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Challenges of civil liberties in the us throughout the twentieth and twenty first centuries
Government surveillance expsitory essay
Government surveillance expsitory essay
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Recommended: Challenges of civil liberties in the us throughout the twentieth and twenty first centuries
Terrorists attacks in America should not reduce or take away civil liberties because it unnecessarily increases government power, gives a false state of security, and goes against the concepts of liberty on which the United States was founded. In order to understand why these three things are important we must determine what are civil liberties.
According to Wikipedia, “Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that protect an individual from the state” (Wikipedia, 2010). Why would we need protection from the state? The intent of civil liberties is to “set limits on the government so that its agents cannot abuse their power and interfere unduly with the lives of private citizens” (Wikipedia, 2010). Civil liberties are protected through the Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence declares a strong human rights statement with “We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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.” With so many documents about liberty and rights it’s hard to imagine those rights being abused or taken away by the government who is supposed to protect those rights.
In September 2001, the United States fell prey to terrorist attacks that resulted in loss of property, loss of lives, and loss or reduction of what many belief to be basic rights and liberties. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), as a result of the terrorist attacks on 9-11, the Bush administration began a serious attack on civil liberties. The ACLU argues that the government has abused its power through “Warrant-less wiretapping, torture, kidnapping, and detention, the growing surveillance society, abuse...
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Wikipedia. (2010, July 23). Civil Liberties. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_liberties
Wikipedia. (2010, July 26). Terrorism. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism
Bovard, James. (2010, June 4). The Folly of Blindly Trusting the Government. Retrieved from http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd1003c.asp
American Civil Liberties Union. (2006, September 6). Top Ten Abuses of Power Since 9/11. Retrieved from www.aclu.org/keep-america-safe-free/top-ten-abuses-power-911
Greenwald, Glen. (2010, May 13). New Target of Rights Erosions: U.S. Citizens. Retrieved from http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/05/13/citizens
Marshall, Thurgood. (1990, March). The Supreme Court and Civil Rights: Has the Tide Turned? Reprinted with permission, from USA Today, March 1990. From the book Civil Liberties: Opposing viewpoints. (p. 208)
In America’s time there have been many great men who have spent their lives creating this great country. Men such as George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson fit these roles. They are deemed America’s “founding fathers” and laid the support for the most powerful country in history. However, one more man deserves his name to be etched into this list. His name was John Marshall, who decided case after case during his role as Chief Justice that has left an everlasting mark on today’s judiciary, and even society itself. Through Cases such as Marbury v. Madison (1803) and McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) he established the Judicial Branch as an independent power. One case in particular, named Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), displayed his intuitive ability to maintain a balance of power, suppress rising sectionalism, and unite the states under the Federal Government.
Civil liberties can be defined as the basic rights and freedoms of an individual granted to citizens in the United States and the entire world through the national common law or the statute law. The liberties include freedom of association, speech, movement, religious worship, and that from arbitrary arrest. The liberties get to form the roots of democracy in society. In a dictatorial administration, the citizens are denied the rights and freedoms. However, liberties can be described as universal rights and freedoms.
African-Americans have significantly contributed to the criminal justice field in the United States through presenting law cases in the Supreme Court and championing for civil rights. One of the African-American names mentioned among those that have had a significant contribution to this field is Thurgood “Thoroughgood” Marshall, who became the first African-American justice to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the pioneer of civil rights. With regard to Thurgood Marshall, the purpose of this paper is to explore his contributions to civil rights in the field of criminal justice. To do so, this paper will examine Marshall’s childhood and family background, education, his
In a world where terrorism, war, and economic instability are ever looming threats it’s not a wonder why the limits on the freedom of the individual can come into question. This is especially true when the country where these limits are brought into question is one of the world’s leading powers in: democracy, economics, social welfare, military force, and foreign politics in general. This country, of course, is the United States. Unfortunately, even with the country’s democratically centered government, there is still a debate on whether Americans have enough protections for civil liberties or not. A few key areas of argument on civil liberties and hopefully provide enough information to the reader so that he/she may deduce an educated opinion as to whether Americans have enough protection for civil liberties or not.
Our nation seems as if it is in a constant battle between freedom and safety. Freedom and security are two integral parts that keep our nation running smoothly, yet they are often seen conflicting with one another. “Tragedies such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings may invoke feelings of patriotism and a call for unity, but the nation also becomes divided, and vulnerable populations become targets,” (Wootton 1). “After each attack a different group or population would become targets. “The attack on Pearl Harbor notoriously lead to Japanese Americans being imprisoned in internment camps, the attacks on 9/11 sparked hate crimes against those who appeared to be Muslim or Middle Eastern,” (Wootton 1). Often times people wind up taking sides, whether it be for personal freedoms or for national security, and as a nation trying to recover from these disasters we should be leaning on each other for support. Due to these past events the government has launched a series of antiterrorist measures – from ethnic profiling to going through your personal e-mail (Begley 1). Although there are times when personal freedoms are sacrificed for the safety of others, under certain circumstances the government could be doing more harm than good.
Palmer, Elizabeth A. "The Court and Public Opinion." CQ Weekly 2 Dec. 2000. CQ Weekly. SAGE Publications. Web. 1 Mar. 2000. .
Civil Liberties are singular rights shielded by law from crooked legislative or other obstruction. Civil Liberties in the 1970's are altogether different from common freedoms today. A great deal that was disapproved of in those days is the ordinary standard of today. Individuals' perspectives on things have changed drastically, for example, War, gay marriage, drug use and even women’s rights. It's just been 46 years, since 1970 which, when taking a look at the big picture, isn't long ago.
Rose, Carol. "American Civil Liberties Union." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., 08 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014.
September 11, 2001 was one of the most devastating and horrific events in the United States history. Americans feeling of a secure nation had been broken. Over 3,000 people and more than 400 police officers and firefighters were killed during the attacks on The World Trade Center and the Pentagon; in New York City and Washington, D.C. Today the term terrorism is known as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives (Birzer, Roberson). This term was clearly not defined for the United States for we had partial knowledge and experience with terrorist attacks; until the day September 11, 2001. At that time, President George W. Bush, stated over a televised address from the Oval Office, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.” President Bush stood by this statement for the United States was about to retaliate and change the face of the criminal justice system for terrorism.
Smith, Robert C. "Supreme Court." Encyclopedia of African-American Politics. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. African-American History Online. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 20 Nov. 2011.
Since September 11, 2001 many people can say that America has changed. Many people question if America has changed for the better or has it just gotten worse. Since the day those four planes crashed around the United States people’s lives have been changed. Many may not realize how their lives have changed, but with new laws passed life is different within America. The United States Patriot Act is one of the laws passed after 9/11: singed into order on October 26, 2001 just 45 days after the attack. The United States Patriot Act was put in place in order to protect Americans, yet has been affecting American’s civil liberties and caused controversy all over the United States.
Hobson, Charles F. The Great Chief Justice, John Marshall And the Rule Of Law. University Press Of Kansas: Wison Garey McWilliams & Lance Banning, 1996.
Remy, Richard C., Gary E. Clayton, and John J. Patrick. "Supreme Court Cases." Civics Today. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe, 2008. 796. Print.
Schultz, David, and John R. Vile. The Encyclopedia of Civil Liberties in America. 710-712. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale Virtual Reference Library, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .
Hall, Kermit L, eds. The Oxford guide to United States Supreme Court decisions New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.