ACLU QC CHAPTER WANTS ANSWERS TO SUSPENSION.
ACLU QC FACING UNKNOWN CLAIMS FROM IOWA STATE ACLU BOARD.
DAVENPORT, IOWA, AUGUST 17, 2010 ---- Members of the ACLU Quad Cities Chapter and supporters are seeking answers from the ACLU Iowa State Board as to why they were suspended.
"We have been suspended without notice, without a hearing, and most importantly, without cause," said Jose Bucksbaum, President of the ACLU Quad Cities Chapter. "The ACLU Quad Cities Chapter is one of the most active, vibrant and diverse chapters in Iowa," he added.
The State ACLU Board has a list of complaints which they refuse to release to the Quad Cities chapter. The local chapter released a statement yesterday citing that they believe the complaints are unfounded and that is why they have not released them.
"In our opinion these stem from a mere difference of opinion on how we should run the local chapter," Mr. Bucksbaum stated. "We think the principles of Due Process on which the ACLU was founded require the State Board to grant us a hearing on the merits of the complaints."
"The ACLU Quad Cities Chapter shares the values of both the Iowa and the National ACLU in defending the Bill of Rights, and hopes and expects that they will continue to defend them together," Bucksbaum added.
ABOUT THE ACLU QUAD CITIES CHAPTER:
The ACLU Quad Cities Chapter goes back several decades. From 1956 to 1966 the President of the Chapter was prominent publisher Jack Sundine. He was succeeded by Dr. John Wolf. Tom Benge became its president for 17 years, until in late in 2007 Jose Bucksbaum, then Affirmative Action Chair for the Democratic Party was elected by unanimity its new President.
The purpose of the ACLU is to promote, defend and support the Bill of Rights. At the national and state levels, there are legislative, educational and legal programs to foster the purposes of the ACLU.
Locally the ACLU QC chapter has served the community by organizing conferences, hosting speakers, by responding to local civil liberties inquiries and supporting the Bill of Rights.
The local chapter has hosted a string of guest speakers, including members of the clergy, senators, state representatives, judges, chiefs of police, county attorneys, and the most recent speaker last month was Iowa State Representative Phillis Thede lecturing on "The Evolution of Woman's Civil Rights in Iowa".
Under the leadership of Mr. Bucksbaum, the local chapter created an award recognizing leadership in the community. The award was named after a Chapter benefactor Mrs. Elfreida Hershal. Mrs. Hershal bequeathed at her death a large sum of money to the Quad City chapter. The recognition awards has been given five times , recognizing Senator Maggie Tinsman, Todd McGreevy, Kathleen McCarthy, Tommy Miller, Mike McCarthy and Ernest Rodriguez.
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