CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

4 Pages 1022 Words

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Civil rights and civil liberties are two common statements that sometimes are used inadvertently with one another. The two statements do coincide with each other, but mean different things. Civil rights “are the rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship, especially the fundamental freedoms and privileged guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by subsequent acts of Congress, including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination” (American Heritage). The 14th amendment states that “no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens… No State shall deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law” (Articles-website). Civil liberties on the other hand are “fundamental individual rights such as freedom of speech and religion protected by law against unwarranted governmental or other interference” (American Heritage).
Civil rights and civil liberties may seem like the same exact thing but when you break them down, the difference between the two is clear. Civil rights are the rights that are given to U.S. citizens that make ‘everyone created equal.’ Civil rights have to do with slavery, racial discrimination, women’s equal rights, gender-based discrimination, equal protection, affirmative action, and the rights of gay males and lesbians, as well as many more. Civil liberties are the protected laws given to everyone – even people that are not citizens – who is in the United States such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, as well as the other rights stated in the 1st amendment.
The focal point of this paper will be on racial discrimination; specifically to Arab-Americans since the tragedy of September 11, 2001. One year ago, our nation was faced with one of its biggest chall...