What do you think about the ACLU?

The ACLU is one of the most reviled institutions in the US, especially among conservatives.  For my part, I'm pretty ambivalent about it.

On the one hand, the ACLU is committed to fighting for our civil liberties.  Many of the causes it takes on are very important (of course all of this is in my opinion -- no one can objectively say which of their causes are important and which aren't).

However, it seems to me that, like most advocacy groups, it goes too far at times.  It seems to me that it defends fringe activities on the grounds that any erosion of civil liberties is a step on a slippery slope to the denial of all civil liberties.  I don't like it when the NRA opposes things like the ban on assault rifles and I don't like it when the ACLU fights for the right of an artist to use a government grant to take a picture of a crucifix in a container of urine.

Overall, I'd say that the ACLU is like any other advocacy group -- I agree with much of what they do, but I think they go too far at times.