Why You Should Support the ACLU
Yes, you need to produce runs, hit your jumpers, score goals. No offense, no victory. But the defense sets the tone. The little nuances of extra effort matters – even when it goes unnoticed by the casual fan.
Political action is the same way. You have to play offense. You have to go to the rallies and marches. You have to call your representatives. You have to have hard conversations with your friends and family. All these things are important – especially in today’s political climate.
But without a strong defense, these things won’t matter. The Trump Administration is mounting an all-out attack on civil liberties. Democrats in Congress are outnumbered and toothless, while Republicans will be judged harshly under history’s gaze for their willful inaction in the face of cruelty.
Like many people, the Border Crisis was a tipping point for me. Taking children away from their parents is about the most vicious thing I can think of – for the both the children and the parents. This was premeditated cruelty, executed by a joyless, uncaring administration and carried out by callous accomplices.
This is our U.S. government, committing atrocities in our name. Our tax dollars fund these actions. Think about that for a second. Whether we want to or not, we tacitly approve of these actions. After all, we foot the bill – for this barbarism and beyond.
Who’s Playing Defense?
The ACLU, that’s who.
We can’t count on the courts anymore. Usually, the judicial system is our defense. But three important things are happening to erode the protections for those who need it most:
- In a display of petulance and hypocrisy, Mitch McConnell effectively stole a Supreme Court seat, flipping it from moderate to hard-right.
- Trump is packing the lower courts with lifetime appointments of young white men who are as unqualified as they are right-wing extremists. This will have a 50+ year effect.
- Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retired last week, opening the door to another hard-right appointment and a conservative majority for the rest of my lifetime.
Between the borders and the courts, the past couple weeks have been our Reichstag without a fire – civil liberties suspended and complete conservative control of government entrenched. It’s going to get worse.
Support the ACLU
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has kicked it into overdrive since 2016, playing defense against an onslaught of Trump Administration abuses. From the constructed crisis of family separation to the Muslim ban to other misguided and malevolent attacks, their team of lawyers is doing what they can to stem the tide.
They are the defense, withstanding waves of offensive attack.
We can help bolster them, support them, and fuel their efforts. I am a member, and I support them with a monthly donation. You should do that too – if you are able. But I wanted to do more, and give you an incentive to do so as well.
I am donating my music to help fund their efforts.
I have created a purchase page: http://michaelboezi.com/aclu
When you buy any of these songs, I will donate 100% of the proceeds to the ACLU. No, that’s not a typo. All of it – as in, I don’t keep any of it.
I currently have two records posted:
I have a few options listed:
- You can purchase individual songs for $1 – that’s $1 to support the ACLU.
- You can purchase each album for $6 – that’s $6 to support the ACLU.
- I also have a bundle of both for $10 – that’s $10 to support the ACLU.
Or if you are so inspired to kick in more:
- I have a bundle of both for $50 – that’s $50 to support the ACLU.
Two things you can do:
- Make a purchase / donation. That would make me happy. I don’t care if you never even listen to the music – just the fact that this spurred you to take an action will bring a smile to my face.
- Share this with your friends. Yes, people get fatigued by political posts. Rest when you need to. Take care of yourself so you can fight another day. But you can’t do nothing – inaction is not a legitimate option.
A lot of work went into the writing, performing, recording, and producing of these records. I do it for the love of it, not for the money (thank goodness). I hope you like the songs. I know you will like to contribute to the defensive effort behind the next victory for the Good Guys.
And you know I will be cheering for you from the stands when you do.
With love and appreciation,
Michael
P.S. I would like to thank my bandmates for donating their time to these records as well: Scott Lesniewski, Andrew Stern, and Gavin McCarthy.
P.P.S. I took the photo at the 2008 Celtics championship parade in downtown Boston. I hope to do it again soon!