ACLU backs NRA

[wesheltonj]

ACLU DEFENDS THE NRA AGAINST ANDREW CUOMO’S ‘BLACKLISTING CAMPAIGN’
8:30 PM 08/25/2018
Molly Prince | Reporter

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defended the National Rifle Association (NRA) by opposing the New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attempts to put the gun advocacy group out of business.

The ACLU submitted an amicus brief in federal court on Saturday, weighing in on the on-going battle between the Democrat and the NRA.

The NRA filed a lawsuit against Cuomo and the state’s financial regulatory bureau in July, contending that the agency instituted a “blacklisting campaign” by threatening insurers and financial institutions that associate with the organization. The bureau warned that by counting to work with the NRA, banks and insurance companies could face regulatory action.

The NRA has subsequently been deprived of basic insurance and may be “unable to exist as a not-for-profit or pursue its advocacy mission.” (RELATED: Governor Cuomo: NRA Is An ‘Extremist Organization’)

While the ACLU has disagreed with the NRA on the meaning of the Second Amendment, the friend-of-the-court brief supported the NRA on behalf of the First.

“Those allegations [made by the NRA] represent a blatant violation of the First Amendment,” the ACLU states. “Although public officials are free to express their opinions and may condemn viewpoints or groups they view as inimical to public welfare, they cannot abuse their regulatory authority to retaliate against disfavored advocacy organizations and to impose burdens on those organizations’ ability to conduct lawful business.”

Cuomo has been a voracious critic of the NRA and has admitted to “proudly” trying to strong arm the group out of existence.

“When an organization that is normally on the opposite side from you, joins you in a huge fight against a devout enemy, you know the gun-hating, gun-banning, bullying, anti-Second Amendment, enemies of Freedom are way out of control,” Marion Hammer responded on behalf of the NRA.

Brief here:

https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/nra-v-cuomo-aclu-amicus-brief

 

[broncolcj]

Well that would explain the flying pigs I've been seeing

 

[sestoppelman]

Amazing!!!

 

[tarbe]

Hell hath frozen over....

 

[JimP]

I have seen where the ACLU has backed quite a few groups or people that you would never thought that they would with the NRA being just one of them.

 

[CAustin]

Well that would explain the flying pigs I've been seeing

Exactly!

 

[Pheroze]

American litigation is truly awe inspiring.

 

[K-man]

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" seems appropriate here also....

 

[wesheltonj]

American litigation is truly awe inspiring.

Yes it is. Nothing like full employment for lawyers, thankfully.

 

[johnnyblues]

Can you believe it?...

 

[kevin masters]

The who did what !!!

 

[rookhawk]

More often than you'd suspect, the ACLU gets things right. They have always picked "unpopular characters" that hold extreme views as the basis for their legal challenges. That offends a lot of people. Nobody wants to be on the side of a Nazi, a murderer, a racist, a person with bizarre social or sexual proclivities. Nonetheless, the end result is you must take the marginal case to defend the law for if you don't, you'll end up losing freedoms.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. The solution to someone's perceived "bad speech" or "hate speech" is just "more speech".

I'm glad the ACLU got it right this time, although I dislike the fact that they reject the basic 2nd amendment principles and only filed amicus briefings on the premise of the 1st amendment.

 

[wesheltonj]

More often than you'd suspect, the ACLU gets things right. They have always picked "unpopular characters" that hold extreme views as the basis for their legal challenges. That offends a lot of people. Nobody wants to be on the side of a Nazi, a murderer, a racist, a person with bizarre social or sexual proclivities. Nonetheless, the end result is you must take the marginal case to defend the law for if you don't, you'll end up losing freedoms.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. The solution to someone's perceived "bad speech" or "hate speech" is just "more speech".

I'm glad the ACLU got it right this time, although I dislike the fact that they reject the basic 2nd amendment principles and only filed amicus briefings on the premise of the 1st amendment.

Well it is just on the 12b motion. Let see that they do once the Judge rules on that motion.