American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.
Acronym formed in 1920 when the organization was founded. The name combines 'American' (national scope), 'Civil Liberties' (individual freedoms), and 'Union' (collective organization), reflecting the post-WWI focus on protecting constitutional rights.
The ACLU has defended everyone from Nazis to communists to religious minorities, often taking unpopular cases to establish important legal precedents. Their principle is that constitutional rights must be protected for everyone, even those whose views they find reprehensible, because freedoms eroded for one group eventually affect all.
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