Imagine your area is in a state of emergency and you are concerned about the balance of liberty and security as people try to return to their normal lives, recover what was lost, and rebuild what was destroyed.
Compose an email you could send to elected officials to voice your concerns. Use this Template. Your email should include positions on two of the potential issues related to civil liberties found below and an explanation of how you would plan to restore those rights after the situation has ended.
Steps
Write an introductory paragraph for your email that explains why rights are not absolute. Include how the Constitution safeguards and limits individual rights.
Imagine that the following situations have occurred in your community following the disaster. Select two of the following situations to address and evaluate in your email:
The government has determined that certain business must be shut down to reduce the spread of disease during a pandemic.
The government imposed curfews to prevent protests becoming violent and destructive at night.
The government suspended the right of habeas corpus (the right to see a judge after arrest to determine if imprisonment is lawful).
The government forced people to evacuate from their homes.
Citizens were denied the right to bring legally owned firearms to storm shelters.
The government made certain dangerous areas off-limits, which prevented residents from accessing their homes and personal property.
The federal and state courts postponed scheduled criminal and civil trials due to the emergency.
The government prevented the press from publishing graphic photos of victims of the natural disaster to protect the privacy of the victims family.
The federal government stated that local and state governments are solely responsible for the disaster recovery efforts and that it will not be providing assistance.
Once you have chosen the concerns you wish to address, compose a well-written response to each situation with the following information:
the Constitutional amendment that relates to the situation
arguments that could be made for or against the action that took place
your position on how to resolve the situation and the reasons you think officials should agree with you