Know Your Rights discussed at ACLU forum
Kathleen MacRae, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware, and Ryan Tack Hooper, staff attorney and legislative advocate for ACLU of Delaware, addressed attendees at the Jan. 16 Sussex Progressive Community meeting. The discussion focused on the civil rights of everyone living in the U.S. in 2017. Chanta Wilkinson, attorney and Lewes resident, served as moderator.
Hopper opened the forum by explaining why it is important for everyone to know their rights and to share that information. He told attendees, "The more you exercise your rights when talking to police or engaged in peaceful protests, the more it will be normalized and the safer it becomes all people living in the U.S. to exercise their rights."
The program continued with MacRae's overview of the 'Trump agenda: A One-Man Constitutional Crisis,' a research project and policy statement produced by the national ACLU. MacRae pointed out that while the ACLU is non-partisan, it has taken positions on public statements and policy proposals of Donald Trump as a candidate or president because they are blatant violations of rights guaranteed by the constitution. Among the topics discussed were torture, changing libel rights, surveillance of Muslims, immigration, and reproductive rights.
Both MacRae and Hopper stressed ACLU is ready to fight any attempt of implementation of proposals in the Trump agenda through court challenges, legal assistance and financial aid. They encouraged attendees to organize locally and to learn more at www.aclu.org.
