Pentagon whistle blower Daniel Ellsberg to speak at ACLU conference

Jamie Winpenny

HONOLULU—Daniel Ellsberg will speak at the American Civil Liberties Union Davis Levin First Amendment Conference on Saturday, November 13.

Ellsberg is the former U.S. military analyst behind The Pentagon Papers of 1971, a mass of classified government communications that documented the blatant lies told to the American public about the country’s involvement in Vietnam by the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. The conference will screen the Academy Award nominated documentary The Most Dangerous Man in America. Ellsberg will be on hand for an audience Q&A following the film.

Ellsberg became a crusader for the freedom of the press after photocopying a 7,000 page study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam and giving it to the New York Times and over a dozen other newspapers. He stood trial on 12 felony counts, facing over 100 years in prison before a mistrial due to illegal government practices brought to light. Daniel Ellsberg continues to rail against official lies to the public about the Iraq War, Afghanistan, and other opposites of peace.

The conference, first established in 1997, is a discussion between prominent constitutional thinkers fostering awareness and dialogue about the freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The conference is a public education project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii Foundation funded with grants from the Robert M. Rees Trust and the law firm of Davis Levin Livingston. The Conference is named for attorneys Mark S. Davis and Stanley E. Levin for their work defending the First Amendment in Hawaii.

Seating is limited. RSVPs are requested by Monday, November 1. To RSVP, call (808) 522-5906, email [email protected], or mail reservations to:

First Amendment Conference
P.O. Box 3410
Honolulu, HI 96801

Be sure to include contact information in case the event is rescheduled. Parking at the Hilton Hawaiian Village with event validation (subject to change) is $8.00 for self parking, $13.00 for valet parking. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is ADA-accessible. Request special accommodation no later than Friday, October 15.

For more information, visit http://www.acluhawaii.org/fac/.


The Davis Levin First Amendment Conference Presents Live:
Daniel Ellsberg—The Most Dangerous Man in America
Saturday, November 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom #3
$5.00 entry fee (youth scholarships available)