American Communist Lawyer’s Union
Posted on July 12, 2005
I brought this over from the old site because…it needed to be over here. One of the very first posts I wrote.
The Brief History of the ACLU’s Communist founding and Agenda.
The ACLU was founded on January 19, 1920. It grew out of a previous group, The National Civil Liberties Bureau which had grown out of the American Union Against Militarism, and a party that was held in New York City and attended by just about every radical from New York, such as Socialist Party notable Norman Thomas, future Communist Party chairman Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Soviet agent Agnes Smedley. In 1920, Rev. Harry Ward, the RedDean of the Union Theological Seminary was Chairman, Baldwin was director, and Communist publisher Louis Budenz, who would later go on to testify against Communism, director of publicity. The founders numbered over 60 but most of the work was done by the following:
Roger Baldwin
Roger Nash Baldwin : the founder, and director of ACLU. At the time of the founding, he was deeply involved in the communist movement. In late 1935, he gave a speech that said his political goal was communism. Baldwin wrote the following in his college yearbook:
“I have been to Europe several times, mostly in connection with international radical activities…and have traveled in the United States to areas of conflict over workers rights to strike and organize. My chief aversion is the system of greed, private profit, privilege and violence which makes up the control of the world today, and which has brought it to the tragic crisis of unprecedented hunger and unemployment…Therefore, I am for Socialism, disarmament and ultimately, for the abolishing of the State itself…I seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class and sole control of those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal”.”
re is another quote from Mr. Roger Baldwin.
“Do steer away from making it look like a Socialist enterprise…We want also to look like patriots in everything we do. We want to get a good lot of flags, talk a good deal about the Constitution and what our forefathers wanted to make of this country, and to show that we are really the folks that really stand for the spirit of our institutions.”-Baldwin’s advice in 1917 to Louis Lochner of the socialist People’s Council in Minnesota.
I must be fair and let you know that Roger Baldwin supposedly became disenchanted with socialism and removed the communist members from the board of the ACLU. But after hearing quotes like the one above, it is hard to trust that he truly did this. Perhaps he just took his own advice to “steer away from making it look like a Socialist enterprise.”
On January 17, 1931, the Special House (of Representatives) Committee to Investigate Communist Activities in the United States issued a report which stated the following:
“The American Civil Liberties Union is closely affiliated with the communist movement in the United States, and fully 90% of its efforts are on behalf of Communists who have come into conflict with the law. It claims to stand for free speech, free press, and free assembly; but it is quite apparent that the main function of the ACLU is to attempt to protect the communists in their advocacy of force and violence to overthrow the Government, replacing the American flag with a red flag and erecting a Soviet Government in place of the republican form of government guaranteed to each State by the Federal Constitution…Roger N. Baldwin, its guiding spirit, makes no attempt to hide his friendship for the communists and their principles.”
Crystal Eastman was another founder. She was a lawyer, antimilitarist, feminist, socialist, and journalist. During World War I Eastman worked hard for the peace movement. She founded the Woman’s Peace party and was president of the New York branch. Eastman also became executive director of the American Union against Militarism, which lobbied against America’s entrance into the European war. When the United States entered World War I, Eastman organized the National Civil Liberties Bureau to protect conscientious objectors: “To maintain something over here that will be worth coming back to when the weary war is over.” Though never appropriately credited as a founder of the organization, which became the American Civil Liberties Union, she was the attorney in charge.
Eastman
Other Communist and radical founders included William Z. Foster, author of “Toward Soviet America”, Harold J. Laski, Morris Hilquit, A.J.Muste, Scott Nearing, Eugene V. Debs, and John Dewey. The1930’s membership would include such radicals and change agents as Vito Marcantonio, Haywood Broun, Corliss Lamont, and Bishop G. Bromley Oxnan. The 1940’s roll would include George S.Counts, Norman Cousins, Melvyn Douglas, Robert M. Hutchins, and Freda Kirchwey. Most prominent American luminaries of the left were, and are, members of the ACLU.
So after seeing the Socialist/Communist founding of the ACLU, it begs the question: Are their core beliefs the same today as they were at its founding? We will look at this in great depths in upcoming rants where we will compare the communist goals to more recent positions the ACLU has taken. You might be suprised just how much the ACLU has not changed.
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15 Responses to “American Communist Lawyer’s Union”
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A bit of info on why Baldwin denouced Communism, he actually denounce the Soviet system because of the Non-Agression treaty signed between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
So he denounced communism because of a lack of aggression?
Jeez. That explain a lot.
Yep, great guy…really just wanted the best for america…RIGHT.
Why isn’t this the AntiAmerican Communist Lawyer’s Union?
These people aren’t American.
Jay, this is, as usual, a revealing and interesting historical acount of how this group was organized and by whom. It is a wonder given how people felt back in the 1920’s that this organization was allowed to get started at all, let alone grow. I think that what we all do here to expose the ACLU and Liberals, and PC crap is great. I am proud to be a part of the fight against these bastages. I will admit, it is depressing however, to see seemingly so little progress in our endeavor. I have a friend who hosts a Conservative web page who has become fairly depressed lately. When I asked as to why, he just said he is tired of fighting and working so hard and not getting and not getting anywhere. I will admit, I have felt the same way myself with my Blog. I often wonder if anyone is even reading it and if I am writing to hear myself voice my own feelings. I have a suggestion for a topic, if I may be so bold as to make a request. We always see these news articles about how successful groups like the ACLU are winning a law suit such as one where they win a judgement to have a commandments removed from a court house, or violate the rights of the majority to forsake the minority etc. What we never see is anything good people like us are doing and winning in our fight against Liberalisim, and groups like the ACLU etc. We never see news about a woman who successfully sued the ACLU and won because they helped get a sex offender released who later raped her and killed her daughter. We never hear of anyone challenging a court decision, particularly the supreme court. What I might suggest, so we are not just all preaching to the choir here, is details on what we can actually do to confront and challenge Liberals and groups like the ACLU. How do we bring the fight to them and win some of them so we can start a record of precedence for our causes? Can we as ordinary people sue a court or a group such as the ACLU? If so, how, if not, what can we do? They are acting and getting decisions and making law, and all it seems that we are doing is talking a great story. How do we actually fight these SOB’s?
Great suggestion. We did post some good news…scroll around till you see our Christmas in July post. As for what we can do to take the fight to them…we are doing what we can. There is a donation button here, and we are trying hard to raise money to fund advertisement for marches and demonstrations. Also join http://www.stoptheaclu.org Just follow the link at the top of the page where it says Join. The big one right by the logo. There are many ways we can fight. There are several organizations you could contribute too in the left sidebar titled resources. Thanks for the support, Jay
Great article.
We need to eradicate these people from the political sphere.
You guys are at the forefront!
Yeah great idea, we need to formulate more of a plan to combat these guys on every level. Slow work , I Know, but we will get there.
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I have seen a great Documentary on the ACLU on TV explaining the truth of the ACLUs history involving Communism, Hitler, African American birth control etc. I could never get the TV Station to return my calls so i could get a copy of the awesome film. Do you know what the film is called and where i can get it.
a lil satire humor to lighten the mood:
http://throughrighteyes.blogspot.com/2007/10/aclu-lawyers-union-on-strike.html