, W.Va. -- A lot of people in southern West Virginia have major
disagreements with the ACLU and thanks to a local attorney they got to
confront two representatives and hear just why one of the most hated and
controversial groups in America does what it does.

Andrew Snyder, the executive director of the West Virginia branch of the
American Civil Liberties Union discussed his organization's role in
protecting unpopular stands on controversial issues as a special guest
speaker at the Kiwanis Club of Logan.

On May 23 local attorney Bob Noone introduced Snyder and WV ACLU Board
Member Cameron McKinney by pointing out that there are few groups in
America as hated, disliked and maligned as the ACLU, which many people
refer to as "The Anti-Christian Lawyers Union" and "The American Criminal
Lovers Union."

"When there is something controversial, you often hear the name ACLU
attached to it," Noone said.

"We are called the American Criminal Lobbyists Union and worse," Snyder
admitted, pointing out that the ACLU's role is to defend the freedoms set
down in the U.S. Constitution, even though many of those freedoms can at
times be controversial.

"We got our start in West Virginia in the 1920's defending workers who came
to us because they could not join the unions," Snyder said, pointing out
that early labor leaders in what was to become a strong pro-labor state
were branded as communists.

Snyder discussed one of the most controversial topics in the state today,
the separation of church and state, saying that BOE vs Barnett case
involved two Jehovahs' Witnesses students kicked out of school because
their religion forbade them to pledge allegiance to the flag.

"It was mind boggling to ACLU members because of the diverse religious
beliefs in our nation that somebody could be kicked out of school for their
own religious beliefs," Snyder said, pointing out that even though
conservative fundamentalist Christian types generally despise the ACLU even
they have come to it for help on occasion when their own religious rights
get trampled on.

Snyder said recently long time Jerry Fallwell critic came around when he
found out that state law in West Virginia forbids churches to own more than
a certain amount of land. This archaic law has kept some churches from
being able to expand their property.

"Sooner or later, everybody needs the ACLU," Snyder said, claiming that
many of the attacks on the organization are frivolous and political in
nature. Snyder pointed out a law passed in Utah in 1991 that made abortion
a crime punishable by death as an example.

"Our case load is so diverse," he said pointing to other examples including
a West Virginia student expelled from school for protesting the war; an
elderly man arrested because he was deaf and could not understand a police
officer who gave him a speeding ticket; students at WVU who were pulled
over, handcuffed and forced face down on the ground even though they were
not suspects and were not arrested; and a case where people were stopped
from attending a pro-marijuana rally by the West Virginia State Police.

Snyder pointed out that while the ACLU has filed lawsuits against school
districts and local governments that post the 10 Commandments in public
buildings, it would support a student who wore a t-shirt that had the 10
Commandments on them were they to be dispelled, because the law prohibits
the government from trying to establish state religions, not individuals
practicing their own religion.

Cameron McKinney, who is a practicing attorney, said that for every case
the ACLU accepts it turns down about 40.

"We get people who come to us who want to file a suit saying space aliens
implanted embryos in their fallopian tubes," admitted Snyder.