Civil Rights

Civil Rights
Name
Institutional Affiliation

Civil Rights
Democratic values of the United States protect civil rights, and their violation or interference generates an action for injury. Civil rights are broad sets of rights that ensure the protection of individuals from discrimination and mistreatment. As such, they are rights that ensure equal treatment in various situations such as employment, public accommodations, and employment based on specific characteristics. Historically, efforts towards the achievement of equal treatment spearheaded by African Americans led to the advancement of equality of every American regardless of their religion, race, national origin, sex, or other characteristics. Federal laws regulate and guarantee civil rights through legislation such as Civil Rights Act of 1964, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Voting Rights of 1965 and many others found in the constitution (Hall, 2005). Despite major Amendments in the American constitution, discriminations still exist in America and people should take certain measures to ensure the protection of their Civil Rights.
Individuals who believe that their Civil Rights are being violated should seek legal redress since the American constitution provides various laws that safeguard its citizens against mistreatment. The Fifth Amendment Clause contained in the American constitution provides that the government should protect every person’s rights (Hall, 2005). As such, equal protection requires the government to uphold impartiality when dealing with people of diverse background.

If a person feels the government is violating his civil rights, he can sue the state or any agency for relief. However, the individual should prove the alleged discrimination and how it has affected them. The court will then scrutinize the governmental body in ways such as rational basis scrutiny, immediate or strict scrutiny to establish if the action is permissible. Depending on legal precedence, the court will determine the applicable level of scrutiny to subject the individual.

References
Hall, J. D. (2005). The Long Civil Rights Movement and the Political Uses of the Past. The Journal of American History, 1233-62. Retrieved from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/ows/seminars/tcentury/movinglr/longcivilrights