For More Information see the NYCLU's Website
The Western New York Students for Civil Liberties (WNYSCL) is
a student run project of the Western Regional Office of the NYCLU in Buffalo,
New York. The WNYSCL seeks to empower students and others
to know and effectively exercise their rights--Remember Students do not leave
their rights at the school house gate!
So who are we? The
New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is one of the nation's foremost defenders
of civil liberties and civil rights. Founded in 1951 as the New York affiliate
of the American Civil Liberties Union, we are a not-for-profit, nonpartisan
organization with six chapters and nearly 35,000 members across the state. We
believe that all New Yorkers have "certain unalienable rights" that
cannot be taken away by the government or by majority vote.
They are:
Freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly - even unpopular expression is protected from government suppression and censorship;
Freedom of religion - the right to exercise one's own religion, or no religion, free from any government influence or compulsion;
Privacy - the right to be free from unwarranted and unwanted government intrusion into one's personal and private affairs, information, and possessions;
Due process of law - the right to be treated fairly by the government whenever the loss of liberty or property is at stake;
Equality before the law - the right to be treated equally regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability, or socio-economic status.
When the NYCLU was founded, civil liberties were under siege. McCarthyism was in full swing, and blacklisting and loyalty oaths were the norm. Government censorship of books and magazines was common, and abortion was a crime. African-Americans, Latinos, and other minorities were subjected to discrimination in education, housing, and employment. Gays and lesbians lived in fear of exposure, and students were virtually without rights. The NYCLU has led the way and helped to create a more open, just, and equitable society.
The
NYCLU fights for civil liberties and civil rights through a multi-layered program
of litigation, advocacy, public education, and community organizing. We represent
ordinary people who have experienced injustice and have decided to fight back.
Our clients are men and women, rich and poor, gay and straight, black, white
and brown, young and old, religious and atheist, able-bodied and living with
a disability, citizens and immigrants. When we vindicate their rights, all
New Yorkers benefit.
So come joins us!
To learn more visit: www.nyclu.org!
To volunteer email us!
To sign up for our email alerts click here!
Want to come volunteer? If so, email us!
NYCLU Western Regional Office
712 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone (716) 852-4033
Radio Civil Liberties
The NYCLU State Website
The American Civil Liberties Union Website
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