Civil Rights And Civil Liberties Case Study

As Americans, we are taught that we have our basic rights from the time we first go to school. Over time, we have been given more rights than in the past. In simpler terms, we have more rights today than we did yesterday, and we will have more rights tomorrow than we have today. In the world, there has been many events that have helped or hindered the impact of our rights. Life first begins with our civil rights and liberties. As our civil rights and liberties are publicized and opinionized on media, the public begins to have a perception of certain government agency’s actions. Then, on a higher level we also should remember people’s political stance and what values and/or morals they hold. How Americans are given their rights is an ongoing debate; however, there are no rights and wrongs just consequences that follow each action.

In 2010, President Obama signed a major civil rights provision into law; The Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This policy took over ten years of lobbying, multiple floor votes, and finally clever Democrats attached the act to a defense bill Republicans needed to pass to get the federal policy on the books. This landmark legislation made it a federal hate crime to assault someone based on either perceived or actual sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The policy expanded a longstanding law in existance since 1968 which previously applied only to those attacked due to their race, religion or national origin. There were other provisions mandated such as financial aid (federal) to law enforcement on the local

Webster defines civil liberty as a freedom from arbitrary governmental interference specifically by denial of governmental power, and in the United States especially as guaranteed by the bill of rights. Civil liberties are the basic rights, and freedoms that are due to every American citizen. More than often, civil liberties and civil rights are often used synonymously, but those terms are very distinct. A civil rights violation happens during designated situations where a person is discriminated against based on physical characteristics. However, civil liberties deal with basic rights and freedoms that are guaranteed within the Bill of Rights and U.S constitution, inferred over the years by courts, and legislatures. Although, there are many liberties outlined within the United States constitution freedom of speech will be expounded upon.

I am a citizen of the United States of America, arguably the most powerful country in the world. As such, I expect to be treated as outlined in our Declaration of Independence: “...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness-”. It seems like such a simple idea; everyone deserves to live life freely and happily. So why is it that today there are so many controversies pertaining to this very principle? Our civil rights and liberties as American citizens are constantly under scrutiny as we struggle to understand the simple word ‘all’. History is our evidence that minority groups are

1. 2 Define Civil Liberties; then define Civil Rights. How are they similar? How do they differ? Which civil sequence has more influence on your life as you know it to be now? Why do you believe this to be so?

When our founding fathers sat down to illustrate and create the foundation of the United States, they had many goals and ideals they set out to uphold. One of those is equality. It states clearly in our constitution that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” It can sometimes be a blurry line to if these ideals are still upheld in a rapidly changing and disunified country. This is where our civil sequences: Liberties and Rights, keep our country intact. 1 Both Civil Liberties and Rights are granted and defined in the Constitution. We must continue enforcing our civil sequences to maintain order for ourselves, our states,

1 McGahey 3 Megan McGahey Sherry Sharifian GOVT 2305 71430 20 September 2017 Civil Liberties vs.

The balance between the duty of the government, both on a state and federal scale, and the citizens’ view of freedoms has been a continuous struggle throughout the readings. Although many members of America’s youth believe that their participation in politics is aimless, public opinion and voting are very important aspects of shaping the government. Without certain civil rights being granted by the government, these important rights of expression and suffrage would not exist.

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights are two terms that are often used interchangeably in America. Since the founding of our nation there has always been the debate of the limit of government and what rights were guaranteed to each individual. Many of the architects of our government feared that national government could one day become too powerful and begin to infringe on the individual rights of the citizens. As a result, a Bill of Rights was added to our constitution. The Bill of Rights serves as a guide of what the government cannot do. Civil Liberties simply establish precedent on what rights the United States government cannot abridge on. Civil Rights, on the other hand applies to the rights of individuals. Over the history of our nation the question of civil rights has found itself becoming a pillar of our legal system and has been very instrumental in our quest to become a “more perfect union”. In recent history one civil liberty that has caused a continual controversial debate is the second amendment, in addition to how it applies to gun control measures that are being proposed in order to decrease the level of mass shootings. The second amendment clearly defines the intention of individuals to have the right to bear arms. In order to understand why gun control advocates have failed to secure effective gun control legislation, we must explore the reasoning why the second amendment is interpreted the way it is and should Americans be allowed to own guns?

Our Founding Founders established the federal government with three distinct branches, each with powers over the other in order to have a proper checks and balances to ensure fairness across the board. The U.S. Constitution outlines the powers and responsibilities of the three branches of government and is a critical document for the federal government. Important laws and documents such as The Bill of Rights, The US Civil Rights Act and The Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) are managed by our Constitution. Below we will discuss three subjects which set up a diverse broad range of viewpoints that are essential in our democracy.

I support the idea that women should not be forced to wear any foreign substance on their face. Research even suggests some makeup can be toxic, cause pregnancy problems and even cancer. States like California have a strict rule that demand companies to report cosmetics products sold within the state that contain ingredients known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. The court decision would probably be different if the claim alleges that Harrah’s grooming policy would cause health hazards specific to women employees.

When it comes to court cases, every case that is heard in court is heard for one reason or another.

part in todays lessons plan. Also should be parents aware, that not talking to your

"If the fires of freedom and civil liberties burn low in other lands, they must be made brighter in our own. If in other lands the press and books and literature of all kinds are censored, we must redouble our efforts here to keep them free. If in other lands the eternal truths of the past are threatened by intolerance, we must provide a safe place for their perpetuation." Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1938 (Isaacs 66)

Jury duty is a constitutional and fundamental right guaranteed to American citizens. Jury service is a way for citizens to directly participate in the judicial system. Jury duty and jury trials have been around for so long that people take it for granted. The jury was one of the factors that caused the American Revolution because the English common law system did not allow alleged criminals to have the sixth amendment rights that the United States has today. In fact, The Declaration of Independence charged that King George III deprived the colonists of a trial by jury (United States Federal Judicial Center, n.d). The Founding Fathers of the United States established the role of the jury and the right to trial by jury in most criminal and civil cases in the Constitution but that clearly cannot be fulfilled unless there are people serving on a jury.