...Andrew Bolt, was found in violation of this law when he accused mix-raced Indigenous Australians of using their heritage to claim government benefits. The Abbott government pledged to repeal section 18C but has subsequently withdrawn the motion following severe backlash from the wider community (Aston.) South Australian Family First Senator, Bob Day, has since introduced a private member bill to repeal 18C, insisting that...
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...right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed". The second amendment primarily protects the rights of gun owners and allows people to legally own firearms. There have been many discussions and arguments about majority of the Constitution but none have ever been debated back and forth as much as the second amendment has in recent years. One side of the argument is that firearms that are produced and sold to the civilian market aren't covered by the second amendment due to the fact that when the second amendment was passed there were't firearms such as AR-15's, Glocks, so on and so forth. That side of the argument often tries to attack the second amendment by trying to pass stricter gun laws or by trying to completely repeal the second amendment. On the other hand however, many people believe that laws regarding the second amendment are sufficient enough or too strict as is. The second amendment was introduced to protect the people. It was not just some law to allow people to simply just own firearms but it was instituted to keep...
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...of, if not the most, well known Amendment. The freedom of speech, petition, religion, press, and assembly is important to all Americans. However, the government feels that they hold power to monitor content on the internet, on a federal, state, and local level. This has become a recent controversy with Net Neutrality being in danger of being removed, the growing social media industry, and internet filters that are being put in place by school districts. There are implied powers involved in the Constitution, but with the creation of Net Neutrality, there should be no need for the use of any implied powers. A line that has been drawn, and no level of government should cross that line unless there is someone who is truly suspect as to being a threat to the safety of the citizens of the United States....
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...POS 301 Mark Koenig Rights and Freedoms of the First Amendment The United States Constitution gave us the several different rights and freedoms. We as Americans have the right to vote, speak our opinion, and worship freely. The Bill of Rights and Constitution were written over the last several years. The Constitution was written by the founding fathers of this country and is the foundational document of the United States. The First Amendment freedom that regards me the most is religious liberty. The First Amendment guaranteed by the First Amendments of the United States Constitution is the freedom to religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. (Billings, Roberts, Haynes, Chaltain, Glisson, 2008). Religious liberty gives us the ability to go to church on Sunday or pray at our homes. Freedom of speech is in the Bill of Rights stating that we are allowed to speak out and express our opinions without censorship or restraint. We are also having the right to protest for organize for change and for justice. The freedom of press is the right to write newspapers and allow readers to know your opinion on a subject or topic. The freedom of assembly is the right to freedom of association is recognized as a political right, human right, and civil liberty. The freedom of petition is the request that is made to one that is in authority. Some examples of petitions are collecting signatures and sending them to elected representatives, writing or calling elected representatives, and...
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...social issues, human rights are inherent to the dignity of every human person. Consequently, all human rights have equal status, and cannot be positioned in a hierarchical order. Denial of one right invariably impedes enjoyment of other rights. Thus, the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living cannot be compromised at the expense of other rights, such as the right to health or the right to education. First-generation human rights, often called "blue" rights, deal essentially with liberty and participation in political life. They are fundamentally civil and political in nature: They serve negatively to protect the individual from excesses of the state. First-generation rights include, among other things, freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial, freedom of religion and voting rights. Second-generation human rights Second-generation human rights are related to equality and began to be recognized by governments after World War II. They are fundamentally economic, social and cultural in nature. They guarantee different members of the citizenry...
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...Amendment One Freedom of Religion, Press, Speech, Assembly, Petition Amendment Two Right to Bear Arms Amendment Three Right to not have to quarter Soldiers and seizures Amendment Four Right to be free from un-reasonable searches and seizures Amendment Five Right to grand jury indictment, no double jeopardy, freedom from self-incrimination, due process of law Amendment Six Right to be in-formed of charges be present when wit-nesses speak in court, to call defense witnesses, to have a lawyer. Amendment Seven Right to a jury trial in civil cases Amendment Eight Freedom from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment Amendment Nine Guarantee of rights not listed in Constitution Amendment Ten Rights of states and people Amendment Eleven Prevents suits against states Amendment Twelve Election of the President(Election Procedures) Amendment Thirteen Abolition of slavery Outlawed Amendment Fourteen Right to be free from discrimination in states to have due process of law, to have equal protection of the law Amendment Fifteen Black Suffrage Amendment Sixteen Individual Income Tax Amendment Seventeen Election of National Senators Amendment Eighteen Prohibition of alcoholic beverages Amendment Nineteen Women's Suffrage Amendment Twenty Lame-Duck Period shortened for federal Officials Amendment Twenty One Repeal to Prohibition (they can drink again) Amendment Twenty Two Limitation of Presidential term of office Amendment Twenty Three Voters in Washington D.C. given...
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...There’s nothing like living in the United States, where diversity grows from coast to coast and the freedom of speech is instilled in all American citizens. America’s inception created the need for people to be safe and secure while pursuing the right to speak out against its government and instill change. The thousands of immigrants who poured into the U.S. left homelands full of tyrants and voiceless societies. Many historical events in America’s history would have never happened without free speech. The voices of many were often quieted and banned from returning because speaking against your government was seen as disgraceful. How can this be possible? The look to America, as it provides freedom and free speech for all. Free speech has been...
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...Let’s Debate? One of the greatest value this country holds is freedom of speech. It’s the first Amendment of the United States, making it one of the most sacred law. As citizens, being able to exercise this freedom is important because it let’s the government know if it’s been doing it’s job. But, should citizens be able to argue with one another like politicians do? In his book Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do, Michael J. Sandel argues that citizens should openly address moral disagreements on matter of public policy. I agree with his statement because historically, change has been accomplished by citizens addressing issues. Back in the early 1900’s, the status quo in the south was segregation. Both blacks and whites accepted this system....
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...address three fundamental liberties all citizens have: religion, speech and peaceful assembly. On closer inspection, there are six very different ideals melded together into one defining statement. When the U.S. Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787, it did not contain important freedoms that are now outlined in the Bill of Rights, because many of the Framers viewed some of the freedoms as unnecessary. However, after vigorous debate, the Bill of Rights was adopted. The first freedoms guaranteed in this historic document were expressed in 45 words written by James Madison that we have come to know as the First Amendment. The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Freedom of expression, artistic or otherwise in the United States is governed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Without a doubt the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is one of the most important rights afforded to us as Americans. Our freedom of expression and right to freedom of religion from government interference is protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Freedom of expression consists of the right to freedom of speech, press, and to petition the government for a...
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...went on to write “Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.” Those statements stressed her concern for how the women would be treated. Abigail sensed the struggles that were to come by her statement “If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies we are determined to ferment a rebellion.” She understood the unfairness of making one group subject to the will of another. John Adams response of “We know better than to repeal our masculine system.” Did not please Abigail. It was obvious by her response in a subsequent letter. Abigail wrote “Whilst you are proclaiming peace and good will to Men, Emancipating all Nations, you insist upon retaining an absolute power over wives.” That response said it all. It was obvious that she saw the hypocrisy in the Founding Fathers quest for equality. While they were fighting for freedom, they found it acceptable to suppress the rights of women denying them equal freedom. Abigail Adams was ahead of her time. She did not have a great impact on eighteenth century America but her ideas would continue to spread for generations to come. Women’s rights activists remained small throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. Women began to play a greater role in the public sphere by participating in various reform movements. One such movement was the Seneca Falls Convention. The Declaration of Independence was used as a model for the Declaration of Sentiments...
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...person. * Rights: (noun) Things to which you are entitled or allowed; freedoms that are guaranteed. * Human Rights: (noun) The rights you have simply because you are human. * Human rights are commonly understood as "inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being.” Human rights are thus conceived as universal (applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone). These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national and international law. The doctrine of human rights in international practice, within international law, global and regional institutions, in the policies of states and in the activities of non-governmental organizations, has been a cornerstone of public policy around the world. * Every person has dignity and value. One of the ways that we recognize this fundamental worth is by acknowledging and respecting a person’s human rights. * Human rights are concerned with equality and fairness. They recognize our freedom to make choices about our life and develop our potential as human beings. They are about living free from fear, harassment or discrimination. * There are a number of basic rights that people from around the world have agreed on, such as the right to life, freedom from torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment, rights to a fair trial, free speech and freedom of religion, rights to health, education and an adequate standard of living...
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...For example, without the First Amendment’s guarantee of the right to free speech, to assemble, and to petition government, the political branches would be less responsive to citizens’ concerns, and voters would be less informed of the significance of their choices. However, there are politicians who wish to challenge the First Amendment. With the possible exceptions of John Adams and Woodrow Wilson, there might never be a president more hostile to freedom of speech than Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton has promised, if elected, to introduce a constitutional amendment within her first month in office that would effectively repeal the First Amendment by overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v FEC decision from 2010.6 Americans can protect their civil liberties in regard to free speech by taking an absolutist zero-tolerance position in regard to censorship and speech policing.7 The United States has succeeded in preserving security and civil liberties by adopting policies that reinforce both; however, when it has departed from that course, both liberty and security have suffered. For example, while imprisoning those who actively conspire with the enemy in a time of war is sound policy, the internment of...
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...Why is the Constitution amended so rarely? The US constitution was written by the Founding Fathers years ago but it could be adapted to suit the modern era by the amendment process however there have been just 27 amendments passed with a mere 17 in the last 210 years. The first and probably most significant reason is that the Founding Fathers deliberately made the amendment process difficult. There is a formal process for amending the constitution which involves proposal and ratification. When an amendment to the constitution is proposed, it must be passed by both houses of the Congress by a two-thirds majority. Then it goes on to be passed by either the legislatures or conventions in the states, where it must be ratified by ¾ (38 states) of them. A second method (never used) is to get 2/3 of the legislatures of the states to call for a constitutional convention at which one or more amendments are proposed. If passed, any and all amendments from this convention would then have to be passed by 3/4 of the state legislatures or conventions again. The convention method has never been used to propose an amendment. It has been used to ratify one, which was the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment, which was national prohibition. This process has seen many proposals fall short of been passed as laws as even proposals which lose by just a single vote are not passed such as the 1995 balanced budget proposal which lost out in the senate. Another reason for rare amendment is...
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...the laws and rules of authority are written in one unified document, this form of constitution is, for example, within use in the USA. Although the British constitution is an uncodified one presently, it can be argued that it is becoming increasingly codified for several reasons. One of these reasons is due to the effects of our membership as a country in the EU, as of 1973. One of the effects that took place in UK politics after joining the EU was the introduction of the 1998 Human Rights Act. This would enshrine the already present convention within UK law, but would also effectively replace much of the common law within respect to various freedoms for the countries population, (for example the freedom from arrest without trial, which would later result in tension over terrorism and attempted terrorism, and the freesom of speech assembly). The introduction of the Human Rights Act in the UK increased the overall political role of the judges due to how they could now declare acts of parliament or decisions of ministers to be incompatible with the Human Rights Act. This also concequently has cause te devolution of legislation, therefore limiting the legal powers that Westminster possesses, where parliament before had been a purely sovereign parliament this therefore established a...
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...among other things, that individuals can take human rights cases in domestic courts; they no longer have to go to Strasbourg to argue their case in the European Court of Human Rights. The Act sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that individuals in the UK have access to. They include: * Right to life * Freedom from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment * Right to liberty and security * Freedom from slavery and forced labor * Right to a fair trial * No punishment without law * Respect for your private and family life, home and correspondence * Freedom of thought, belief and religion * Freedom of expression * Freedom of assembly and association * Right to marry and start a family * Protection from discrimination in respect of these rights and freedoms * Right to peaceful enjoyment of your property * Right to education * Right to participate in free elections The Human Rights Act 1998 (c 42) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000.[1] Its aim is to "give further effect" in UK law to the rights contained in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, but more commonly known as the European Convention on Human Rights. The Act makes available in UK courts a remedy for breach of a...
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