Evolution of Civil Liberties: A Historical Perspective

Throughout millennia, issues of civil liberties have been on the forefront of human rights movements. Civil liberties change from each culture to culture, but in America there have been noticeable phase shifts. First, the issue was between natives and conquistadors, then black and whites, then women and men, and now one of the main battles is between gay and straight people. Dr. Martin Luther King was an instrumental public figure during the black civil rights movement. He argued that there are four basic elements that each represent a fundamental step towards a situation that needs change: collecting facts, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. Though these were the components he suggested for black equality, this module can also

Dating back to the 1940s’, peaceful protests are one of the well-known methods to engage in direct action, particularly for the LGBT movement. Public speeches, rally, and expos are also other forms of nonviolent direct action. This method of campaigning can be an ethical high ground from which a community can be built to harness the strength of many to stand up to injustice, take action together, and empower others for change. Nonviolent direct action is known by many names: Gandhi called it satyagraha or “truth or soul force,” Judaism calls it Tikkun Olam or “to heal the world,” Henry Thoreau called it civil disobedience, and others simply call it people power. Whatever the name, nonviolent direct action is a proven method to institute peaceful insurgence through directly confront and disrupt situations, institutions, or laws that is oppose as morally unjust. Place such as California, Hawaii, New York, the District of Columbia, and ___ other states all have domestic and civil partnership laws, which is close it a marriage without matrimony but still allow couples the ability to have joint bank accounts, live in the same house, pay bills together, etc. Though these are sensational accomplishments, the endeavor is no where near over. Peaceful protests have been monumental actions to aid causes like

America has feared that different religions would clash coming into one nation, but now the majority of religions coexist in American without harm. Whites previously owned Black and Hispanic slaves, but the nation overcame the odds and now people of all colors have protection as equals. If it is possible to overcome such fierce obstacles, then surely the nation can again can overcome the boundary obstructing LGBT rights and marriages. Evolution will forever continue and at any given point in time, something else will occur that is against the norm, but humans have the ability can overcome it. Most believe there is one person out there to love us, and gay people feel the same way; gender is not a defining factor to love. LGBT equality is a controversial issue that people have been fighting for decades and more recently the debates have gained popularity, so it is time to take charge of