ACLU of Kentucky

This article originally appeared in the Murray Ledger on Monday, April 9, 2012

 By Constance Alexander

Michael Aldridge came to Murray in 1988 to participate in the Governor’s School for the Arts, and that affirming, life-changing experience has stayed with him all these years.

Although his current position as executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is situated in Louisville, his job brings him to every region in the commonwealth, and he was here on Saturday for a meeting of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance.

He extended his stay to serve as one of the guest speakers at “Celebrate & Support a Fair Kentucky,” a dinner honoring a coalition of statewide organizations dedicated to the concept of fairness in all its facets.
An attorney, Aldridge’s role in leading the ACLU focuses on more than laws. His responsibilities fall into three main categories: litigation, legislation and education.

In the past two years, he spent some time in Mayfield, dealing with issues regarding the Amish community in Graves County, and their religious objection to a law that mandated the display of a reflecting triangle on their buggies. In addition, he was involved in helping settle conflict over use of a downtown building as a mosque. In both cases, he was impressed with the community and its interest in solving problems legally and humanely to ensure equal rights.

In his remarks Saturday night, Aldridge provided highlights of a recent statewide survey conducted by The Schapiro Group. According to the findings, 83 percent of Kentuckians support statewide Fairness protections, marking a 20-point gain in support since 2004.