Individual rights are one of the cornerstones this country is based upon. In fact, individual rights are the foundation of any democracy, and certainly separate us from the misery of dictatorship, communism, and autocracy. However, while many citizens take individual rights for granted i...

In the landmark case Reynolds vs. Sims, the Supreme Court declared: "Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of the other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and me...

Johnson -1- THE BILL OF RIGHTS By the end of the eighteenth century, the majority of Americans had come to believe that government was created by citizens who consent to live under its laws in order to protect their rights of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." They also fe...

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was an effort of the Post-Civil War Congresses to enforce civil rights throughout the United States. It was a part of the Reconstructionists to eliminate racial discrimination throughout the United States and this Act was one form to attempt to accomplish this. They took...

The first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States which establishes basic American civil liberties that the government cannot violate is known as the Bill of Rights (Encarta pp). Ratified by the states in 1791, three years after the Constitution was ratified, the Bill of ...

In 1787, a group of men got together in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation under which the United States had been operating. When the Constitutional Convention decided to propose a federal government instead, they faced the enormous challenge of persuading the American people to a...

The Equal Rights Amendment do we really need it? The equal rights amendment, not an amendment of the Constitution, but if submitted it would give equal rights to the sexes. It had come close in the 70's and early 80's but did not succeed. It has been brought up at every session of con...

The Bill of Rights "Individual rights are the oldest and most traditional of American values." (ACLU, 1997) The Bill of Rights is a document consisting of the Constitution's first ten amendments. The first eight of these amendments specify certain basic freedoms and safeguards...

1. Main Arguments a. Since current sex discrimination laws are not based on constitutional amendments, are poorly enforced and are subject to interpretation. An Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution is the only way to ensure the consistent enforcement of laws protecting the rights of women....

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners, will then be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream..." Martin Luther King Jr. This quote is from King's most famous speech that was given in o...

For more than 200 years the American Constitution has served as much more than a framework of government. Our belief in the great document's guarantees of freedom, justice, and equality has come to define what it means to be an American. From 1787 to today, in times of both tragedy and triumph, Amer...

The Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to our country's constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, play an important role in today's society. These rights can be summed up in the three unalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, these amendments ...

A few of the most important ideas the United States was founded on are the rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights come into a significant role when it comes down to laying out the specifics and both guaranteeing and protecting our rights as citizens. ...

No more tears, Grandparents The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of grandparents' visitation rights in a recent case involving a 9 year old girl Emily, whose mother, Butler, and Father, Charles Harris, separated before she was born and the custodial mother restricted the grandparent&apo...

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight, under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last Presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that I thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, ...

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." This was Margaret Mead's conclusion after observing different cultures around the world. Over the past 150 years many things have changed for women and...

"The detentions from the beginning have been veiled in secrecy. This decision will help to lift that veil so ... at least we can put names to prisoners' faces, and the families will know if their loved ones have been arrested." - Curt Goering. Although this may sound like some fascist, 1984 Orwell...

Introduction We as Americans have more rights and freedoms than any other nation in the world. Our founding fathers laid down a basis for all Americans to be able to live in a free society without the fear of government oppression. That basis is found in the United States Constitution and the Bill ...

On June 21, 1788 Congress ratified the US constitution. This historic document contained the powers that congress would have under this democratic government. The first amendment specifically details several powers that would be excluded from this list. The first amendment states "Congress sha...

The Constitution Protects the Civil Rights of Americans The Constitution does protect the civil rights of Americans. Even though some laws are passed that violate the civil rights of people in the United States, the Supreme Court corrects these errors. The cases reviewed here ask if it ...

On June 21, 1788 Congress ratified the US constitution. This historic document contained the powers that congress would have under this democratic government. The first amendment specifically details several powers that would be excluded from this list. The first amendment states "Congress shal...

The USA Patriot Act was passed in response to the brutal events of September 11th, 2001. The Act provided for wider and sweeping new powers for domestic law enforcement and international intelligence agencies as well. Since its inception, the Act has been steeped in controversy and debate. Many c...

Equal Rights For All A constitutional ban on gay marriage is "a declaration of war against gay America" (Bumiller). It is an act of discrimination and intolerance solely based on religious perspectives. Allowing gays and lesbians the same rights as everyone else does nothing to harm or ...

The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified into the constitution in the year 1791. The document's purpose was to spell out the liberties of the people that the government could not infringe upon. Considered necessary by many at the time of its development, the Bill of Rights was...

Gun Control vs. Gun Rights: Are they becoming too strict and consuming the right of the citizen Guns in the past have served to protect our country and our families since the beginning of the United States. They have helped bring meals on tables and provided men and women to challenge themsel...