·         Portfolio #3 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Civil Liberties vs. Civil Rights

People in the USA are beginning to question whether democracy is worth fighting for as more instances are identified in which human beings find themselves ‘above the law.’  Visit the links below:

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/troubled_ny_politicians_a_list_of_arrests_scandals_misdeeds_and_controversies.html

https://fee.org/articles/government-workers-are-americas-new-elite/

1.        Define Civil Liberties; then define Civil Rights. How are they similar? 
Although these terms can be used interchangeably, they are not the same.  For an explanation of the difference, try viewing these web sites.

https://u.osu.edu/ratliff.121/2015/03/08/the-distinction-between-civil-liberties-and-civil-rights/

www.ushistory.org/gov/10.asp

2.        Choose one Supreme Court case from the civil liberties category and one from the civil rights category.  Research the cases using oyez.org.  Describe the cases.  Based on the definitions, explain why one case is a civil liberties case and the other a civil rights case.  Of your two cases, which do you think would have more influence on quality of life in Texas?  In each case, determine who would be most impacted by the judicial decisions. 

Civil Liberties Case Options

Kyollo vs. United States

New York Times vs. United States

Texas vs. Johnson

Mapp vs. Ohio

Engle vs. Vitale

Civil Rights Case Options

Korematsu vs. United States

Sweatt vs. Painter

Brown vs. Board of Education II

Loving vs. Virginia

3.       Review the case Texas vs. Hernandez.  Describe the case.  Do you consider this case a civil liberties case or a civil rights case?  Why?

4.       Using the links about scandals, end your essay by considering the phrase “equal justice under law.”  How close are we to achieving this ideal?