What Are Americans Cherish Their Civil Liberties

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Americans cherish their civil liberties. Regardless of their respective race, gender, ethnicity or party affiliation - the promise of specific liberties enshrined in the United States Constitution holds great practical and intrinsic value to almost all Americans. These values, enshrined in the 226 year old document have held as the basis for shaping the entirety of both the American political system and its greater national dialogue. The promises of free speech, free exercise, fair trials and a host of other liberties are at the core of the national American identity. As the 3rd American president and author of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson so aptly stated, “I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small …show more content…
However, despite the promise of preservation, American history, especially during times of conflict, has painted a much bleaker picture of the Court and its role in the preservation of said liberties. Unfortunately, there have existed dark periods in American judicial history in which civil liberties, and their universal, constitutional promise to protect and preserve all Americans from the heavy hand of government were temporarily suspended. It was during these brief periods in American history, when the the highest Court of the land gave into the burdens and pressure of an America engaged in armed conflict, and withdrew from its responsibility to preserve the constitutional guarantees promised to all Americans. Thus, this paper will attempt to argue the assertion that during times of conflict, the United States Supreme Court bends to the whims and pressures of armed conflict and in doing so, subsequently retreats from its responsibility to protect otherwise guaranteed civil

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