ACLU responds

Dear Editor,

This is in response to the letter published on Nov. 19 from George R. Anderson of McCook, who repeated the tired and discredited allegations that the ACLU is a "communist front."

The ACLU appears before the Supreme Court more often than any other organization except the Justice Department. Our work has resulted in many landmark decisions that safeguard the individual liberties secured by the Bill of Rights.

It is true that the ACLU has defended the rights of communists and nazis, as well as the rights of New York Times and Irish Catholics. We have also defended the rights a fundamentalist Christians and a Santerian church in cases before the Supreme Court. Anderson claims that communists tried to destroy Col. Oliver North, and I am proud to tell you that the ACLU represented him in overturning his conviction in the Iran-Contra affair.

In spite of all that, the ACLU has never advocated overthrowing of the government, racism, Christianity, ritual animal sacrifice, or trading arms for hostages.

Finally, I would tell Mr. Anderson that I am one of a number of veterans who work for the ACLU and believe the oath of enlistment I took to defend the Constitution is consistent with the work of the ACLU.

Tim Butz

Executive Director, ACLU Nebraska

12th Tactical

Reconnaissance Squadron, Vietnam,

Nov. 1966 -- June 1968