Human rights are the core component of the functioning of modern society as they ensure that people will benefit from the growing number of opportunities and enjoy the high quality of life. Unfortunately, there are still many cases of discrimination or infringement of basic freedoms guaranteed to individuals by the law. In many situations, they emerge because of the lack of knowledge about the existing rights and how they should be protected. For this reason, the primary goal of ACLU is to inform populations about their rights and outline current issues related to this sphere to attract public’s attention and look for a potent solution to improve outcomes and ensure that no person is limited in his/her opportunities for self-development.
One of the issues ACLU devotes significant attention is the freedom of speech which is an integral part of any civilized and democratic society. For this reason, the organization provides a list of current issues related to the topic. For instance, the press release about the case of Julian Assange emphasizes the fact that any attempts to prosecute his publishing operations will result in the appearance of dangerous precedents contributing to the emergence of new criminal investigations that can be considered unconstitutional (“ACLU comment”, 2018).
In such a way, this event is directly related to the freedom of speech as journalists try to provide people with information that might interest them (“ACLU comment”, 2018). The given situation evidences the existence of serious problems in the given field that should be addressed to achieve improvement of the situation.
Another discussed news is the attempt of the three Alabama citizens to protect their rights for using Twitter as one of the forms of expression. They filed a lawsuit challenging Secretary of State John Merrill for preventing them from using this social media (“John Merrill sued”, 2018). These individuals are sure that this decision contradicts the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as all citizens should have the right to discuss their attitudes or perspectives freely (“John Merrill sued”, 2018).
The case shows that social media can also become a tool used to discriminate people and limit them in their opportunities to communicate and share visions. These two cases show that there are still many issues regarding the freedom of speech globally and the activity of organizations such as ACLU is vital for informing people about their rights and existing problems that should be solved.
The ACLU provides an opportunity to acquire some new information about people’s rights and how you should act in particular situations. For instance, in the sphere of criminal law, the site provides a set of recommendations on how to behave in situations that might presuppose infringement of your basic freedoms. For instance, during the police encounters, individuals have the right to refuse to consent to a search. It ensures that there will be no abuse of power or any other inappropriate actions. Additionally, if a person is not under arrest, he/she can leave regardless of any other orders. It can sound surprising to the majority of citizens as they are sure that police officers have the right to stop anyone. In such a way, all individuals should possess an improved understanding of this sphere and ACLU contributes to it.
Another important activity of the discussed organization is the attempt to defend people’s rights and guarantee that their freedoms are observed. For instance, there is a campaign for Smart Justice organized by ACLU with the primary aim to reduce the number of people entering prisons and reconsider laws and policies that result in extraordinary long prison terms (“Smart justice”, 2018).
The organization is sure that the number of incarcerated people in the USA is unacceptably high, which means that many of their rights are infringed (“Smart justice”, 2018). For this reason, there is a critical need to protect people from the abuse of power and guarantee that they are treated appropriately and provided with acceptable punishments for various violations. This position can be considered relevant as there is credible evidence of the complexity of the situation.
ACLU also gives attention to the protection of immigrants’ rights and their opportunity to outline their position. For instance, in its report, the organization states that the bigger part of people who are deported from the USA each year, do not have a chance to have their claims heard in court (“American exile”, 2018). It apparently infringes basic human rights, regardless of citizenship or nationality.
The existing laws and regulations are not sufficient enough to protect this category of people from new problems and incidents of this sort. That is why ACLU is sure that there is the critical need to perform some actions to for immigrants to have an opportunity to get information about their rights and protect them in courts. This position also seems fair because of the universal character of human rights and the need to defend them regardless of cultural differences.
Another organization that monitors human rights and tries to reduce the number of problematic issues is the Institute of Justice. Its central mission is the observation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and to inform citizens about the existing freedoms and mobilize them to struggle for the basic laws observation. The given task should be considered important for the modern world as it ensures that there will be no rude violations or discrimination.
To attract people’s attention to the problem, the organization also outlines all current cases related to the sphere and initiates public discussion focused on the creation of the appropriate solution that will help to improve the situation. There are also some projects aimed at the engagement of wide populations into the activity needed to cultivate the fair environment and avoid cases of injustice.
For instance, one of the offered cases revolves around the Valancourt Books, a small publishing company that was provided with penalties by the state. In accordance with the existing federal law, one should not print a new book in the USA not having provided two copies to the government (“Virginia books”, 2018). The situation shows the existence of a particular barrier to the cultivation of free speech because of the outdated legislation and rude violations of the First Amendment (“Virginia books”, 2018).
Another issue mentioned by the organization is related to the sphere of economic liberty as Benny Diaz, and Brian Peffer cannot serve their food because of the existing ban on food trucks that are not allowed to operate within 500 feet from a restaurant (“Fort Pierce food trucks”, 2018). This regulation limits people’s opportunity for further development and their economic liberty by preventing them from selecting the best possible options for their business.
Altogether, the activity of these two organizations becomes critical regarding the existence of multiple issues in the sphere of human rights. Their efforts are focused on the cultivation of fair and democratic society that will respect all individuals and provide opportunities for the fulfillment of their needs. For this reason, both ACLU and Institute of Justice should be taken as significant actors that offer knowledge to population and try to protect their civil freedoms and rights.
References
ACLU comment on report of DOJ preparing to prosecute Julian Assange. (2018). Web.
American exile: Rapid deportations that bypass the courtroom. (2018). Web.
Fort Pierce food trucks. (2018). Web.
John Merrill sued over Twitter blocking. (2018). Web.
Smart justice. (2018). Web.
Virginia books. (2018). Web.