Bill of rights

You​ ​learned​ ​in​ ​the​ ​lesson​ ​that​ ​the​ ​Constitution​ ​protects​ ​individual​ ​rights​ ​that​ ​affect​ ​most citizens'​ ​daily​ ​lives.​ ​You​ ​also​ ​learned​ ​that​ ​the​ ​government​ ​must​ ​balance​ ​the​ ​rights​ ​and​ ​needs of​ ​individuals​ ​with​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​the​ ​public.​ ​Limitations​ ​to​ ​individual​ ​rights​ ​are​ ​most​ ​obvious during​ ​a​ ​time​ ​of​ ​crisis.

Imagine​ ​your​ ​area​ ​is​ ​in​ ​a​ ​state​ ​of​ ​emergency​ ​and​ ​you​ ​are​ ​concerned​ ​about​ ​the​ ​balance​ ​of liberty​ ​and​ ​security​ ​as​ ​people​ ​try​ ​to​ ​return​ ​to​ ​their​ ​normal​ ​lives,​ ​recover​ ​what​ ​was​ ​lost,​ ​and rebuild​ ​what​ ​was​ ​destroyed.​ ​Compose​ ​an​ ​email​ ​you​ ​could​ ​send​ ​to​ ​elected​ ​officials​ ​to​ ​voice your​ ​concerns.​ ​Your​ ​email​ ​should​ ​include​ ​positions​ ​on​ ​two​ ​of​ ​the​ ​potential​ ​issues​ ​related​ ​to civil​ ​liberties​ ​found​ ​below.

Steps

1. Use​ ​this​ ​​Template​​ ​for​ ​your​ ​email.​ ​Write​ ​an​ ​introductory​ ​paragraph​ ​for​ ​your​ ​email​ ​that explains​ ​why​ ​rights​ ​are​ ​not​ ​absolute.​ ​Include​ ​how​ ​the​ ​Constitution​ ​safeguards​ ​and​ ​limits individual​ ​rights.

2. Imagine​ ​that​ ​the​ ​following​ ​situations​ ​have​ ​occurred​ ​in​ ​your​ ​community​ ​following​ ​the disaster.​ ​Select​ ​two​ ​of​ ​the​ ​following​ ​situations​ ​to​ ​address​ ​and​ ​evaluate​ ​in​ ​your​ ​email:

○ ©​ ​2012​ ​BananaStock/Thinkstock ○ The​ ​government​ ​suspended​ ​the​ ​right​ ​of​ ​habeas​ ​corpus​ ​(the​ ​right​ ​to​ ​see​ ​a

judge​ ​after​ ​arrest​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​if​ ​imprisonment​ ​is​ ​lawful). ○ The​ ​government​ ​forced​ ​people​ ​to​ ​evacuate​ ​from​ ​their​ ​homes. ○ The​ ​press​ ​accessed​ ​the​ ​disaster​ ​area​ ​and​ ​published​ ​a​ ​story​ ​in​ ​a​ ​national

newspaper​ ​about​ ​the​ ​event. ○ The​ ​government​ ​allowed​ ​federal​ ​and​ ​state​ ​troops​ ​to​ ​be​ ​quartered​ ​in​ ​private

residences​ ​to​ ​assist​ ​residents​ ​and​ ​protect​ ​order. ○ Citizens​ ​were​ ​denied​ ​the​ ​right​ ​to​ ​bring​ ​legally​ ​owned​ ​firearms​ ​to​ ​storm

shelters. ○ The​ ​government​ ​made​ ​certain​ ​dangerous​ ​areas​ ​off-limits,​ ​which​ ​prevented

residents​ ​from​ ​accessing​ ​their​ ​homes​ ​and​ ​personal​ ​property. ○ Prisoners​ ​were​ ​kept​ ​in​ ​prisons​ ​that​ ​lacked​ ​power,​ ​supplies,​ ​and​ ​plumbing

during​ ​the​ ​emergency. ○ The​ ​federal​ ​and​ ​state​ ​courts​ ​postponed​ ​scheduled​ ​criminal​ ​and​ ​civil​ ​trials​ ​due

to​ ​the​ ​emergency. ○ The​ ​government​ ​prevented​ ​the​ ​press​ ​from​ ​publishing​ ​graphic​ ​photos​ ​of

victims​ ​of​ ​the​ ​natural​ ​disaster​ ​to​ ​protect​ ​the​ ​privacy​ ​of​ ​the​ ​victim’s​ ​family. ○ The​ ​federal​ ​government​ ​stated​ ​that​ ​local​ ​and​ ​state​ ​governments​ ​are​ ​solely

responsible​ ​for​ ​the​ ​disaster​ ​recovery​ ​efforts​ ​and​ ​that​ ​it​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​providing assistance.

3. Once​ ​you​ ​have​ ​chosen​ ​the​ ​concerns​ ​you​ ​wish​ ​to​ ​address,​ ​compose​ ​a​ ​well-written response​ ​to​ ​each​ ​situation​ ​with​ ​the​ ​following​ ​information:

○ the​ ​Constitutional​ ​amendment​ ​that​ ​relates​ ​to​ ​the​ ​situation ○ arguments​ ​that​ ​could​ ​be​ ​made​ ​for​ ​or​ ​against​ ​the​ ​action​ ​that​ ​took​ ​place ○ your​ ​position​ ​on​ ​the​ ​situation​ ​and​ ​the​ ​reasons​ ​you​ ​think​ ​officials​ ​should​ ​agree

with​ ​you 4. Save​ ​your​ ​email​ ​and​ ​check​ ​it​ ​for​ ​spelling​ ​and​ ​grammar.

Template

Instructions:​ ​​Replace​ ​the​ ​information​ ​(in​ ​parentheses)​ ​with​ ​your​ ​own​ ​thoughts​ ​and information​ ​from​ ​the​ ​lesson.

Hello​ ​________​ ​(name​ ​of​ ​one​ ​of​ ​your​ ​elected​ ​officials​ ​at​ ​the​ ​local,​ ​state,​ ​or​ ​national​ ​level) ____,

(Write​ ​paragraph​ ​one​ ​here.​ ​Paragraph​ ​one​ ​should​ ​address​ ​why​ ​rights​ ​are​ ​not​ ​absolute. Explain​ ​how​ ​the​ ​Constitution​ ​safeguards​ ​and​ ​limits​ ​individual​ ​rights.)

(Paragraph​ ​two​ ​should​ ​address​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ten​ ​situations​ ​from​ ​the​ ​list.​ ​Be​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​include​ ​the following​ ​information​ ​in​ ​the​ ​paragraph:

● the​ ​Constitutional​ ​amendment​ ​that​ ​relates​ ​to​ ​the​ ​situation ● arguments​ ​that​ ​could​ ​be​ ​made​ ​for​ ​or​ ​against​ ​the​ ​action​ ​that​ ​took​ ​place ● your​ ​position​ ​on​ ​the​ ​situation​ ​and​ ​the​ ​reasons​ ​you​ ​think​ ​officials​ ​should​ ​agree​ ​with​ ​you)

(Paragraph​ ​three​ ​should​ ​address​ ​a​ ​different​ ​situation​ ​from​ ​the​ ​list.​ ​Address​ ​the​ ​bulleted​ ​items again​ ​for​ ​this​ ​second​ ​situation.)

(Short​ ​summary​ ​conclusion​ ​with​ ​points​ ​made​ ​in​ ​your​ ​email​ ​and​ ​appreciation​ ​expressed​ ​for​ ​the officials’​ ​time.)

Sincerely,

(Your​ ​Name)