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The 1997 Nelson Poynter Award Dinner
As if requested by the ACLU, a full moon shined brightly over Miami on November 15th for the 1997 Nelson Poynter Award Dinner and the cocktail party on the veranda of the Sheraton Bal Harbour.
The dinner is hosted annually by the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Florida to celebrate the Bill of Rights and honor outstanding volunteers and members who are so crucial to the defense of civil liberties in Florida.
The highlight of the evening is the presentation of the Nelson Poynter Award, which is given to an individual or group in recognition of their work for the advancement of civil liberties. The award is named in honor of Nelson Poynter, the crusading former editor and publisher of The St. Petersburg Times.
This year's recipient was noted Palm Beach civil rights attorney and ACLU cooperating attorney James K. Green. Jim is also the former President of the Florida ACLU Affiliate. The evening was an occasion for Jim's friends to not only recognize his enormous contributions to civil liberties, but also to take a few humorous jabs at him.
Both University of Miami law professor Terrence Anderson and last year's Nelson Poynter recipient Stephen Hanlon presented the award to Jim. Professor Anderson, who was Jim's law professor many years ago at Antioch Law School, made scant reference to Jim's academic achievements and his accomplishments as an attorney. He focused instead on Jim's passion for rowing. A passion, Professor Anderson noted, that typified his spirit of dogged determination in protecting the rights of the under represented.
Stephen Hanlon praised Jim's ability to motivate attorneys to donate the time and talents to the defense of civil rights and civil liberties. He called Jim Florida's "premier civil rights litigator." Hanlon recounted the many times he had served as cocounsel with Jim, and even an occasion when he was opposing counsel.
In his acceptance, Jim talked about his family and introduced his father Bill and his sister Kimberly, who traveled from out of state to attend the dinner. He spoke of the importance of motivating the next generation of civil libertarians when he invited his son Travis to join him at the podium. He also paid homage to our clients who face possible repercussions from society, including those who, by necessity, must remain anonymous. In a moving statement, he expressed gratitude to all the "Chris, Pat and John Does who have been the courageous clients in ACLU cases."
Earlier in the evening, Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson was presented with the Miami Chapter's Maurice Rosen Act of Courage Award. Sorenson was recognized for her support of free speech when she was the only Commissioner who opposed the firing of Metro Dade Film Advisory Board member Peggi McKinley (See article on page one). "I was just doing my job," said Sorenson, referring to her oath to uphold the Constitution.
This year's Nelson Poynter Dinner was also the occasion for the President Randy Berg to introduce Howard Simon, the newly appointed Florida ACLU Executive Director.
The keynote address was delivered by Morton Halperin, former Special Assistant to President Clinton and the past director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office during the "Reagan Revolution." He commented that the threat of terrorism has replaced communism as the excuse for restricting civil liberties in the 90's, and focused his remarks on the 1996 AntiTerrorism Act. Halperin noted that the law gives the Secretary of State the power to declare foreign organizations "terrorist," and the power to punish Americans for supporting the labeled organization, even support for their humanitarian and educational activities. "You could go to jail for supporting such activities," Halperin warned. "Congress has authorized guilt by association." He also urged the Florida ACLU to remain the vigilant voice for the First Amendment within the ACLU family.
The evening ended on an optimistic note as ACLU President Randy Berg, in a humorous aside, noted that the next generation of civil libertarians were already strategizing to defend civil liberties in summer camp. He predicted that with his son Randall Jr. and Jim's son Travis attending the same camp, it could be a long hot summer for camp counselors!
