Nadine Strossen is always spreading the word.

Whether it's as a law professor at New York Law School or as the president of the American Civil Liberties Union, she enjoys informing people near and far of their rights.

"Support and commitment for First Amendment rights escalate with a little bit of knowledge," Strossen said in a phone interview from her New York home Monday. "(This) information is not just passive. It really translates into changing peoples' lives. You can't possibly defend your rights if you don't know what they are."

Strossen will kick off Central Washington University's yearlong First Amendment Festival at 7 p.m. Wednesday in McConnell Auditorium with her speech on why the five freedoms -- speech, press, religion, petition and assembly -- are indeed first.

"It's really hard to find anybody or any group that is such staunch defenders of the First Amendment," Cynthia Mitchell, a CWU assistant professor of journalism and chairwoman of the festival, said of the ACLU. "We really wanted someone who can grab this generation by the collar and wake them up. I'm really concerned that they don't get it."

While organizers hope Strossen's message will help invigorate college students, Mitchell said she hopes students aren't the only ones engaged in the dialogue. She'd also like to see residents from throughout the region attend.

Strossen plans to focus on two main topics during her speech, one of them being national security issues as they relate to First Amendment rights. The other is about religion.

"That is such a debated area," she said.

That includes issues of school prayer, displaying the Ten Commandments in government buildings and the intelligent-design argument.

Strossen is the first woman to head the ACLU, which has been at the forefront of defending civil liberties since 1920.

While the ACLU name is often associated with litigation in defense of civil liberties, Strossen said providing information and having conversations about such issues is more proactive.

"It's easier if you have concrete examples to work backwards," Strossen said. "I think the closer it comes to home, the easier it should be for people to get excited. Also, it's really important to put it in a larger context."

Strossen intends to use specific examples to format the discussion. And not just on First Amendment issues, Strossen intends to devote equal, if not more, time to answering audience questions.

"I'll be happy to answer questions on anything on the realm of civil liberties," Strossen said.

But for her, the First Amendment is the key issue of importance for everyone.

"Anything you read, see, watch or say, you rely on the First Amendment to allow it to be possible to continue to do that," she said.

* James Joyce III can be reached at 577-7675 or jjoyce@yakimaherald.com.

* Nadine Strossen, president of the ACLU, will deliver a speech, "The First Amendment: Why It's First," and hold a question-and-answer discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday in McConnell Auditorium on the Central Washington University campus. Strossen's appearance kicks off Central's yearlong First Amendment Festival.

For more information and to learn about other events throughout the year, visit www.cwu.edu/~firstamendment/