Civil Liberties
The U.S. system of government is founded on the idea of majority rule balanced by a guarantee of individual rights—especially the right to dissent from and criticize the government. Civil liberties are threatened when an administration or Congress believes in protecting the rights and privileges of the government instead of those of the people.
The framers of the Constitution understood the importance of this issue and enacted the Bill of Rights to protect the people against excesses by government. Civil liberties belong to everyone citizens, visitors, students—all persons.
One important area of civil liberties is students’ rights, especially because young people may not be aware of or able to protect their own rights. Contrary to the the way many schools and educators act, the Bill of Rights does not stop at the school-house gate. more… →
‘It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government.’ —Tom Paine
‘When the government fears the people, you have liberty; when the people fear the government, you have tyranny.’
—Thomas Jefferson
MLK’s Final Speech
I Have Been to the Mountaintop Martin Luther King, Jr. April 3, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee “Thank you very kindly, my friends. As I listened to Ralph Abernathy in his eloquent and generous introduction and then thought about myself, I wondered … more
Chocolate: The Bitter Truth
Fair Trade isn’t just about coffee. Many commodities are subject to abuse by large trading corporations and large growers. Coffee is perhaps the largest volume, but tea, chocolate, sugar, bananas, and many others are also important. Chocolate is subject not … more
Bethlehem Police Supports Occupy Bethlehem
The following statement by the Bethlehem Police Department is a positive response to the Occupy! movement. We’ve posted it here because it is also a good recap of the reasons why protest is not only important, but is also protected … more
Statement from the NYC General Assembly
Following is the first collective statement from the New York City General Assembly, issued October 5 2011. As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. … more
Why Students’ Rights Are So Important
Although some schools act as if the Bill of Rights doesn’t apply to students in school, the Supreme Court of the U.S. has made clear that it does apply. In many schools right here in the Lehigh Valley, students are denied … more
Students’ Rights in Pennsylvania
Lehigh ValleyThe U.S. and Pennsylvania Constitutions guarantee certain rights, and most of them apply to students in public schools. The Pennsylvania School Code and the federal Equal Access Act spell out some additional rights for public-school students. For instance, students … more
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948 On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the … more
Video Surveillance Systems [CCTV]
Modern video surveillance technology is very different from fixed security cameras used to protect cashiers and vulnerable locations. Study after study in other cities shows that they are not particularly effective, and there is no creditable evidence that they prevent … more
Freedom of Speech at Musikfest and other events
When a festival or special event takes over part of your town, it does not cancel the protections guaranteed under the First Amendment. In past years, free speech at Musikfest was confined to a single area, people were not permitted … more
The Bill of Rights
(Amendments 1–10 to the U.S. Constitution, Ratified December 15, 1791) Amendment I 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 … more