Seven months into Trump's presidency, AirTalk checks in with supporters of 2016's two presidential candidates. We also debate the ACLU's role in protecting hate speech.
After statement saying white supremacist violence isn’t free speech, are CA ACLU branches breaking rank?
After statement saying white supremacist violence isn’t free speech, are CA ACLU branches breaking rank?
The American Civil Liberties Union has been in the spotlight since the beginning of the Trump administration as the major legal organization pushing back against some of its more controversial policies, like the president’s travel ban. But their recent defense of white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, Virginia has many questioning their long-standing philosophy of advocating for First Amendment rights, even for hate groups.
On Thursday, three branches of the ACLU of California released a joint statement saying that while they support freedom of speech, “the First Amendment does not protect people who incite or engage in violence.” Though it does not say so in as many words,
This is wild. The three local ACLU chapters of California have all broken rank with ACLU National https://t.co/ZVkYGNIA5o
— sarah jeong (@sarahjeong) August 17, 2017
are viewing this as the California branches breaking step with the national branch. Others found the statement strange, saying that it’s obvious that violence isn’t speech and that assembly must be allowed regardless of the potential for violence or incitement.
A statement from
,
&
: White Supremacist Violence is not Free Speech
— ACLU SoCal (@ACLU_SoCal)
#Breaking A statement from @ACLU_SoCal, @ACLU_NorCal & @sdACLU: White Supremacist Violence is not Free Speech https://t.co/qsI9q8wwx2 pic.twitter.com/D0m3f4SDZY
— ACLU SoCal (@ACLU_SoCal) August 16, 2017
What do you think of the California ACLU branches’ statement? What about the national branch’s decision to go to court for the right of the white supremacists to protest? As a major legal organization that has helped shape much of modern First Amendment application, what is its role in this situation?
We reached out to the three ACLU California branches who issued the joint statement. The ACLU of Southern California was not available for the show today. We also reached out to the national branch of the ACLU, which did not respond in time for the airing of our segment but did send us this statement from ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero:
“We agree with every word in the statement from our colleagues in California. The First Amendment absolutely does not protect white supremacists seeking to incite or engage in violence. We condemn the views of white supremacists, and fight against them every day. At the same time, we believe that even odious hate speech, with which we vehemently disagree, garners the protection of the First Amendment when expressed non-violently. We make decisions on whom we'll represent and in what context on a case-by-case basis. The horrible events in Charlottesville last weekend will certainly inform those decisions going forward.”
Guest:
Eugene Volokh, professor of law at UCLA
Across the Divide 2: Clinton and Trump supporters reconvene, seven months into Trump presidency
In December, AirTalk convened a group of Southern Californians – four supporters of Donald Trump, four supporters of Hillary Clinton – to share their hopes, expectations and concerns before the start of the Trump presidency.
Seven months in, we bring them back together for a check-in.
30 minutes til second edition of
. Tune in: 89.3FM or
— AirTalk (@AirTalk)
30 minutes til second edition of @KPCC @Airtalk #acrossthedivide . Tune in: 89.3FM or https://t.co/Ga2cYSSlHN pic.twitter.com/COFGKShbAR
— AirTalk with Larry Mantle (@AirTalk) August 17, 2017
's
is reaching
to Clinton/Trump supporters on life after the election. Listen today at 10:30am PST
— AirTalk (@AirTalk)
@kpcc's @airtalk is reaching #acrossthedivide to Clinton/Trump supporters on life after the election. Listen today at 10:30am PST pic.twitter.com/HG0g66mq4T
— AirTalk with Larry Mantle (@AirTalk) August 17, 2017
7 months in,
brings back our
panel of Southern Californians to talk Trump presidency. Starts at 10:30am
— AirTalk (@AirTalk)
7 months in, @KPCC @Airtalk brings back our #acrossthedivide panel of Southern Californians to talk Trump presidency. Starts at 10:30am pic.twitter.com/FCwq5uOt1x
— AirTalk with Larry Mantle (@AirTalk) August 17, 2017
Tune in at 10:30am for
town hall. 8 Southern Californians regroup to talk Trump, immigration, media, more.
— AirTalk (@AirTalk)
Tune in at 10:30am for @KPCC @AirTalk #acrossthedivide town hall. 8 Southern Californians regroup to talk Trump, immigration, media, more. pic.twitter.com/ei9lnlS7tr
— AirTalk with Larry Mantle (@AirTalk) August 17, 2017
In Dec,
recorded our first
(
). Today, we broadcast our follow-up. Tune in at 10:30am
— AirTalk (@AirTalk)
In Dec, @AirTalk recorded our first #acrossthedivide (https://t.co/FmBrXPXf48). Today, we broadcast our follow-up. Tune in at 10:30am pic.twitter.com/KiKBC0haZB
— AirTalk with Larry Mantle (@AirTalk) August 17, 2017
Guests:
Trump supporters:
Ben Clymer, chief financial officer of the Body Shop & Collision Centers of Southern California; he lives in Riverside
Terrance Lang, a marketing executive who lives in Westchester
Mark Ma, a Chinese immigrant in the IT field who lives in Pomona
Francisco Rivera, a janitorial worker who lives in Huntington Park
Clinton supporters:
Anabel Krishnann, a project manager in the tech industry who lives in Culver City
Eugene Hung, an Evangelical Christian in the website content development field who lives in Fullerton
Faisal Qazi, a neurologist who lives in Fullerton
Mia Shackelford, a business consultant in San Francisco and recent college graduate from Scripps College in Claremont