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Civil Rights

Discrimination and Protected Charac...

It's illegal to treat a person differently or badly because of some characteristic that's beyond the person's control. This is discrimination. The government .... Read more

The Second Amendment and the Right ...

Congress ratified the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1791, granting Americans the right to bear arms. Interpreting the Second Amendment in moder.... Read more

The Freedoms of the Press and Blogg...

The U.S. Constitution guarantees Americans the right to speak their minds in the media - print, broadcast, and electronic, and social media. Freedom of the pr.... Read more

Civil Liberties

The Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms

Congress ratified the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1791, granting Americans the right to bear arms. Interpreting the Second Amendment in modern times can be confusing. Legislatures are still trying to sort it out. The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted it to mean that most Americans have a constitutional right to defend themselves and their property, with force if neces... Read More

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Human Rights

Homeless Persons Have Rights, Too.

Homelessness is a serious problem in some areas of the United States. Many state and municipal laws put restrictions on the conduct of the homeless. In many cities, they can't panhandle, loiter, or sleep wherever they want. However, the U.S. government passed legislation in 1987 to provide some specific rights to the homeless as well, under certain circumstances. You May Not Need ... Read More

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Discrimination

Discrimination and Protected Characteristics

It's illegal to treat a person differently or badly because of some characteristic that's beyond the person's control. This is discrimination. The government protects several classes of people from discrimination by law, especially in the areas of employment and housing. Most states and even some municipalities have enacted their own statutes dealing with discrimination. Age Is a ... Read More

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Voting Rights

Voting Rights: Proof of Identity

Technically speaking, the right to vote is not a civil right. The U.S. Constitution does not specifically give citizens the right to go to the polls and elect their leaders. The U.S. Constitution mentions voting to the extent that it prohibits the denial of voting rights to certain classes, such as women and African American men. As a result, individual state legislatures govern voting... Read More

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Gay and Lesbian Rights

Domestic Partnerships: What Protections Exist?

The news was shocking. A Dallas judge granted a divorce to two men who, under Texas law, couldn’t have been married. How times have changed! The Dallas judge ruled that the men could be divorced, and also that the Texas ban on gay marriage violated the constitutional right to Equal Protection. US Supreme Court Has Not Yet Spoken Massachusetts and California were the first states to... Read More

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Additional Civil Rights Topics