Journal 30

Civil rights are an important part of any society.  They provide guidance and equality for a nation's citizens. Civil rights are meant to be shared by all citizens under the law, regardless of factors such as creed, race, gender, or the like.  There had been times in history, and still are today, when certain persons were not given their due rights.  People were kept from voting, owning land, having equal opportunities, and much more; immigrants had even been shipped back to their home country without trial.  Clearly our society here in the United States is not perfect.  It never has been and it never will be.  It has, however, improved significantly in the terms of granting people such as women, minorities, and immigrants the same freedoms or at least comparable to those of "normal" citizens.  This happened because people got together and decided that they were tired of being treated as inferior to others with no justifiable reason.  How would African Americans be treated today had the African American Rights Movement not taken place?  What reason would people and the government have to change their attitudes and actions?  I am not so certain tat they would have, at least, not so quickly as had actually taken place.  I cannot even fathom not being allowed to vote when I turn eighteen.  Voting is a right, as I see it, that can easily be left unappreciated, despite its significance.  Our country would not be a democracy if its citizens were withheld the privilege of voting.  How could it be if the people were not able to give their input on how they view the nation should be run?  Now, if only a group of this nation's citizens were given this capability, would the nation then be but a partial democracy since only a portion of the people living within its boundaries are granted the vote?  Whatever they may be, civil rights offer basic freedoms and guidelines which are necessary for the total well-being of those who call the land their home.