Because Freedom Can’t Protect Itself
Lauren Conner
I recently returned from my 10-week internship with the American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Department in New York City. From the very first day of the summer, I learned the simple phrase that has become the rallying cry for all the ACLU’s efforts: “Because freedom can’t protect itself.” At first, I thought it was nothing more than a catchy phrase, but as I began to do more work for the ACLU, I realized that the simple motto lies at the crux of all the ACLU’s work since 1929.
Over the course of my internship, I had the unique opportunity to work on the frontlines of protecting the freedoms of Americans at home and abroad as well as the rights of people in American custody. I completed significant research in the areas of national security, racial justice, first amendment issues, and human rights. From my research in national security, I learned of the U.S. government’s treatment of detainees in places such as Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib. I also did significant work to push for accountability by the government for the cases of torture and extraordinary rendition that were products of America’s war on terrorism. While most of my work focused on enacting change on a national level, I also worked to affect change in the state of New York. I worked closely with another attorney and law student to co-author a memo to the New York Governor David Patterson that outlined the viability and need for a state-appointed special prosecutor to combat the many cases of police brutality that has become a widespread problem in a number of counties across the state. Through my work with the ACLU, I saw firsthand how easily one’s freedoms could be violated. I also saw the importance and necessity of the work of civil rights attorneys in America.
By working closely with ACLU attorneys, I learned of the dilemmas that civil rights attorneys face everyday in their work. The most common dilemma is what to do when two protected freedoms end up on opposite sides of the spectrum. One first amendment lawyer presented this issue to me: The ACLU has a Reproductive Freedom Project that works to protect a woman’s right to choose to have or not have an abortion. However, the ACLU also protects the right to assemble and free speech of protesters who stand outside abortion clinics and strongly encourage women to not have an abortion. When presented with this dilemma, does an attorney have to ask herself which right is more important than the other? Will my personal beliefs and views influence my decisions to pursue these cases? It is questions like these that I will have to come to terms with when pursuing a career as a civil rights attorney.
The most important lesson I learned this summer at the ACLU is to not take my rights and freedoms for granted. Although our government has given its citizens a number of fundamental rights and protections in order for the citizens to keep the government in line, the government and its entities are often the main culprits in infringing upon those very rights. If someone doesn’t fight to protect those rights, then they will continually be infringed upon and taken away. Because freedom can’t protect itself, someone has to be willing to fight the good fight as the little guy against the big guy. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough lawyers who are willing to commit to the fight. After working with the ACLU, I now know that I want to be part of the few and the proud that call themselves civil rights attorneys.
