Are you concerned about civil liberties?
Guest Commentary
by Don Rosenthal
Published: September 1, 2012 in Guest Commentary
Attention Charlotte residents concerned about civil liberties: We need your help!
The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina (ACLU-NC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the guarantees of individual liberty found in the U.S. Constitution, the North Carolina Constitution and various federal and state civil rights laws.
Several years have passed since a local chapter of the ACLU-NC operated in Charlotte. (In contrast, several other urban areas and university campuses in the state have long-established chapters.) The ACLU-NC is now supporting an effort by residents of the Charlotte area to establish such a chapter.
While Amendment One failed, the significant effort generated in Charlotte and throughout the state raised considerable public consciousness about the lack of LGBT rights in North Carolina. That is why we hope this is a particularly good time to restart an ACLU-NC chapter in the Charlotte region that would identify and bring issues of civil rights and civil liberties to public attention and focus efforts for change. An ACLU-NC chapter would address not only aspects of assuring constitutional rights to local LGBT citizens but would address a range of other concerns related to assuring legal protections for racial, ethnic, religious and ideological minorities.
This organizing effort is just beginning. We welcome the participation of all people interested in working together to protect civil liberties for all people in the Charlotte area. You do not have to have a background in legal matters to get involved, only be a concerned resident of the Charlotte region and be willing to become a member of the ACLU.
If you are interested in taking part in the planning process for a new chapter in Charlotte, please contact Don Rosenthal at dbrosenthal@bellsouth.net. : :


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