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Civil Liberties: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Average Cost of an Abortion
How much money does an abortion cost? Learn the average cost of an abortion.
Why is Marijuana Illegal?
Why is marijuana illegal? Find out inside.
Why Marijuana Should Be Legal
8 reasons why marijuana should be legalized.
Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
The pro-life vs pro-choice debate is central to American social policy, religion, and culture. Learn why here.
Defending Same-Sex Marriage
The American Family Association has published ten arguments against same-sex marriage. Unfortunately for the AFA, none of these arguments hold water.
The 8 Worst Presidents Ever
The 8 worst presidents ever on civil liberties issues.
Arguments for the Death Penalty
Debunking five common arguments in favor of the death penalty.
Yes to Gay Marriage
The last page of a formidable pro-gay marriage article on legal gay marriage supporting a pro-same sex marriage position in opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment.
The Fifth Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of the Fifth Amendment, which governs confessions and protects property rights, among other things.
History of the War on Drugs
A timeline history of the War on Drugs.
Interracial Marriage Laws
A timeline history of interracial marriage laws.
History of Prostitution
An illustrated timeline documenting the history of prostitution, from ancient Mesopotamia to the present.
Why is Abortion Legal?
Why is abortion legal in the United States? Tom Head explains.
Human Rights in North Korea
A human rights profile of the government of North Korea, known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is guilty of systemic human rights abuses and human rights violations.
What is Abortion?
What is abortion? Find out here.
History of Feminism
A history of feminism in the United States. Includes illustrations and links to further resources on specific events.
Flag Burning Laws
Information about laws banning the burning and other desecration of the American flag, Texas v. Johnson, the Flag Protection Act, and the Flag Desecration Amendment.
Types of Executions
An illustrated guide to various types of execution, capital punishment, and death penalty enforcement that are still in use today.
Heteronormativity
What is heteronormativity? Read this definition.
Gun Rights Under President Ronald Reagan
Gun rights took a step forward during President Ronald Reagan's administration, but took a step back after his presidency due in part to legislation that he supported. Learn about the important Second Amendment-related measures of the Reagan era, how they related to gun rights, and President Ronald Reagan's stance on them.
History of the Second Amendment
A guide to important dates in America's gun rights history. Learn the timeline and important dates of the Second Amendment and challenges to gun rights.
Saddam Hussein's War Crimes
An overview of Saddam Hussein's crimes against humanity. From the time of the July 1978 decree condemning his political enemies to his eventual capture, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was one of the most brutal dictators on Earth.
Will Cigarettes Be Banned?
Does Congress have the power to ban cigarettes and, if so, should it exercise that power?
Racist Supreme Court Rulings
Ten astonishingly racist Supreme Court rulings.
Against Racial Profiling
The top 7 arguments against racial profiling.
The Gay Rights Movement
An illustrated history of the American gay rights movement.
Is Abortion Murder?
Is abortion murder? Some critics of the procedure say yes, but let's examine that a little more carefully.
The Ninth Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of the Ninth Amendment, which protects rights not explicitly specified elsewhere in the Constitution.
Execution by Firing Squad
A history and description of firing squad executions.
Death by Stoning
A history and description of stoning to death.
When Did Abortion Begin?
When did abortion begin?
Abortion in the Bible
Abortion is addressed indirectly in the Bible. What does the Bible have to say about the procedure?
Death by Hanging
A history and description of the gallows (used for hanging executions).
Top 10 Anti-Abortion Myths
A list of ten persistent myths spread by some activists within the anti-abortion movement.
Abortion Legal in Every State?
Is abortion now legal in every state? Tom Head explains.
A Right to Bear Arms?
Does the Second Amendment protect the right to bear arms? The debate hinges on the meaning of two commas.
Lesbian and Gay Adoption Rights
Civil rights issues affecting same-sex couples who are attempting to adopt.
The Electric Chair
A history and description of electric chair executions.
Theocracy
What is theocracy? Provides a definition of theocracy.
Top 10 Pro-Choice Quotes
Ten quotes that remind me why I'm pro-choice.
Human Rights Definition
A definition of human rights.
Gas Chamber Executions
A history and description of gas chamber executions.
12 Types of Oppression
12 common types of oppression and their origins.
The Fourth Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Stare Decisis
Stare decisis definition.
American Torture Techniques
The Big Question: The U.S. government has been accused of using "torture-lite," or "moderate physical
The Bill of Rights: Important?
The importance of the Bill of Rights isn't as obvious as it might first appear.
Why Laws Exist
A description of the five major reasons why laws exist.
Transphobia
The definition of the word transphobia.
Habeas Corpus
Definition of habeas corpus.
Free Exercise Clause
A definition of the Free Exercise Clause.
Death by Beheading
A history and description of execution by beheading, including guillotine executions.
Arguments Against Immigration Reform
8 common arguments against immigration reform, with responses.
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights, as we call the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, is the centerpiece of the civil liberties debate in the United States.
Definition of Assault Weapons
Rarely heard of before the mid 1980s, assault weapons have become a major part of America's gun rights debate. Learn about the origin of the assault weapons definition in American politics, the characteristics of assault weapons and how various states have passed laws to regulate assault weapons.
The Second Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms.
Defining Institutional Racism
: The term "institutional racism" describes societal patterns that have the net effect of imposing oppressive
Does a Fetus Have Rights?
Does the fetus have rights? Yes, up to a point.
History of the Ku Klux Klan
A timeline history of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), a white supremacist terrorist organization that worked in collusion with Southern segregationist governments.
Lethal Injection
A history and description of death by lethal injection procedures.
The Eighth Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects defendants from cruel and unusual punishment.
Death by Crucifixion
A history and description of death by crucifixion, including Roman crucifixions.
Abortion Rights
Abortion rights explained from a civil liberties perspective. Includes links to rulings, quotations, and relevant organizations.
Why Do People Need Government?
Why do people need government, and why is government important? Tom Head explains.
Third-Wave Feminism
Third-wave feminism and the future of the feminist movement.
The Religious Right
The roots and motivations of the Religious Right.
Three Common Views on Abortion
The three most common opinions and views on abortion rights.
Civil Unions
Definition of civil unions.
The First Amendment
The First Amendment and its text, origins, and meanings. Includes links to information on specific clauses.
What is Illegal Immigration?
What is illegal question? Tom Head explains.
Feminism Definition
Definition of the word feminism.
Missouri Gun Rights
Gun rights in Missouri. Learn more about gun rights in Missouri in this overview of gun laws in Missouri. From Missouri gun control to Missouri handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Missouri gun owners.
Hate Speech Cases
A list of landmark Supreme Court cases on hate speech and the First Amendment.
Forced Sterilization
A history of forced sterilization in the United States.
Illegal or Undocumented?
When someone resides in the United States without having filled out the requisite immigration paperwork,
Nevada Gun Rights
Gun rights in Nevada. Learn more about gun rights in Nevada in this overview of gun laws in Nevada. From Nevada gun control to Nevada handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Nevada gun owners.
Workplace Discrimination
Information on workplace discrimination issues affecting lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals.
Gun Shows
Gun shows are a big part of American tradition, with licensed and unlicensed sellers alike largely unrestricted from selling firearms at the shows. But a political movement is afoot to place further restrictions on the transfer of firearms at gun shows.
Texas Gun Rights
Gun rights in Texas. Learn more about gun rights in Texas in this overview of gun laws in Texas. From Texas gun control to Texas handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Texas gun owners.
Transwoman Definition
Definition of a transwoman (transsexual woman).
Marijuana in the United States
A timeline history of marijuana laws in the United States.
Who Wrote the First Amendment?
Who wrote the First Amendment? Find out inside.
History of Racial Profiling
History of Racial Profiling - An Illustrated History of Racial Profiling in the United States
History of the Civil Rights Era (1954-1968)
U.S. participation in the international slave trade ended in 1808, but the institution of chattel slavery dragged on in the United States for another 57 years and ended only after a massive and bloody regional civil war.
The War on Drugs
Facts about the War on Drugs.
Should We Ban Human Cloning?
Should human cloning be banned? Tom Head weighs the pros and cons.
Health Care and Human Rights
Is universal health care a human right?
Kentucky Gun Rights
Gun rights in Kentucky. Learn more about gun rights in Kentucky in this overview of gun laws in Kentucky. From Kentucky gun control to Kentucky handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Kentucky gun owners.
The Tenth Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of the Tenth Amendment, which protects states' rights.
Orwellian
The definition of the word Orwellian.
New York Gun Rights
Gun rights in New York. Learn more about gun rights in New York in this overview of gun laws in New York. From New York gun control to New York handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for New York gun owners.
History of Censorship
An illustrated timeline of censorship in the United States.
Minnesota Gun Rights
Gun rights in Minnesota. Learn more about gun rights in Minnesota in this overview of gun laws in Minnesota. From Minnesota gun control to Minnesota handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Minnesota gun owners.
Gun Rights and Self-Defense
In recent years, the political debate over gun rights in America has centered on the aspect of self-defense. How often are guns actually used in self-defense? Often, as it turns out.
Is Torture Justified?
Is torture justified? It isn't necessarily an easy question.
Human Rights in China
A history of human rights in the People's Republic of China.
The Sixth Amendment
The text, origins, and meaning of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects suspects' rights to a jury, to a speedy trial, and to an attorney.
The Establishment Clause
A history and description of the establishment clause, which guarantees separation of church and state.
History of Civil Liberties
A short history of American civil liberties.
How to Become an Activist
If you're interested in doing more to defend American civil liberties, such as sign petitions, join civil liberties organizations, and volunteer, here are some suggestions.
History of the NAACP
A timeline history of the NAACP.
Ex Post Facto
Definition of the legal term ex post facto.
History of Slavery in the United States (1808-1865)
U.S. participation in the international slave trade ended in 1808, but the institution of chattel slavery dragged on in the United States for another 57 years and ended only after a massive and bloody regional civil war.
Why Protest?
Five reasons why protest events aren't a waste of time.
Mohandas K. Gandhi
Biographical Summary: Misunderstood and caricatured in life, oversimplified and deified in death, M.K.
Ciswoman Definition
Definition of a ciswoman (cissexual woman).
American Xenophobia
A short illustrated history of xenophobia in the United States.
Marriage and the Government
The debate over same-sex marriage brings to mind an excellent question: Should the government legislate relationships at all?
History of Pornography
A timeline history of pornography, from 5200 BCE to the present.
Idaho Gun Rights
Gun rights in Idaho. Learn more about gun rights in Idaho in this overview of gun laws in Idaho. From Idaho gun control to Idaho handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Idaho gun owners.
If Roe v. Wade Were Overturned
What would happen if Roe v. Wade were overturned?
Why I Support Amnesty
The history of undocumented Mexican-American immigration in the United States shows us why immigrant amnesty is the only fair response.
Exclusionary Rule Cases
A timeline history of U.S. Supreme Court cases that articulate the exclusionary rule.
Top 10 "Obscene" Classics
"/> 2. "Lady Chatterley's Lover" (1928) by D.H. Lawrence What is now Lawrence's best-known book was just
New Jersey Gun Rights
Gun rights in New Jersey. Learn more about gun rights in New Jersey in this overview of gun laws in New Jersey. From New Jersey gun control to New Jersey handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for New Jersey gun owners.
Women's Rights Issues
An illustrated guide to current women's rights issues.
Top 10 Feminist Blogs
Looking for blogs on feminism, women's rights, and civil liberties? Here's a list of ten great ones, including Feministing, Echidne of the Snakes, the Happy Feminist, and more.
Freedom of Speech Timeline
A timeline history of freedom of speech in the United States.
Rights of the Homeless
Overview of civil rights issues affecting homeless persons.
South Carolina Gun Rights
Gun rights in South Carolina. Learn more about gun rights in South Carolina in this overview of gun laws in South Carolina. From South Carolina gun control to South Carolina handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for South Carolina gun owners.
West Virginia Gun Rights
Gun rights in West Virginia. Learn more about gun rights in West Virginia in this overview of gun laws in West Virginia. From West Virginia gun control to West Virginia handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for West Virginia gun owners.
Totalitarianism
The definition of totalitarianism.
Cisman Definition
Definition of a cisman (cissexual man).
History of the Atlantic Slave Trade in America (1528-1807)
By the time European explorers began to colonize the New World in the 15th and 16th centuries, African slavery had already been accepted as a fact of life. For centuries, white European culture was built on the idea that when you see a dark-skinned person, her or his primary purpose is to be a subservient laborer. American and European society has only slowly moved away from this dynamic, and as a result we all still live under a disproportionately race-based system of social stratification.
Kelo v. New London (2005)
This controversial Supreme Court eminent domain case, Kelo v. New London, changed eminent domain law in the United States.
The Miller Test
Definition of the Miller test.
Lesbians and Gay Men in the Military
Information on discrimination against lesbians and gay men who would like to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Death Penalty and Christianity
How is the death penalty viewed within Christianity? How have Christian perspectives on capital punishment changed over time?
Big Brother is Watching
An illustrated history of government surveillance programs.
Tennessee Gun Rights
Gun rights in Tennessee. Learn more about gun rights in Tennessee in this overview of gun laws in Tennessee. From Tennessee gun control to Tennessee handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Tennessee gun owners.
Iowa Gun Rights
Gun rights in Iowa. Learn more about gun rights in Iowa in this overview of gun laws in Iowa. From Iowa gun control to Iowa handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Iowa gun owners.
History of Television Censorship
A timeline history of television censorship.
Indiana Gun Rights
Gun rights in Indiana. Learn more about gun rights in Indiana in this overview of gun laws in Indiana. From Indiana gun control to Indiana handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Indiana gun owners.
Top 10 Gay Rights Blogs
Looking for blogs on gay rights, LGBT or GLBT rights, gay marriages, civil unions and domestic partnerships, lesbians', gays', bisexuals', and transgender persons' rights, antidiscrimination and nondiscrimination, gay adoptions, and more? Here's a top 10 list, including Good as You, Gay Rights Watch, the Big Gay Picture, and Pam's House Blend.
History of Illegal Immigration
Documented, "legal" immigration is a relatively new phenomenon in the United States—neither the prehistoric
Is Marriage a Civil Right?
Why marriage is a civil right, with constitutional references.
Defining Libertarian
What is a libertarian?
Where Do We Get Our Rights?
Where do we get our rights? Tom Head reflects on the question.
The Posse Comitatus Act (1878)
The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, with definition and short history.
Imperial Presidency 101
A profile of the concept of the imperial presidency and the unitary executive theory.
10 Types of Libertarians
Looking for information on different types of libertarians, including anarcho-capitalists, civil libertarians, classical liberals, fiscal libertarians, geolibertarians, left-libertarians, libertarian socialists, minarchists, neolibertarians, Objectivists, and paleolibertarians? You've come to the right place!
Origins of the Right to Privacy
Where did the right to privacy come from? This timeline explores the origins of the right to privacy.
Civil Liberties Definition
Definition of civil liberties.
Mississippi Gun Rights
Gun rights in Mississippi. Learn more about gun rights in Mississippi in this overview of gun laws in Mississippi. From Mississippi gun control to Mississippi handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Mississippi gun owners.
Sexual Orientation
The definition of the word sexual orientation.
Nebraska Gun Rights
Gun rights in Nebraska. Learn more about gun rights in Nebraska in this overview of gun laws in Nebraska. From Nebraska gun control to Nebraska handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Nebraska gun owners.
Maryland Gun Rights
Gun rights in Maryland. Learn more about gun rights in Maryland in this overview of gun laws in Maryland. From Maryland gun control to Maryland handgun laws, this is intended as a brief guide for Maryland gun owners.
McDonald v. Chicago
McDonald v. Chicago reversed Chicago's handgun ban and specifically confirmed the individual right to possess guns under the Second Amendment. A closer look at the background and impact of the Supreme Court's decision in McDonald v. Chicago.
History of the Illuminati
A timeline history of the Illuminati.
Supreme Court Pornography Cases
Supreme Court cases dealing with pornography.

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