A few days after Donald Trump’s election victory, the American Civil Liberties Union quickly broke a record donation threshold by raking in almost $1 million in only a few days. Well, the good times are still ongoing in that regard because people are so motivated to help defend constitutional rights that they won’t close their wallets.
The ACLU has promised to whip up its full legion of litigators and activists in the event that the Trump administration begins to trample freedoms, and supporters are duly clicking the donate button to defend against “unlawful and unconstitutional” campaign promises, plus the deportation threats hanging over millions of undocumented immigrants.
Should President-elect Donald Trump attempt to implement his unconstitutional campaign promises, we'll see him in court.
— ACLU (@ACLU) November 9, 2016
Whether or not one agrees with Trump, it’s indisputable that donations are up for multiple organizations. The ACLU has, in less than a week, pulled in $7.2 million, and the amazed Executive Director Anthony D. Romero issued a statement:
“This is the greatest outpouring of support for the ACLU in our nearly 100-year history, greater than the days after 9/11. All of this support will be put to good use protecting the rights of all Americans. Immediately, we are working across the country to protect the rights of protestors and ensuring those who voice their concerns know their rights. We are also analyzing the civil liberties records of potential high-ranking federal appointees.”
Elsewhere, Planned Parenthood has received at least 80,000 donations, many of them made while trolling Mike Pence. And several other organizations have reaped similar benefits: (1) The Anti-Defamation league has seen a “50-fold increase” in online donations; (2) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) boasts over 500 new volunteers; and (3) NARAL Pro-Choice America, Lambda Legal, and the NAACP all report “significant increases” in cash donations.
While it’s true that people feel much charitable during times of disaster, at least folks are managing to spin something positive out of what turned out to be a rather negative year, which is — with all national and global unrest added up together — the most “uncommonly sh*tty one” in recent memory.
(Via ACLU, New York Post, New York & The Atlantic)