Speeches

Statement of Susan V. Berresford in response to announcement by the American Civil Liberties Union

We share the same basic values as the ACLU. The ACLU is dedicated to defending free speech, and we fully support their work in doing so. We also fully support their work in defending the rights of promoters of unpopular causes. That is why we have provided significant general financial support to the organization over the years for the full range of its activities.

The issue at hand has to do with our different missions. Ford's mission is to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement. Consistent with that mission, we are proud to support the ACLU's defense of free speech. We do not, however, believe that a private donor like Ford should support all speech itself (such as speech that promotes bigotry or violence). We accept and respect the fact that we have a different mission from the ACLU, even while we share the same basic values.

We hope that over time we will once again work together.