American Legion Founded – Begins Anti-Civil Liberties Crusade
The American Legion was founded on this day as a veterans organization, initially of veterans of “The Great War” (which we know as World War I). It immediately became one of the leading super-patriotic and anti-civil liberties organizations in the country.
For some of the American Legion’s anti-civil libertarian activities over the years. On August 3, 1929 Legion members assisted the local District Attorney in arresting Yetta Stromberg at a left-wing summer camp for violating the California law banning red flags, a symbol of political radicalism. On May 18, 1931 the U.S. Supreme Court declared the “Red Flag” law unconstitutional in an important freedom of expression decision. On August 6, 1954 the Illinois American Legion declared the Girl Scout Handbook “un-American” and “internationalist.” And on February 22, 1964. Virginia Franklin sued the local chapter of the Legion in California for damages because of its campaign to have her fired as a teacher in the public schools.
Check out the American Legion today: http://www.legion.org
Learn more: William Pencak, For God and Country: The American Legion, 1919–1941 (1989)