Civil liberties and civil right are mechanical elements that influence how we live our daily lives. Each category can have different applications to offer different experiences. The US has seen a rise in instances in which people are above the law and citizens have begun to question democracy’s worth. The basic rights and freedoms guaranteed by civil liberties are considered fundamental rights. Either the U.S. Constitution contains them. These were created to protect freedoms governments cannot legally interfere with. For example, the First Amendment prohibits the government from interfering with “the freedom exercise” religion. The states and the federal government cannot prevent people from practicing a religion that they believe is inappropriate or imprudent.
You can create your religion and have followers, regardless of whether the government or other societal organisations disagree with it. The supreme court has been involved in civil liberty cases. Lemon v. Kurtzman claims that Rhode Island and Pennsylvania provided public funding at that time for Catholic schools. The law was upheld by the supreme court and it was ruled that governments can not encourage excessive government involvement with religion. The supreme court justice upheld the law and stated that religions can only be restricted if they interfere with others’ rights. Civil rights, however, guarantee that government officials must treat everyone equally and will make decisions based on merit rather than on race, gender, age, or other personal characteristics. It is illegal and unethical to discriminate against students based on race, ethnicity or gender. Many states established segregated schools in the 1960s where students of certain races or genders could study. However, the supreme Court ruled that such policies were against civil rights and prevented students from being admitted to schools. In the Declaration of Independence, 1776, Thomas Jefferson stated that “We hold these truths as self-evident,” but his understanding of equality was very different from ours. The Founding Fathers worked to create an egalitarian society in which Americans could exercise their individual rights without restrictions. African Americans demanded equality in law and justice, and this triggered the civil rights movement. These actions opened the door for others to demand new laws.
Today, these freedoms are considered a part of our national identity. However, civil liberties are the result many years of perseverance and activism. Our conceptions of civil rights have changed significantly since Jefferson’s day. Recent developments such as the same-sex marriage ban and gun laws show that our notions of liberty will continue to change over time.
