1st Amendment Rights of Pro-Life Supporters Must Not Be Curtailed by Dept. of Homeland Security

TODAY: ACLJ Launches Nationwide Campaign to Demand Retraction of DHS Report’s Reference to Pro-Life Supporters as ‘Extremists’

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2009—The Founding Fathers did not see anything "extreme" about viewpoint expression; in fact, protecting it was a high priority in the First Amendment.  But a recent report from the Department of Homeland Security has made it necessary for Pro-Life and Veteran's groups to remind the Obama Administration of that fact.

To that end, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) - the nation's top conservative public interest law firm - today announced the launch of a national campaign demanding the retraction of a warning included in an April 7 domestic terrorism report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that labels pro-life supporters as ‘extremists.' 

"The report creates a very troubling climate for those who want to exercise their constitutional rights to speak out about protecting the life of the unborn," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ.  "We're very concerned that this disturbing report not be used by law enforcement agencies around the country to silence the legitimate First Amendment rights of pro-life supporters."

News reports now reveal that the civil rights division inside the DHS expressed concern about the definition of terrorists, which included the ‘extremism' label being applied to groups like abortion opponents.  Despite such concerns, the DHS decided to issue the report.  Members of Congress - including Rep. Peter King (N.Y.) - are now calling for hearings to investigate the DHS report.

As part of their campaign, the ACLJ is supporting the call for Congressional hearings on the DHS report and is notifying all 50 states that the report - and the offensive warning - should not be used to curtail the First Amendment rights of pro-life supporters.  Additionally, Jay Sekulow sited his concern regarding the report in a recent letter to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano. 

The ACLJ is urging Americans to get involved by signing its Demand for Retraction to the DHS.

An excerpt from the DHS warning entitled "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment" is provided below:

"Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration." 

 

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Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.  The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org.  The ACLJ's online newsroom - with high-res, downloadable graphics, principal bios, ACLJ fact sheets, etc. - can be accessed at DeMossNews.com/aclj.

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