WRITE A 1,750 TO 2,250 WORD ANALYSIS IN WHICH YOU PRESENT BOTH ARGUMENTS OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY VERSUS CIVIL RIGHTS DEBATE. EVALUATE THE FOLLOWING KEY ISSUES AND THE CURRENT LAWS AND AMENDMENTS...

Running Head: CIVIL RIGHTS
Running Head: CIVIL RIGHTS
1
PAGE
10
CIVIL RIGHTS
Civil Rights
Name
Institution
Civil Rights
Introduction
Debates of public safety versus civil rights have become common in the US since the 9/11 attacks. The Civil rights have been the basis of the US as it helps in protecting its citizens. However, with that comes the protection of terrorists, criminals, and rivals of the state, as well as the freedom of such people to operate against American principals and ideas. Any form of restriction on civil rights heightens the safety of the public and enables enforcement agencies to operate sinuously. The debate on legitimacy of restricting civil rights in favour of public safety has emerged. In a CNN poll that was conducted after 9/11 attacks, around 66% of the US citizens asserted that they were willing to give up their liberties to crack down on terrorist acts (Epstein & Goff, 2011, pp. 314-315). The logic here was that the end justified the means, meaning that maintenance of safety was more imperative. Therefore, it can be argued that civil rights and public safeties are firmly intertwined. Authorities could have prevented almost every form of crime that has succeeded so far easily. However, Bell (2004, pp. 189-190) asserts that civil rights often restrict law enforcers from operating in a rational manner. Therefore, this treatise will analyse both arguments of civil rights and public safety debate and evaluate various major issues and current laws as well as amendments that are often associated with security and justice administration among diverse communities. Some of the major issues that will be discussed are pursuit driving, hate crimes, gun control, and the death penalty.
The Death Penalty: Effective Crime Deterrent vs. Civil Rights Violation
The death penalty has heightened debate on whether it ought to be allowed or violates the US citizens’ constitutional right. Although most developed nations have stopped the executing process, the US continues executing offenders including juveniles (Siegel & Bartollas, 2010, p. 314). Guerrero (2010, p. 361) asserts that from the year 1977 to 2008, around 1,136 people were executed mostly due to crimes of murder. Those that are in favour of the death penalty always consider it as an imperative tool of deterring crime as it costs less as compared to life imprisonment(Siegel, 2009, p. 517). The proponents believe that the death penalty guarantees that the offender will never commit such heinous crimes again. Michael and Ronald (2006, p.15) argues that in the US, death penalty is seen as a justifiable form of punishment. Whether or not use or threat of capital punishment is, has been, or can be deterrent to homicide cases is a major empirical questions that cannot be answered on grounds of political or moral stands. In 1991, around 76% of respondents supported the death penalty. According to Carl (2004, pp. 132-133), some of the people argue that offenders need to face the death penalty as a retaliation act of the crimes they committed. Although most people advocate for capital punishment, the American Civil Liberties Union, has a firm belief that the death penalty only ends up violating constitutional ban against unusual and cruel punishments. Moreover, they believe that the state should not kill human beings in the name of following the law mostly in discriminatory and arbitrary fashion (ACLU, 2011).
Challengers argue that the death penalty is unjust, undemocratic in practice, and unrefined in theory. They avow that the death penalty in the US is unjust and unfair against citizens as people of colour are more likely to be executed as compared to white people(Schultz, 2009, p. 356). Sara (2009, p. 1377) goes on to allege that in California, the death penalty is unconstitutional as it is both capricious and arbitrary. Additionally, the death penalty is often wastage of taxpayers’ money and is not beneficial to public safety (Donald, 2010, pp. 28-29). It is apparent that most people do not support the death penalty as they allege it is not a successful deterrent method to crime. Studies show that introducing the death penalty has no effect in lowering crimes in the US (Radalet & Lacock, 2009, p. 489). They argue that this is an abuse of civil rights. It hence can be argued that the death penalty though to some extent ensures public safety; it is a violation of civil rights and does not deter crimes.
Gun Control: Amendment Violation or Public Safety Concern
The Second Amendment of the US constitution has turned into the most thwarting provision of the Bill of Rights. Although gun control, violence, and crime are still among the increasingly debated political controversial topics, Civil libertarians have shown less interest...