The leader of the American Civil Liberties Union will speak Thursday on the Bill of Rights and the possible erosion of civil liberties in America.

Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties Union, will present “Is the Bill of Rights in Jeopardy?” at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

Strossen is the first woman to lead the ACLU and is a professor at New York Law School. She has been president of the ACLU since 1991.

Ben Stone, executive director of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, said Strossen will speak about how the war on terror has affected the rights of Americans and importance of being outspoken in defending guaranteed rights.

“We need to be vocal and work to protect our rights,” Stone said. “It is very important to educate the public and help them to understand the importance of civil liberties. They need to understand their rights.”

Stone said it is important for Americans to understand and support the Constitution.

“The ultimate test of the Constitution is how much people support it,” he said.

Caleb Christensen, senior in physics and president of the American Civil Liberties Union at Iowa State, said he expects Strossen to talk about the what she perceives as a trend by the federal government of using terrorism to justify removing constitutional checks on law enforcement.

Specifically, he said, Strossen will speak on how protections of privacy, free speech and due process laws have eroded since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Christensen said another topic he expects Strossen to address is the No-Fly List, a database of people the government has judged suspicious. These people are not allowed to fly in the United States or to appeal the judgment. He said the ACLU recently began a class-action lawsuit against the list.

Strossen gives hundreds of lectures each year around the world, and many magazines have named her among the most influential people in the world, Christensen said.

The ACLU, based in New York, was founded in 1920 to advocate the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Bill of Rights and use it to protect citizens from tyranny by the government. The ACLU is a non-profit and non-partisan organization, Stone said.

“This fight is just as important as it was in 1920,” he said. “No fight for civil liberties ever stays won.”

Stone said the ACLU membership has grown extensively since Sept. 11, increasing from 275,000 members in 2001 to more than 400,000 members currently.

Stone said the Iowa Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1935 and is the fifth-oldest in the nation. Iowa Civil Liberties Union membership has also grown in the past 2 1/2 years.

Cara Harris, senior in liberal studies and co-chairwoman of the Institute on World Affairs, said Strossen has been an important advocate for the ACLU.

She said Strossen’s visit to Iowa State comes at an important time.

“Her lecture is important at a time with constant attacks to the Constitution and civil liberties,” Harris said.

“Her perspective as the leader of the nation’s oldest civil liberties watchdog will bring a perspective to the real dangers of rights in America.”