The Importance Of Civil Liberties And Civil Rights

Civil rights and civil liberties have great similarities. Both civil rights and civil liberties include policies that protect the equality and freedom of people from government officials. However, the two terms have great differences. Two main differences between civil rights and liberties exist. One difference includes the origin of the policies. They also protect from different things. Although they have differences, civil rights and liberties have great importance to the citizens of the United States.

The difference between civil liberties and civil rights are, civil liberties are freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The liberties are “freedom of speech, religious expression, and press, as well as due process of the Fourteenth Amendment.” (Bianco, Canon 2011, p 153) Civil liberties limit what the government can do to you. An example is “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech.” (Bianco, Canon 2011, p 153) Civil liberties are about people’s freedoms. Civil rights protect against discrimination from both by the government and individuals. civil rights are about equal rights. “In contrast, civil rights protect all persons from

Civil liberties are basic freedoms granted to individuals in the Bill of Rights. Individual freedom can survive only under a system of law by which both the supreme and the governed are bound. Such a system of fundamental laws, Civil rights are constitutional guarantees, which mean they are granted to individuals with the body of the Constitution in the form of amendments. Many civil rights were granted after the Constitution was written, but civil liberties were included in the Constitution since their adoption in the Bill of Rights in 1791.

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.

There is a difference between civil liberties and civil rights in relation to the government. Civil liberties refer to an individual’s unalienable freedoms that cannot be taken away by political intervention. On the other hand, civil rights are provided by the government in order to promote equality. This ideology was introduced to the founders of the nation by John Locke, who believed in natural rights. Locke stated that these natural rights are to be protected and secured by the government. The question that should be raised now is whether the government truly does protect our civil rights and have the citizens’ best interest in mind.

1 Civil Rights Vs. Civil Liberties As a citizen of the United States, one is granted many protections under law. 2 These protections consist of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Varying based on the person, these rights are very valuable and ensure that an individual free of harm for certain situations. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties have evolved over the years as our country continues to further its development. They allow for the diminishing of injustice and a sense of security when it comes to the law system. The importance of Civil Rights and Liberties may not be very well known to all, but continue to play a role in every citizen’s

Civil Rights In the U.S. most use the terms Civil Liberties and Civil Rights interchangeably; although they both protect the freedom of citizens they do this in different ways. 2 Civil Liberties are limitations placed on the government. These are things the government is restricted to do, by the constitution. Things that could interfere with personal freedom. 3 For example, the 1st amendment says that no law can be made establishing a set religion. (Course, 2015) Therefore no laws can be made pertaining to a set religion. Civil liberties can be seen as broader laws, placed against the government. 2 Whereas Civil Rights are almost like curbs

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.

Civil rights and civil liberties sound like they mean the same, however, they have very different definitions. As stated in the textbook on page 676, “to have civil rights means that all rights rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law”; which means civil rights are our basic rights to freedom. As stated in the textbook as well, “to have civil liberties means those personal freedoms that are protected for all individuals. Civil liberties typically involve restraining the government’s actions against individuals’. Our civil liberties are protected by our Bill of Rights, it protects us under the First

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?

According to Patterson, “The Constitution’s failure to enumerate individual freedoms led to demands for the Bill of Rights. These first 10 amendments to the Constitution list a set of rights that the federal government is obliged to protect” (Patterson, 94). In the Bill of Rights, civil liberties specify the individual’s rights like freedom of speech, the right to a fair court trial, and other rights, which is protected by the government. 3 Patterson says, “Civil rights are a question of whether individual members of differing groups, such as racial, gender, and ethnic groups, are treated

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.

For many centuries humans have wanted to live a life in peace, according to their beliefs, or according to what someone of higher power can do best for them. The United States has gone from being ruled by a king to a lose constitution to finally a constitution that has lasted many years. This constitution has gone through many changes in order to protect the rights of U.S. citizens. Moreover, these changes have occurred by much insistence and court cases from the people. Out of these changes, civil rights and civil liberties have erupted in order to protect the lives of citizens even more. Who we are as citizens of the United States can be characterized by the concept of civil rights and civil liberties, the idea that the constitution

America, a country founded on civil liberties and civil rights which are very strongly protected by law. The United States constitution specifically address the rights and freedoms that all Americans are guaranteed. Now over 200 hundred years later, the United States has rapidly grown, global travel has become more efficient, and threats that were not even imagine now exist. The question that many Americans ask today is has this changed our perception on our civil liberties or rights? In to attempt to provide insight to this question I asked five different people of different sex and age about their civil rights and liberties and potential giving some of them up. To say the least, I was very surprised of the results in which I received.

One easy way to differentiate civil rights and civil liberties is to recognize civil liberties as the protection of our rights from any type of government interference. Similarly, Civil rights are rights through which there is no discrimination in people on any basis like race, sex, religion. The best example to differentiate civil rights and civil liberties would be same sex marriage. Right to get married comes under civil liberty whereas marring with same sex or different sex is a civil right of an individual.