Good Lookin’ Out

If you were to walk down a dark alley late at night, you wouldn’t do it alone, right? You’d probably have a buddy close by to watch your back and try to dissuade you from doing this and similarly stupid things. But you’d also want your buddy to remind you that it’s totally within your rights to walk down that alley but that you probably shouldn’t do it in open-toed sandals and, oh shit, look out for that discarded hypodermic needle. Well, think of that dark alley as America, a really cool place that just happens to be full of drug needles, er… pitfalls. That would make your buddy the American Civil Liberties Union, a watchdog organization dedicated to preserving the personal freedoms guaranteed to all Americans by the Bill of Rights. The ACLU has been protecting the rights of the little guy since 1920 — long before neo-conservativism existed, and hopefully long afterwards. They have 16 chapters across Florida that meet regularly to discuss civil liberty issues; on Monday night, the Broward chapter will be holding another installment in its Freedom Files Television Series. These half-hour documentaries, each devoted to a current rights issue, feature folks that have gone to bat for their — and your — constitutional rights. Think of it as a method of getting you to think critically about the forces encroaching on your freedoms. This week’s doc, Freedom to Vote: Protecting the Ballot, focuses on the important issue of voter disenfranchisement. The screening starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Jim Ward Community Center (301 NW 46th Ave., Plantation), and is free. Find out more at www.aclufl.org/broward.
Third Monday of every month, 2008