Last week's Question of the Week asked readers if they agreed with the ACLU that Americans are becoming more concerned about civil liberties. A small majority disagreed.

Among 541 responses to this unscientific poll, 293 thought not, while 248 did agree.

Some readers' comments:

n Yes. I think the American people are beginning to realize just what they gave up when after 9-11 they passed the Patriot Act, and allowed the federal government to assume the degree of power which it now possesses over our lives. I realize that freedom isn't free, and I fought for my country for 35 years to guarantee that we have all the benefits that we have. However, to guarantee that we remain free, we cannot allow the government a blank check to do whatever it chooses. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely," so we must be eternally vigilant.

- Americans are concerned about civil liberties because of the ACLU. ACLU was founded in 1920 by Roger Baldwin. His goal was communism. Present ACLU is still using Baldwin's strategy concealing itself in the flag and defending the rights of the "folks." Unless, of course, the folks are Christians, Boy Scouts, parents who want to know if their underage daughters are having abortions, or concerned Americans who want sexual predators who hurt children held accountable. Those folks need not apply for ACLU membership. ("Culture Warrior" by Bill O'Reilly.)

- Yes! Concerned and alarmed and distressed about civil liberties with the president and his advisors eavesdropping on U.S. citizens and "papers in order" (Real ID) to board an aircraft. Pick away at, nibble off, our Bill of Rights, and we will have left only the pronouns! Hurrah for the ACLU!

- No. I think the ACLU deludes and confuses the issue of civil rights, defending perpetrators of crimes equal to or even above victims. When the public sees the extremes that the ACLU goes to in defending questionable characters, it leads the public to conclude that the issue of civil rights is a trumped up issue and really not worth caring about. In fact, the work of the ACLU works against its own avowed cause by taking on such extremist cases.