How Do Civil Rights Work?

Civil Rights work very similar to first amendment rights. They are often combined with the US Constitution, other Founding or National Documents, and with Established Legislation such as the US Code, State Constitutions, Common Law, and international documents like the UDHR.

The laws can not conflict with the US Constitution within the United States. However, the US Constitution is not neccesarily a valid legal document outside the United States. For the most part, people outside the United States will mostly reference the UN’s UDHR as outlining part of their civil or human rights. Within the United States, the UDHR is made valid through US Constitution Amendment 9 and the UN Participation Act 1945. Outlining the entirety of a US Citizens Rights within the United States or how permanent and temporary residents rights differ would take several text books without getting into every specific scenario in a specific analysis or hypothetical. Visitors are often governed by their home countries legislation and international treaty to be compliant with requirements of non-criminal behavior in other countries.

The Main Rights of Importance to US Citizens

• Amdt. 1 – Freedom of speech, right to form groups, right to publish.
• Amdt. 1 – Freedom to select a desired religion or opt for non participation.
• Amdt. 7 – Right to sue for over $20.
• Amdt. 7 – Right to Jury Trials and Final Proceedings in Civil Court.
• Amdt. 6 – Right to Limited Scope Representation in Criminal Proceedings.
• Amdt. 6 – Right to review established law, evidence, and witnesses.
• Amdt. 5 – Right to market value compensation for private property taken for public use.
• Amdt. 5 – Right to due process before property confiscation, incarceration, or capital punishment.
• Amdt. 8 – Right to reasonable fines or bail costs, right to not be cruelly or unusually punished.
• Amdt. 4 – Right to be free of unwarranted search.
• Amdt. 3 – Right to be free of non-consensual military housing in civilian areas.
• Amdt. 9 – Right to have additional rights after the ratification of the US Constitution.
  • UDHR Art 12 – Right to Privacy.
  • UDHR Art 23 – Right to Favorable Work Conditions.
  • UDHR Art 18/19 – Right to Freedom of thought and Expression.
  • UDHR Art 6/7/8 – Right of legal equality, equal protection, and effective tribunal remedy.
  • UDHR Art 21 – Right of Government Participation and Public Service Access.

Differences with Residents (Temporary/Permanent)

Because of the UDHR and international treaties, one of the main diferences that visitors have is that there is no right to bear arms. They also can’t vote at traditional voting booths or by casting a ballot; however, they can submit a legislative proposal through their consular services which often has the same effect if citizens vote yes on their proposal. For example, they can gather grievances from other residents in a small group for the citizens to vote on and submit it as a proposal to the district representative. They have to be aware that under international treaty, they are not to act as a legislative representative or as a foreign consular or diplomatic service but can submit a group grievance as an interpreter or group leader.

Again, this often has a similar effect to voting if the citizens vote yes. However, it is not actually voting.

In the United States, citizens can own, carry, and use weapons for self defense. This is less and less likely to be necessary in recent times, nor is it likely that the national guard will need citizens to rise up with their civilian rifles and pistols to repel  a foreign invasion. Various countries have the right of armed self defense as a common law right throughout the world even if its not explicitly documented in a constitution, national document, or government legislation. However, non citizen residents often require licensing to have weapons available for use on their person. Currently, this is not a popular topic anyways and mostly for historical purposes or future analysis.

With quartering of soldiers, this is often misnomered as Geneva Conventions that is based on General Order 100 or Liber Code. It is interpreted in tribunals with various international languages and case studies as the requirement for delineation of civilian quarters and battlefield demarcations. Soldiers on active duty, are not allowed to enter civilian quarters without cause, they can be captured and prosecuted through tribunal, and processed by battle field groups as any other combatant. Veterans are often considered retired military who have layed down their arms, within the US, retired military can still participate in government and filing grievances. In many foreign countries, military is a lifetime appointment or a young adult temporary requirement to learn about consequences for attacking government or creating humanitarian aid situations, as well as building human connections with other citizens of the country. These stipulations within civilian quarters are pretty much the same for most people regardless of citizen status. Resident non citizens must take extra precaution to verify they are not engaged in military activity disguised as a protest.

Humanitarian Aid is often available to residents first and most accesible when new to the country and unaware of how to achieve requirements for basic necessities. This is an advantage that residents have over citizens who are irresponsible, lazy, or did not keep up with societies requirements for contributions necessary in order to have a stable human life environment. Often times, if a citizen has waited to long to file a grievance, foreign governments will be asked if they can participate in their humanitarian aid program, this is not gauranteed they will be allowed to participate. Temporary and Permanent Residents often have access to generous programs like free rent and job training during the first few years of life in a new country and may have additional legal resources like safe harbor or leosa that does not apply to citizens unless they are married or have a family with the foreigner from the respective country. Often, marriage for citizenship is no longer legal however.

Everyone Else

All others will need to be aware of who the correct government authority is to help them with their plight as many citizens of developed nations are having trouble surviving or meeting basic necessities, that is currently a priority in addition to getting legal residents into the programs they need so they do not fall into the same predicament long term.

It is unlikely that a door to door goverment services representative will mysteriously find every person in need that isn’t adequately surviving or meeting developed nation standards for human expression.

This category also includes diplomats, foreign attorneys, UN observers, monitors, or volunteers who may not actually be aware of how the government actually works in the United States compared to how they envisioned it or imagined it before they set off on an adventure to become more familiar with the United States.

Older and Related Documents

Various documents fit in with Civil Rights Documents in the United States

• Declaration of Independence 1776
• Treaty of Paris 1783
• US Constitution 1787
• Declaration of Rights of Humans and of Citizens 1789 (French Government)
• Bill of Rights 1791
• Preamble to French Constitution 1946
• UN UDHR 1948
• UN Participation Act 1945
• Magna Carta 1225

Signing Countries for the Founding of the United States

• Britain, France, Ireland
• Germany (Braunschweig and Lüneburg)
• France (Palace of Versailles)
• Netherlands
• Spain (Court of Madrid)
• Canada (via Nova Scotia, New Braunschweig, and Maine/Massachusetts)

Treaty of Paris 1783

Founding States of the United States of America

Signors

King George III, Britain, Ireland, France, Roman Empire, Germany
George Washington, Virginia
Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania
John Adams, Massachusetts

New Jersey on the Use of Aliases: John J, Jona Dayton, John Hart; D. Hartley, David Brearley, William Livingston