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OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE COLUMBIA ACLU February 2004 To our friends in CUCSC, In light of the recent events this semester, the Columbia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) would like to offer its utmost support to the CUCSC in its efforts to protest and combat racism and intolerance on campus. The Columbia ACLU has long fought to promote and support affirmative action policies, and racial and social justice initiatives. Our mission as an organization is to fight for true liberty, justice, and equality. We view the fight against today's form of racism as another step in the ongoing civil rights movement and we are committed to fighting this fight until it is won. The Columbia ACLU stands with you in this struggle for a safe space for all students on this campus. Your fight is our fight. The actions of the CUMB, CCCC, and the Fed are all prominent examples of offensive speech on this campus. While we condemn the vile content of their messages, we all must recognize the importance of their rights to say them. The Columbia ACLU affirms the message of protest so effectively demonstrated on the steps this week: WE DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO BE SILENCED. The only way to combat hate speech is with more speech. The Columbia ACLU encourages the CUCSC to protest for meaningful change in the climate on this campus. Silencing anybody is not the way to reach this goal. Limiting the speech of one group limits everybody's speech. In solidarity, Columbia ACLU |