Civil liberties protect people from government interference and abuse of power. They provide legal protection against discrimination in employment, public services and housing. Civil rights laws may also protect people who have been treated unfairly by police or other law enforcement officials.
The Constitution and Bill of Rights protect certain civil liberties such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, due process and equal protection under the law (Equal Protection Clause). The Supreme Court has said that these rights apply to state governments as well as federal governments.
Civil liberties protect your rights as an individual. They can be defined as personal freedoms and civil rights that allow you to live your life as you want and make decisions on your own terms. Civil liberties also ensure that all people are treated equally without discrimination or prejudice based on race, sex, religion or other factors.
The U.S. Constitution is the foundation for civil liberties in America, but many other laws have been passed over time to ensure these freedoms are preserved for all citizens regardless of who they are or where they come from.
What is important, civil liberties can be limited by the government in certain situations. For example, police are allowed to arrest people who break laws. However, civil libertarians argue that some laws go too far and violate civil liberties. For example, many argue that laws against prostitution and drug use violate civil liberties because they criminalize behavior that does not harm others (as opposed to murder or theft).
