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| Student turns down ACLU's scholarship |
| 08.03.05 (11:08 am) [edit] |
|
As a child, Helena Aldridge developed a passion for defending the rights of others. Now on the brink of adulthood, the 18-year-old finds herself in disagreement with a group that ardently defends individual rights: the American Civil Liberties Union. Aldridge, who lives in Largo, graduated in May from East Lake High School. Faced with the prospect of paying for a five-year stint in the pharmacy program at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, she gratefully accepted a $450 scholarship from the Elks Lodge and two $500 scholarships from the NAACP. She was thrilled this summer when she learned she was one of three Florida teens to receive a $1,000 Norman Elliot Kent Youth Activist Scholarship from the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. The group, based in Miami, offers the awards to graduating seniors who have demonstrated a strong commitment to civil liberties and civil rights through student activism. Then Aldridge read up on the organization. While she found much to applaud - the ACLU has been protecting rights guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights since 1920 - she was dismayed at what she perceived as the group's abortion rights stance on abortion and its opposition to prayer in public schools. Aldridge, who is a member of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Clearwater, is opposed to abortion. She supports prayer in schools. "They want you to be able to choose whether you can get an abortion," Aldridge said. "I don't think it's the right thing to do. And if someone in the classroom decides they want the class to pray, I think they should be able to do that." She called the ACLU last week and left a message saying she had decided to decline the scholarship. Alessandra Meetze, a spokeswoman for the ACLU, expressed surprise at Aldridge's decision. "It's a first for us," she said. "We regret that she made that decision, but we certainly respect it." Meetze, reached Friday in Miami, said she has been trying to contact Aldridge. She wants to make sure she understands the ACLU is not antireligious. "It's a misunderstanding that a lot of people have," she said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. We have a long history of standing up for religious liberty." Aldridge's mother, Joyce, supported her daughter's decision. "We respect their positions, but it was just difficult to align with them in reference to receiving money from them," she said. You go, grrl... http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/31/Northpinel las/Student_turns_down_AC .shtml" title="http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/31/Northpinel las/Student_turns_down_AC .shtml" target="_blank"http://www.sptimes.com/2005/0... |
posted by: RedTigress (reply)
post date: 08.03.05 (9:52 am)
At least she stood up for what she believed. This is very refreshing because this girl is so honorable.
posted by: gesn (reply)
post date: 08.03.05 (12:52 pm)
Reply to: RedTigress
It is honorable that she stood up for what she believes. It's a shame she mis-interpreted the ACLU's stance on the Freedom of Religion, however ...
posted by: RedTigress (reply)
post date: 08.04.05 (1:26 pm)
Reply to: gesn
I'll agree with you to a point.
They're not anti-religion. But they do hand pick their cases to barely include Christians included in the people they represent.
I mean, a teacher who wore a cross to class around her neck was suspended. It wasn't a garish one, but just a little cross. Where was the ACLU? MIA.
I think that a lot of what the ACLU does can be good. However, I think that they are definatly biased and while I'm not a Christian, if they claim to look out for the civil liberaties of all, they need to include all.
Know what I mean?
