ACLU secretly demotes free speech

The left bailed on free speech a while back. Everyone who has been paying attention knows this.

Less widely known is that the ACLU seems to be bailing too. So argues Wendy Kaminer, a former board member, in the Wall Street Journal....

As portrayed by Kaminer, the guidelines suggest that, for today’s ACLU, free speech is just another “competing value or priority” to be balanced against others. Per the guidelines, in selecting speech cases to defend, the ACLU will now balance the “impact of the proposed speech and the impact of its suppression.” Factors like the potential effect of the speech on “marginalized communities” and even on “the ACLU’s credibility” could militate against taking a case. ...

Expansion of government power to restrict politically incorrect speech has become a priority for the left. It’s not a priority for the ACLU, but how committed is that once-admirable organization to that expansion? Kaminer’s account suggests that the ACLU sees no future in standing in the way. ...