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| - Civil liberties are
- Civil liberties are a thing the Founding Fathers of the United States of America developed into an important part of how the USA is governed and a primary reason liberals like that Country. Civil liberties are also important in other liberal Democracies. Civil liberties were one of the many, many, many things that George W. Bush ruined for a time while he was in office. Unfortunately Dubya wasn't the only one.
- Civil liberties are a variety of rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights and several other amendments to the Constitution, and by international treaties that have the force of US law after their approval by the Senate. Some of these rights extend only to citizens of the United States, and some to non-citizens as well, both inside the US and in various other places, including the battlefield. The Founders of the United States fought a war to sever the thirteen colonies of that time from the arbitrary and capricious authority of King George III, and of the British Parliament in which they had no representation. The Declaration of Independence contains a lengthy list of complaints about such matters.
- Common civil liberties include freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, and additionally, the right to due process, to fair trial, to own property and to privacy. The formal concept of civil liberties dates back to the Magna Carta of 1215 which in turn was based on pre-existing documents. It might be said that the protection of civil liberties is a key responsibility of all citizens of free states, as distinct from authoritarian states.
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| abstract
| - Civil liberties are
- Civil liberties are a thing the Founding Fathers of the United States of America developed into an important part of how the USA is governed and a primary reason liberals like that Country. Civil liberties are also important in other liberal Democracies. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America didn't actually create Civil rights. They may have been the first modern men to write the idea of universal civil rights into law, but they developed the idea in concert with others of the Enlightenment, and would probably tell us they recognized those rights rather than creating them. In fact, they insisted that those rights were innate and/or God given. Not all the Founding Fathers were enlightened Liberals, but the Founding Fathers were some of the wisest and best educated of the new country, so there were plenty of them that were Liberals. Some were more enlightened Liberals, and those enlightened Liberals greatly influenced the foundation of government. However, even most of the enlightened Liberals of the time recognized that it would take time and education to create a Liberally enlightened culture, society, and government. Much of is the conflict between those who want immediate extension of rights, those who fear immediate extension of rights, and those who wish to stop or reverse the extension of those rights. We're Liberals, so we want to enlighten our people and cultures, but we recognize that these things have to progress. Radicals tend to wish immediate change, and the histories of radical movements are often written in blood. On the other side of the spectrum are the arch conservatives who wish to limit civil rights and rely instead on traditional privilege, and their history is one of fear and repression and more blood. Civil liberties were one of the many, many, many things that George W. Bush ruined for a time while he was in office. Unfortunately Dubya wasn't the only one.
- Common civil liberties include freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, and additionally, the right to due process, to fair trial, to own property and to privacy. The formal concept of civil liberties dates back to the Magna Carta of 1215 which in turn was based on pre-existing documents. Republics or democracies such as the United States have a Constitution, a bill of rights and similar constitutional documents that enumerate and seek to guarantee civil liberties. Other states have enacted similar laws through a variety of legal means, including signing and ratifying or otherwise giving effect to key conventions such as the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It might be said that the protection of civil liberties is a key responsibility of all citizens of free states, as distinct from authoritarian states. The existence of some claimed civil liberties is a matter of dispute, as are the extent of most civil liberties. Controversial examples include reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, possession of guns/arms, and the use of certain drugs. Another matter of debate is the suspension or alteration of certain civil liberties in times of war or state of emergency, including whether and to what extent this should occur.
- Civil liberties are a variety of rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights and several other amendments to the Constitution, and by international treaties that have the force of US law after their approval by the Senate. Some of these rights extend only to citizens of the United States, and some to non-citizens as well, both inside the US and in various other places, including the battlefield. The Founders of the United States fought a war to sever the thirteen colonies of that time from the arbitrary and capricious authority of King George III, and of the British Parliament in which they had no representation. The Declaration of Independence contains a lengthy list of complaints about such matters. The Bush Administration has systematically denied and sought to curtail those rights, including, but not limited to, offenses against
* Freedom of Speech
* Freedom of Religion
* Freedom of Assembly
* Security in one's house and possessions against unreasonable searches and seizures
* Right to a speedy and public trial by jury and to legal representation
* Right not to testify against oneself
* The writ of Habeas Corpus, requiring that the accused be confronted by his or her accusers and shown the evidence against him or her.
* Freedom from torture
* Right to vote
* Equal protection of the laws
* Non-discrimination The Administration is, however, keen on the right to keep and bear arms even if the bearer is not a member of a well-ordered militia. Unless, of course, the bearer is identified by the Administration as a terrorist or "enemy combatant". Freedom from slavery and involuntary servitude are no longer problems, although they persisted for some time after the Civil War in forms such as sharecropping. Issues such as attainder of treason and ex post facto laws have very rarely arisen. A number of other rights, such as the right not to have soldiers quartered in one's house, have not been called into question under the Constitution.
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