The Definition Civil Liberties and Some Examples

Civil liberties are rights that are guaranteed to the citizens or residents of a country or territory. Theyre  a matter of fundamental law. Civil Liberties vs. Human Rights Civil liberties generally differ from human rights, which are universal rights to which all human beings are entitled regardless of where they live. Think of civil liberties as rights that a government is contractually obligated to protect, usually by a constitutional bill of rights. Human rights are rights implied by ones status as a person  whether the government has agreed to protect them or not. Most governments have adopted constitutional bills of rights that make some pretense of protecting basic human rights, so human rights and civil liberties overlap more often than they dont. When the word liberty is used in philosophy, it generally refers to what we would now call human rights rather than civil liberties because theyre regarded as universal principles and not subject to a specific national standard. The term civil rights is a near-synonym, but it often specifically refers to rights sought by African Americans during  the American civil rights movement. Some History The English phrase civil liberty was coined in a 1788 speech by James Wilson, a Pennsylvania state politician who was advocating the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Wilson said:   We have remarked, that civil government is necessary to the perfection of society. We now remark that civil liberty is necessary to the perfection of civil government. Civil liberty is natural liberty itself, divested only of that part, which, placed in the government, produces more good and happiness to the community than if it had remained in the individual. Hence it follows, that civil liberty, while it resigns a part of natural liberty, retains the free and generous exercise of all the human faculties, so far as it is compatible with the public welfare. But the concept of civil liberties dates back much further and most likely predates that of universal human rights. The 13th century English Magna Carta refers to itself as the great charter of the liberties of England, and of the liberties of the forest (magna carta libertatum), but we can trace the origin of civil liberties back much further to the Sumerian praise poem of Urukagina at around the 24th century BCE. The poem which establishes the civil liberties of orphans and widows and creates checks and balances to prevent government abuses of power. Contemporary Meaning In a contemporary U.S. context, the phrase civil liberties generally brings to mind the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a progressive advocacy and litigation organization that has promoted the phrase as part of its efforts to protect the authority of the U.S. Bill of Rights. The American Libertarian Party also claims to protect civil liberties but it has deemphasized civil liberties advocacy over the past several decades in favor of a more traditional form of paleoconservatism. It now prioritizes states rights rather than personal civil liberties. Neither major U.S. political party has a particularly impressive record on civil liberties, although the Democrats have historically been stronger on most issues due to their demographic diversity and relative independence from the Religious Right. Although the American conservative movement has had a more consistent record with respect to the Second Amendment and eminent domain, conservative politicians do not generally use the phrase civil liberties when referring to these issues. They tend to avoid talking about the Bill of Rights for fear of being labeled moderate or progressive. As has been largely true since the 18th century, civil liberties are not generally associated with conservative or traditionalist movements. When we consider that liberal or progressive movements have also historically failed to prioritize civil liberties, the necessity of aggressive civil liberties advocacy, independent of other political objectives, becomes clear.   Some Examples If the fires of freedom and civil liberties burn low in other lands, they must be made brighter in our own.  President Franklin D. Roosevelt  in a 1938 address to the National Education Association. Yet four years later, Roosevelt authorized the forcible internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans on the basis of ethnicity.   You dont have any civil liberties if youre dead. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) in a 2006 interview regarding post-9/11 legislation.Manifestly, there is no civil liberties crisis in this country. People who claim there is must have a different goal in mind. Ann Coulter in a 2003 column

Essay on Terrorist Financing - 2450 Words

Terrorism has been a major concern for the United States government for many years. Citizens of the United States have been immune to the terrorist attacks that are taking place overseas. When The World Trade Center was attacked using a car bomb in 1993, terrorism was brought upon the door steps of Americans. What was once a headline on the daily news has now became a reality in the life of the American citizen. An essential element in the strategy for the war on terrorism is to dismantle or disrupt the financial network used by terrorist. After the September 11 attack the Federal Government took several steps to combat terrorist financing, resulting with More than $140 million in terrorists assets have been frozen across the some†¦show more content†¦(U.S. Customs Service publication No. 0000-0171, October 2002) According to the U.S. Customs Service, Green Quest is in constant contact with law enforcement, intelligence, and financial establishments worldwide. Green Quest identifies several indicators of suspicious activity to serve as red flags or indicators for the banking community to further scrutinize. Operation Green Quest intends to target illicit charities, corrupt financial institutes, and underground financial systems known as Hawala which support terrorist organizations. The Green Quest initiative will also target credit card fraud, identity theft, counterfeiting, drug trafficking and bulk currency smuggling. The U.S. customs, Operation Green Quest, request the assistance from the individual banker, accountant, stock and commodity broker to report unusual or suspected transactions on voluntary basis. Listed in the pamphlet are 12 Red Flag indicators to be used for guidance. The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FAFT) was founded in 1989 by the G7 countries. The G7 countries consisted of the seven countries that represent 68% of the worlds economy, at that time there are now eight countries and is now called G8. 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The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiculturalism free essay sample

Multiculturalism is where a variety of many different cultural/ethnic groups live together within the same society. In a multicultural society, there is not an official culture that every person must be a part of. Instead, all cultures are respected as much as each other. In general, a multicultural society is formed when people from many different countries all migrate to one place. For example, 10% of the UK’s population consists of different racial groups. Multicultural cities are called cosmopolitans. **** If you walk down any bustling London street, it is likely you will come across many people from different cultural backgrounds. For London now speaks over 200 languages and the diversity of different cultures within London is so great that easy definition is impossible. The city is home to over 300 nationalities that have over time moulded and shaped London’s culture to what it is today. Even so, it is not just London that is now considered multicultural; Toronto, Sydney, Miami and New York are also considered among the top five most cosmopolitan cities. We will write a custom essay sample on The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiculturalism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, is it a good thing or a bad thing for a city to be multicultural? In determining whether being a multicultural society has more advantages or disadvantages, both sides of the argument need to be weighed. Advantages of Multiculturalism Everything we see around us has been influenced in some way by different cultures – our clothes, daily routine, music, food, art, sport and poetry are all as they are because they have been mixed with our knowledge of different cultural features. Through multiculturalism, we have opened our minds and have had the opportunity to learn about many different things: plus the country has benefited from it economically in many ways. What is more, living in such a society makes people more tolerant of each other, even if they are from very different backgrounds. It has taken a while to get to the point where we are all accepting each other’s cultures and ways of life. Finally, our lives intertwine (cultural diffusion) to create a fascinating hybrid culture to live in. Many cities around the world have benefited massively from immigration and multiculturalism, most famously Toronto. Therefore, what would our country be like if Britain had never accepted diverse cultures into our own country? Well, it would have a very different fashion industry†¦ Never heard of The Simpsons†¦ or Friends†¦ Fewer sports†¦ No World Cups†¦ No Barbie†¦ No Reggae†¦ No fast food or takeaways†¦ Well I think you get the picture our lives would be very different, that’s for sure. In addition, the renowned, economically well off and most interesting cities of the world are, coincidentally, always the cosmopolitan cities. I wonder why..! Replacement Labour Force will save the government money as they won’t have to pay immigrants so much and there will be more than enough people looking for work so every job is done. Plus, the less well off immigrants buy the inner-city slums and regenerate them into areas full of character with lively shops and restaurants and lovely houses: which are then bought back by the ‘better off’; the immigrants then move onto another area or have more money to buy a better house. Multiculturalism really does benefit all†¦ Disadvantages It would be naive to deny that the lives of ethnic minorities aren’t always easy. These people must try to adapt and it’s always hard to change many aspects of their daily life. Sometimes they are treated as if they were not worth the name of a citizen and they feel like visitors in their hometown. In addition, they might tend to be aggressive. One of the reasons that causes terrorism is indifference in society. This misunderstanding and intolerance to citizens of different nationalities may cause brutal terrorist acts and take the lives of many innocent people. Minority groups can get a lot of attention as they often say they are treated unfairly. This often means that there is positive discrimination against natives to keep the country happy. Unfortunately, this causes tension between natives and immigrants. British culture will be wiped out in the coming years if the Government continues to pander to all other cultures and abandons its original children. We should be maintaining a balance to preserve our own culture, which has developed over thousands of years. All cultures should accept the British way of life first and build their cultural identity around it. It costs the Britain millions to be multicultural, printing publications in multiple languages, changing signage, employing interpreters in law courts etc. What ever happened to the saying When in Rome. †? Conclusion For me, a multicultural society is one where people from all over the world can live together peacefully, respect, and learn from each other’s ways of life. Many believe that all Britain can ever hope for in the way of multiculturalism is mutual tolerance and not much else. But then again, England has been multicultural since the dawn of time London is a roman word and the royal family can hardly be called English. I think we still have a long way to go until we are a non-violent, everential, multicultural society considering all the terrorist bombings, racial shootings, etc. Nevertheless, maybe one day, we could finally produce a peaceful, deferential multicultural country, from which everyone benefits. It doesnt have to be one extreme or the other. We should all be proud of our cultural background but see it as something we all have in common; having our own cultural backgrounds. People are the same everywh ere. If people were less afraid of knowing different cultures, there would be so much more harmony in our society today. I agree some people from all cultures tend to keep themselves away from mixing with other groups, and that is not beneficial to any society. British ways are not always the best ways; we need to appreciate other cultures because a broadened society makes a better life for all of us. In conclusion, living in a multicultural society has many positive sides, because we can communicate with people who have different cultures and traditions. However, the government should pay attention to national minority’s problems and try to solve them, and then there will be no terrorism and violence in the world. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiculturalism free essay sample Multiculturalism is where a variety of many different cultural/ethnic groups live together within the same society. In a multicultural society, there is not an official culture that every person must be a part of. Instead, all cultures are respected as much as each other. In general, a multicultural society is formed when people from many different countries all migrate to one place. For example, 10% of the UK’s population consists of different racial groups. Multicultural cities are called cosmopolitans. If you walk down any bustling London street, it is likely you will come across many people from different cultural backgrounds. For London now speaks over 200 languages and the diversity of different cultures within London is so great that easy definition is impossible. The city is home to over 300 nationalities that have over time moulded and shaped London’s culture to what it is today. Even so, it is not just London that is now considered multicultural; Toronto, Sydney, Miami and New York are also considered among the top five most cosmopolitan cities. We will write a custom essay sample on The Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiculturalism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, is it a good thing or a bad thing for a city to be multicultural? In determining whether being a multicultural society has more advantages or disadvantages, both sides of the argument need to be weighed. Advantages of Multiculturalism Everything we see around us has been influenced in some way by different cultures – our clothes, daily routine, music, food, art, sport and poetry are all as they are because they have been mixed with our knowledge of different cultural features. Through multiculturalism, we have opened our minds and have had the opportunity to learn about many different things: plus the country has benefited from it economically in many ways. What is more, living in such a society makes people more tolerant of each other, even if they are from very different backgrounds. It has taken a while to get to the point where we are all accepting each other’s cultures and ways of life. Finally, our lives intertwine (cultural diffusion) to create a fascinating hybrid culture to live in. Many cities around the world have benefited massively from immigration and multiculturalism, most famously Toronto. Therefore, what would our country be like if Britain had never accepted diverse cultures into our own country? Well, it would have a very different fashion industry†¦ Never heard of The Simpsons†¦ or Friends†¦ Fewer sports†¦ No World Cups†¦ No Barbie†¦ No Reggae†¦ No fast food or takeaways†¦ Well I think you get the picture our lives would be very different, that’s for sure. In addition, the renowned, economically well off and most interesting cities of the world are, coincidentally, always the cosmopolitan cities. I wonder why..! Replacement Labour Force will save the government money as they won’t have to pay immigrants so much and there will be more than enough people looking for work so every job is done. Plus, the less well off immigrants buy the inner-city slums and regenerate them into areas full of character with lively shops and restaurants and lovely houses: which are then bought back by the ‘better off’; the immigrants then move onto another area or have more money to buy a better house. Multiculturalism really does benefit all†¦ Disadvantages It would be naive to deny that the lives of ethnic minorities aren’t always easy. These people must try to adapt and it’s always hard to change many aspects of their daily life. Sometimes they are treated as if they were not worth the name of a citizen and they feel like visitors in their hometown. In addition, they might tend to be aggressive. One of the reasons that causes terrorism is indifference in society. This misunderstanding and intolerance to citizens of different nationalities may cause brutal terrorist acts and take the lives of many innocent people. Minority groups can get a lot of attention as they often say they are treated unfairly. This often means that there is positive discrimination against natives to keep the country happy. Unfortunately, this causes tension between natives and immigrants. British culture will be wiped out in the coming years if the Government continues to pander to all other cultures and abandons its original children. We should be maintaining a balance to preserve our own culture, which has developed over thousands of years. All cultures should accept the British way of life first and build their cultural identity around it. It costs the Britain millions to be multicultural, printing publications in multiple languages, changing signage, employing interpreters in law courts etc. What ever happened to the saying When in Rome. †? Conclusion For me, a multicultural society is one where people from all over the world can live together peacefully, respect, and learn from each other’s ways of life. Many believe that all Britain can ever hope for in the way of multiculturalism is mutual tolerance and not much else. But then again, England has been multicultural since the dawn of time London is a roman word and the royal family can hardly be called English. I think we still have a long way to go until we are a non-violent, everential, multicultural society considering all the terrorist bombings, racial shootings, etc. Nevertheless, maybe one day, we could finally produce a peaceful, deferential multicultural country, from which everyone benefits. It doesnt have to be one extreme or the other. We should all be proud of our cultural background but see it as something we all have in common; having our own cultural backgrounds. People are the same everywh ere. If people were less afraid of knowing different cultures, there would be so much more harmony in our society today. I agree some people from all cultures tend to keep themselves away from mixing with other groups, and that is not beneficial to any society. British ways are not always the best ways; we need to appreciate other cultures because a broadened society makes a better life for all of us. In conclusion, living in a multicultural society has many positive sides, because we can communicate with people who have different cultures and traditions. However, the government should pay attention to national minority’s problems and try to solve them, and then there will be no terrorism and violence in the world.

Minimum Wage History Repeats Itself Essays - Economy,

Minimum Wage: History Repeats Itself Affecting not only Bakersfield in particular, minimum wage is a terrible solution to a simple problem that has repeated itself since the first minimum wage recorded in 1938. Minimum wage is the absolute minimum monetary value a company is legally obligated to pay their employees. This minimum amount is relative to the state and in some cases to cities within the states. In the state of California, the current minimum wage is $10.50 per hour and it is expected to change to $11.00 by January 2018. Since 1938, the minimum has been increasing in order to combat the gap between the lower class and the rest of the population, but "raising the minimum wage will not close the gap between higher-paying and lower paying jobs" (par 7). People want to earn more, but every action has an equal or opposite reaction. Rising the pay will not bring people out of low income, in fact it could make the complete opposite happen: "Over the late 2000's, the average effective minimum wage rose by 30 percent across the United States. We estimate that these minimum wage increases reduced the national employment-to-population ratio by 0.7 percentage point" (Jeffrey Clemens, Michael Wither). On paper, 0.7 percentage might seem like a low number, but it is equal to 1.4 million jobs. History repeats itself, people want "one more dollar" every time the minimum wage is increased, and every time the outcome is the same. It is not logical for prices to increase due to competition in a free market; prices have continued to rise over the years. The demand for more money for less work has forced economists in the government to raise the minimum wage many times throughout time. A raise in the minimum wage will raise prices for consumers, resulting in yet another need to raise in the minimum wage. Research and Findings Set a single minimum wage and leave it alone. Many countries around the world has set their national minimum wage to a certain amount and none has failed. Most if not all of these economies have matured and molded to the minimum wage, allowing for the market to develop with it and create a natural equilibrium in all sections. According to Luke Ryan in his article titled "Australia shows why raising the minimum wage doesn't always fix poverty", "The Australian minimum wage is only 43% of the average full-time wage, [...] In the United States that ratio is 27% "(Ryan). The minimum wage does not have to increase in order to create equilibrium between those getting paid above minimum wage and those who don't. Though the statistics may seem counter to the statement, it has been noted by Ryan that the US economy "... puts a single parent on the minimum wage solidly below the poverty line." (par 8). Australia overcame the need to adjust minimum wage every year, and the ir economy balanced out at nearly 50% of their population at exactly minimum wage. Note that if the minimum wage is $10.00 an hour, an individual earning $10.50 in no longer part of the 50%. This ratio is true for all countries researched that has implemented a single minimum wage that has not been altered since then. The obvious solution for the United States' dysfunctional and demanding minimum wage is to simply allow their free market to mold and adjust around a set variable, only then the economy will find an equilibrium and a rise in minimum wage will not even be a subject to debate any longer. Solution 2 Encourage people to consider the minimum wage what it is supposed to be; the lowest possible income for a single individual to survive. People have gotten the wrong idea of what minimum wage is. Society relies on minimum wage as a full-time income to support themselves and often time their dependents. They believe that by raising the minimum wage they can finally break through the barrier of poverty, when they are actually encouraging inflation. Inflation will not only hurt the economy, but it will hurt the same individuals it aims to aid. This will force employers to either lower the work force or increase prices which