Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Happy Birthday to us! (Now, where's the cake?)

Yep, it was one year ago yesterday that Speaking Freely officially launched to coincide with the start of the Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover trial challenging the Dover Area School Board's decision to insert a statement about intelligent design into its 9th grade biology curriculum. Some highlights from the year that was:

Unfortunately, there were some lowlights.

There are probably highlights and lowlights I'm forgetting, so feel free to post your own. It is an honor and a privilege that you read this blog, and we appreciate the opportunity to bring forward this important information about freedom in America. I look at SF as a laboratory for working through our public message, and it provides me with an opportunity to really think through what we're saying and how we're saying it. Thanks.

Now go grab some cake. Jessica and Lisa are on the turn-table.

Andy in Harrisburg

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations and thank you! I visit daily through the week expecting to keep abreast of current issues on civil liberty. I've not been disappointed. I'm much suprised that the national ACLU hasn't launched something similar. But then given the current tussle over internal polcy there (I've signed the petition), maybe the current national management doesn't want to encourage dissent.

3:40 PM  
Blogger ACLU of Pennsylvania said...

Thanks, keanus and rp. Keanus' comment reminded me of something fun to share. Here's a little insight in the internal workings of the organization. As you can probably guess, there was some discussion about whether or not to have a comments section on the blog, knowing full well that we would get some haters from time-to-time. Obviously, we came down on the side of free speech, and I, for one, am glad we did. I really appreciate seeing the feedback from those who are reading (even the haters).

There are a few other ACLU blogs out there:
National: http://blog.aclu.org/

Patriot Act-specific, which ended when the Patriot Act was renewed:
http://blog.reformthepatriotact.org/

And the ACLU of Texas:
http://www.aclutx.org/libertyblog.php

There may be other state affiliates that have started blogging, but I'm not sure who at this point.

Andy

9:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday to y'all.

I started checking y'all out during the hilarious Dover Inept Design trial, reading every document and commentary with wrapt attention, and have been reading it ever since.

I really appreciate the comments section, the comments regulars, your comments on our comments, and your continuous striving to take the moral high ground. It is very refreshing.

I'm amazed that we (although it's your blog, I do feel part of it) don't get more illiterate rants. It feels good, though, that the few we do receive are treated with respect. Try and find that elsewhere.

Cheers, Neil.

2:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Picking up on the madscotsman's comment about the absence of "illiterate rants," I think that arises from the double meaning of the word civil in the name of the ACLU: By that I mean the concern of the ACLU for civil liberties, the sine qua non of civilized societies (something George Bush apparently never learned in college), and how the organization, staff, and members conduct themselves—very civilly.

10:11 PM  
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Your words expressly give a vent to viable things, which would rather impress the perspective of every man.

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5:33 AM  

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