... of the decision. They stated that the constitutional test for obscenity is "whether to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to prurient interest." They said that under this test, a community standard is a national standard ... brought suit in a state court alleging that he had been libeled by an advertisement in corporate petitioner's newspaper. The advertisement included statements, some of which were false, about police actions against students who participated in civil rights demonstrations and again...

• Word Count: 2444
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... were suppose to enforce the constitution. Sullivan's argument in the case was that he was associated because of the mention of police and that the statements were false. He has six witnesses in his defense that claimed that this effected Sullivan's reputation in a bad way. One of the witnesses was ... libel laws and repair the reputation of a private party. The aim was to discourage not false but true accounts of life under a system of white supremacy: stories about men being lynched for trying to vote; about cynical judges using the law to suppress constitutional rights, about police ch...

• Word Count: 2487
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... our earliest state and national constitutions that "all men are born free and equal, and have natural, essential, and unalienable rights." Over time, the phrase "all men" began to be defined as "all men," meaning mankind, a word including women, children, and minorities. This expanding concept was ... amendment stating "nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy" relates to the better known phrase of double jeopardy. The constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy was designed to protect an individual from being subjected to the hazards of tri...

• Word Count: 3780
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... 's age, race, height, build, facial hair, and gave a detailed description of his clothing. She stated at the time that her attacker wore a "white thermal undershirt, black pants with a silver or gold buckle, a brown leather three-quarter length coat, and a dark knit cap." The Detectives Ronald R. ... two of Franks' colleagues. According to the affidavit, one of Franks' coworkers said "the normal dress of Jerome Franks does consist of a white knit thermal undershirt and a brown leather jacket." The other colleague, again, according to the detectives' affidavit, said that in addition to th...

• Word Count: 1545
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... demographic, gender, sexuality, and economic status under the law. However when the Declaration of Independence was constructed, "All men" generally meant white, free, and literate. Basically the founders of the declaration of independence would have identified themselves as "all men." Also the men includes those ... The 13th amendment expanded civil rights because it gave African-Americans much freedom and made them less inferior to their white counterparts. The 14th amendment continued on with the constitutional phrase "that all Men are created equal." Now based on this amendment the "...

• Word Count: 1024
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... . However, the contemporary interpretation has come to mean protection of the people from the church. People making this interpretation twist the meaning of the phrase, "separation of church and state" to support this new view of the First Amendment. This began in 1947 with the United States Supreme Court ... the way for future cases that would further restrict religious expression in American public life." (Jeremiah Project, p.3) It was Justice Black who linked the phrase, "separation of church and state" with the First Amendment. According to Mathew Staver, Supreme Court Justice Oliver...

• Word Count: 951
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... of the most important cases in the history of the Supreme Court's church/state decisions, the Supreme Court ruled 7 to 1 that it was unconstitutional for a government agency like a school or government agents like public school employees to require students to recite prayers (about.com 1). This was the first case which effectively prohibited the government from sponsoring or endorsing official prayers in ... to pray exclusively Christian prayers as an organized part of the school schedule. However, they may be able to hear or read prayers from a variety of religious traditions and inspi...

• Word Count: 1128
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Death Groups state that's it's cheaper to execute the offender, also claiming, it would be a burden lifted off the victims family. Are these statements really the truth? Just how wrong is the death penalty? The rise of crime makes it clear that there must be something done to punish criminals ... sentenced to the death penalty. Criminals who murder whites are more likely to be sentenced to death than those who murder blacks. Does this seem like justice? A report from Amnesty International found that the use of the death penalty in the United States was racially biased (http://www.amnestyu...

• Word Count: 902
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... stated that, "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right...to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence." A first reading of this phrase one might be think that this right, that which gives a person accused of a crime to have lawyers for his defense, is common knowledge being that ... grounds that in that county it was not practice in that county for the court to appoint counsel to poor defendants only in capital cases. Like Gideon, Betts conducted his own defense and was convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. Betts sent an appeal to the Supreme Cou...

• Word Count: 2059
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

I am female, white, and straight. Five years from now, I will be living the American dream, marrying an average working-class hero type of man. I will be happy and in love. However, millions of ... 's romance can be compared to Shakespeare's famous love story. If Romeo and Juliet had a choice, they would not have fallen in love. They chose to follow their hearts, but just like most people the famous star-crossed lovers did not choose their love for one another. Just as Romeo and Juliet could not be blamed for their relationship, neither should a homosexual ... couple in these modern days. Wh...

• Word Count: 750
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... amendments, the Bill of Rights, are all concerned with the protection and preservation of individual rights. The First and Fourth Amendment use the same phrase, "rights of the people ", but no one argues that in those instances the phrase is referring to the citizens, to everyone (Hatch). In the case, U.S. v. Emerson, the Supreme Court came out with a mandate of its own referring ... Court stated, "We have found no historical evidence that the Second Amendment was intended to convey militia power to the states All of the evidence indicates that the Second Amendment, like other parts of ...

• Word Count: 1951
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... maintaining power. Another of Kipnis's negative effects of power is the tendency to use it for selfish purposes (p.433). In politics this can be seen as the predilection towards making statements for short term political gain that are either nonsensical or contradictory to past positions held by the candidates themselves. While this may not be the use of actual power, it ... first place), but they couldn't overcome their hostility long enough to run it at all. If the Speaker is to be believed (although he has since tried to retract his statements), the entire episode resulted not from a...

• Word Count: 2278
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... how effectively the government worked. In "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", this former slave describes his experience growing up as a Negro in America. He portrays what life was like as a piece of property and tells his own interpretation of freedom. His point of view of freedom clearly differs from what the founding fathers thought it to be. Since Frederick ... was deprived of so much as a child, his picture of freedom is much more elemental and primitive to that of a wealthy white man. Due to his poor misfortune, Frederick looks at life from a different angle than the av...

• Word Count: 615
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... committed with firearms. In addition to that 60 % of all suicides among youths is committed with a handgun. The total firearm death rate concerning white males in their teens now exceed natural causes (O"Donnell 771). These are alarming statistics show the brutal reality of firearms in the U.S. A study ... and high impact ammunition, guns have become deadlier, which leaves a greater responsibility on the owners. Are people ready for that responsibility? A quite common phrase is: "Guns don't kill people, it is the people that pull the trigger." Yes, people do the killing, but does that ju...

• Word Count: 2579
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... violated the privacy of Katz. "The Fourth Amendment governs not only the seizure of tangible items but extends as well the recording of oral statements." The surveillance in this case could have been legal by the constitution, but it was not part of the warrant issued. Warrants are very ... on visible or other evidence of probable cause cut across the board and are not peculiar to any kind of crime." Mr. Justice Harlan concurred that," Like a home a telephone booth has its privacy. And the intrusion into a place that is private is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Also, warrants ... ...

• Word Count: 1079
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... fact, eighty percent of the guests were from another state. It emphasized their facilities for conventions and welcomed major corporations and social organizations. This limited their guests to only the white race. Their policy was considered constitutional until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Heart of Atlanta Motel continued their policy until it was brought to the authorities" attention. They ... process of law. It did not, because it was a place of public accommodation, and the rights of many people have priority over the right of the few. This is a major theme and battle in the c...

• Word Count: 1045
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... -defense or any other purpose unrelated to a state militia was not discussed. (Roleff 1997) Automatic weapons are guns, which fire multiple each rounds with each pull of the trigger, much like a rapid-fire machine gun. Semi-automatic weapons are guns, which fire only one round per trigger pull. (Roleff 2000) Semi-automatic guns have been sold to the general public for ... the United States every year. (Katz 1974) An example of people using guns to hurt people would be at the day care in North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills, CA (outlying Los Angeles area), where Burford O...

• Word Count: 1593
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... involving the reconciliation of a variety of state, political, and economic interests. I agree more with Michael Parenti in the fact that it was written in a classist society. Madison makes very wise statements in Federalists #10 and #51. I agree with many of his arguments. He ratifies the Constitution in a knowledgeable way. There's always going to be factions. In order to protect the minority ... ...

• Word Count: 935
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction. The function of the Freedom of speech is to ensure that statements issued, including online, do not violate existing laws. Laws that regulate the time, manner and place, but not content of speech in a public forum receive less examination by the Court ... ...

• Word Count: 1158
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... as an enormous threat. Such as if he or she were in an Air Port, security would search, investigate, and antagonize them. Soon enough "Free speech" will become an empty phrase and in the end, it will be used to mean "speech we approve of will be free." Because religious belief is such an important part of life, it affects every ... ...

• Word Count: 376
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... of that. The judge has to make sure that it's voluntary, and establish that there is a proper basis for him to enter the plea. We can make any kinds of statements to make Mr. Moussaui's plea to be seemed knowingly, intelligently, and voluntary entered. However, although the death penalty is his representation, it is unacceptable to give the death penalty to ... ...

• Word Count: 491
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... future crimes by scaring the would-be murderer with the consequence he would pay for his action. In the end, the main support for capital punishment comes from one Greek phrase, "lex talionis," meaning, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, an arm for an arm, a life for a life." When it comes to capital punishment, most people find themselves wondering ... ...

• Word Count: 1521
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Reading Packet, page 105). The article is very similar in facts to the class discussions and readings. Some articles point out things that are true and other point out contradictory statements. As an article is read a person must decipher if what they are reading is the truth, be it partial or whole. From there they can see if the article can ... ...

• Word Count: 713
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the power to declare national emergencies. 3. Expressed powers: are those that are specifically written into the constitution or laws. 4. Inherent powers: those that can be inferred from loosely worded constitutional statements, such as "executive power shall be vested in a President." Emergency powers invoked by the president during wartime are an example of inherent powers. ...

• Word Count: 1091
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... and cultures in ways that are constitutionally permissible and beneficial to the students (Public Schools & Religious Communities). The American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) and other organizations offer informational messages and statements that inform interested citizens that their individual rights are threatened They encourage individuals to join them, and offer opinions along with others who have similar interests and opinions (Criminal Justice ... ...

• Word Count: 1227
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School