As an American citizen, you are entitled to certain rights under the law. These rights ensure your freedom from government infringement under certain circumstances, and they are at the core of most of our ideals. You may be familiar with the concept of civil rights, but you may be a little less assured about the specifics or about how they apply to you. Below is a basic overview of the rights to which we are entitled — and some examples of when you should seek representation and expertise for complex civil litigation or trial consulting services.
Your civil rights include…
- The right to life: Even more than the ability to physically live, you are entitled to making your own choices for how you live your life, free of government interference. You have the freedom to pursue your own career, live where you want, and choose whether you want to get married and/or have children.
- The right to liberty: Although you do have to pay taxes and obey the letter of the law, you have a right to freedom. Your government cannot force you to vote a certain way or to make decisions against your free will for the sake of the entire nation.
- The right to property: This doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to receiving property from the government. It means that you have a right to make income and then spend it how you see fit — and that includes property ownership. If you own property legally, the government cannot take it away from you (except in the case of bankruptcy).
- The right to the pursuit of happiness: As long as you don’t hurt anyone, you have a right to pursue things that are fulfilling and satisfying. The government cannot force you to give up what makes you happy for the sake of the country.
In addition to government interference, these rights also protect you from discrimination as a result of your gender, your race, your religion, your sexual orientation, or a disability. If you are denied access to housing or are not hired for a position because of one or more of these reasons, that’s an example of a civil rights violation.
If you feel you’ve experienced discrimination because of one of the aforementioned reasons, you should consult with an attorney — or if you don’t want to pursue a traditional court case in the criminal justice system, you may want to inquire about mediation services to rectify the issue. More.