Civil Rights And Liberties In America

For over 50 years the NRA has been the most controversial and well noted example of an adamant, unwavering, organized, voice as it has arguably inflicted more influence in lobbying efforts than any other special interest group represented in the nation’s capital. Originally founded in 1871, the NRA originated just 6 years after the civil war and just 3 years after the 14th amendment. After just enduring the bloodiest battle in our nation’s history The 14th amendment (1868) granted states the right to further extend the protections available for individual possession of arms. A law of this measure did hold rightful ground, given the climate in reconstruction era America. As an individual right to bear arms would naturally be in higher demand following such a conflict. The NRA was founded to protect the granted rights and to represent a portion of individuals who held these rights dearest. As the essay states “The NRA, as always, speaks for all gun-owners, with respect to the Second Amendment” (Alstyne 5). While it is within our constitutional boundaries to have special interests represented, the NRA has long outgrown its original somewhat transparent roots. Like most

"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)

Carlson gives evidence of the decline in public discourse by summarizing an incident in which a talk radio host crossed the line of decency by failing to respect a person whose ideas differed from his and his listeners’. Why is it important to maintain civility toward those whom you disagree?

In recent news, the famous law firm, Seyfarth Shaw, claimed that the number of cases based on Title III of the Americans with Disability Act, have increased over the year by 63% in 2015. The act makes it illegal for the businesses to discriminate on the basis of a disability when they are open to general public for hiring. The law is applicable to a variety of general public direct interaction based industries including housing, construction, school, teaching and day care therefore, had the law been in real practice and implemented in force the discrimination would have not taken place. Discrimination is taking place at a much higher rate than ever before because of all the cases that are flooding the court system.

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.

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.

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

Civil rights and civil liberties have been constantly changing and growing as our country moves forward with its ever-changing society. Civil liberties are about

Hafsa Zahid Professor Sharifian Government 2305 17 September 2017 What Role Does Our Civil Liberty and Rights Play In Our Government System?

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?

The debate over gun control has been raging through the American political systems for years. On one side, there is the National Rifle Association (NRA) and 2nd Amendment-citing citizens who use their firearms for hunting and self-defense. On the other, there is Handgun Control Inc. (HCI) and followers of the Brady Campaign who want to ban guns on the basis that they are dangerous. Both sides have strong arguments, anchored in historical precedent and statistical analysis. Anti-gun control lobbyists’ arguments include the guarantee of the 2nd Amendment, the definition of “militia” as any adult male, self-defense, the relative uselessness of permits and regulations, and court cases in favor of firearm possession. Pro-gun control activists

The expansion and development on specific civil liberties and rights since the birth of America can be seen as one of the biggest evolutions in the Constitution. The original Constitution and Bill of Rights did not convey anything about equality aside from that all Americans are entitled to due process in court. The word “equality” for instance does not even appear in the Constitution. Thus the topic of equality and civil rights is a grey area that is not clearly defined or understood. Prior to the Civil War, the inequality of African Americans and women for example were easily apparent. African Americans lived as slaves and had no rights at all and were claimed by some in court cases that the Founders believed that blacks had no rights that the government had to honor. While women also suffered many inequalities such as not having the right to vote and some states went so far as to deny them right to own property or submit contracts. The exclusion of civil rights allowed for interpretation and the implementation of unequal policies throughout the states.

In the developing stages of America, many Americans had a very hard time adapting and accepting people of different backgrounds. America has battled the war on our civil liberties all the way from the 1800s until now. The law that was passed to protect the people of the United States from certain things has caused more damage then it was intended to do. America has many loopholes that have given the government many opportunities to violate the civil liberties of people when they feel the country is in any type of danger. In the 1800 and 1900s America was infested with many different types of disease, such as Cholera, Typhoid and Whooping Cough. With the amount of immigrants coming into the U.S, people often blamed them on bringing diseases with them. Many civil liberties were put at risk here because the Americans wanted to protect their nation at any cost. They held people against their will such as Typhoid Mary and the Chinese, treated women and children differently from their male counterparts, and immigrant workers were not treated correctly.

Former President Barack Obama performed a speech in response to a mass shooting that happened in a community college in Oregon. This speech included other gun related incidents which occurred during his time in office in 2015 regarding Umpqua Community College and Roseburg. After giving his condolences and love to those who felt loss in their hearts, Obama gave a powerful argument regarding gun control and how we, as Americans, should fight and strive for better gun laws. While Obama gave a moving speech, I could not help but feel it fell short in its argument while conducting a thorough critique. Obama appealed to his audience utilizing pathos and ethos with ease but fell short for those in the audience looking for logos or specific facts within his performance. I will be taking this opportunity to delve further into an analysis of this speech and both its heights and pitfalls.

Throughout history, when it comes to a national crisis, many leaders and politicians tend to advance towards what the people want to hear. In order to gain their audience’s support, most political leaders and public speakers use the practice of demagoguery to have useful influence held towards their argument. In Patricia Roberts-Miller’s article “Democracy, Demagoguery, and Critical Rhetoric,” analyzes what demagoguery is and how it affects the audience. Speakers or authoritative figures that engage with demagoguery use strategies such as scapegoating and polarization in order to establish a separation between in-groups and out-groups; in-groups tend to form hateful discrimination on out-groups and define them with negative features. An example of demagoguery that Roberts-Miller uses is in Adolf Hitler’s speech about how he wanted German people to change their views and beliefs on the Jewish. Her article however, also consists of several fallacies and may seem somewhat unethical. Throughout Wayne LaPierre’s speech on the Newtown Tragedy in 2012, there is usage of what Roberts-Miller claims to be demagoguery. Wayne LaPierre is the Vice President of the National Rifle Association (NRA). After the shooting that occurred at Sandy Hook elementary, LaPierre expresses his sympathy for the families of the loss and he then gathers the attention of parents who may be uneasy about their children’s safety at school. Throughout