[KARMA PTS REWARD] Anybody Who Knows About The American Human Rights System/Politics + LAW PLEASE HMU RN!

In crisis as usual. 

Have to write an in class essay about "How the USA has better citizens rights protetion through their constitution and Acts of Congress compared to Australia. Using examples, assess the validity of this statement." 

Ok so i basically have the Australia part covered (kinda.. well i have notes on it...) I just need a run down on the American system and the interweb is not very helpful by giving me a clear summary/ picture on it. Like everytime I type something up its either irrelavent/ Australian and Im on a verge of a mental break down with so much going on so a little help would be really nice, and appreciated. (I'll even throw in some Karma points as a token of my gratitude). Basically, calling forth for help from anybody who studies politics as a high school subject in America/knows about the American system, if you could just hmu with some notes or something I'll be thankful. 

Heres what i think needs to be covered:

- Acts of Congress 

- Bill of Rights 

- Examples on how these are all being exercised 

- To what extent, etc. 

Practically a headless chicken. 

Btw i'm doing this essay on monday morning 2nd period so kinda urgent here.. 

xx

- Aera 
 

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NaJihyeon
#1
btw 9 and 10 really don't do much for ur project at all...anyways let me know if you need anything, I'd be happy to help.
NaJihyeon
#2
Continuing on....
5.) The Right to Due Process. In a court of law, if you are being prosecuted, you do not have to take the stand against yourself.
6.) You have the right to a speedy public trial and an impartial jury, and the right to a lawyer, AND the right to take the stand if you so chose. This is important because it will prevent the accused from sitting in prison for too long and insists that the prosecution continue with undue delay.
7.) Right to a Fair Jury Trial. 12, impartial peers compose a jury that decides innocence or guilt. This assures that a judge does not just randomly/arbitrarily assign punishments. And ensures that all people receive a fair and balanced trail that all people deserve.
8.) The Right Against Cruel and Unusual Punishment. (another great one for your project). The amendment asserts that all punishment deemed cruel and/or unusual is unconstitutional. Therefore it retains a sense of humanity in our system of law. However, people have a difficult time agreeing on what punishments are truly cruel and unusual. For example, the death penalty. Some oppose it as far too cruel for any convict and that it infringes upon all humans right to Life, and some disagree. Nevertheless, the death penalty (aka capital punishment) is largely not used, at least anymore. However, some more conservative states, like Texas still use it.
NaJihyeon
#3
alright, here we go:
4.) This one is the BIGGEST and BEST amendment for your project, so I would focus the most on this one. The Right to Search and Seizure. (Or the right to privacy). Essentially, Law Enforcement cannot search your home without a warrant provided by a judge and can never seize your property. This is an important one and there are a ton of examples of congress protecting this right, especially recently. So, in the modern age the question has arisen ' should the Government track your location with your smartphone? Or track your social media like Facebook and Twitter without a warrant?' This is important because recently, on account of terrorist attacks or mass shootings, or what have you, politicians have brought this amendment into question. Some politicians--again, conservative Republicans in particular--have proposed programs that are essentially unconstitutional surveillance on certain demographics (unfortunately, it's almost always Muslim-Americans or Middle Eastern-Americans). For example, former presidential candidate Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz proposed in a Republican Presidential Debate that the US government place surveillance in all Mosques and have a police force in Muslim-American neighborhoods (p.s pls don't judge us ;,( ). However, this probably would never get through congress or the senate because of how unconstitutional it is. I.e you can't survey people in the privacy of their own homes/places of worship based on nothing more than their religion, people have the right to privacy. Also, recently the NSA or National Security Agency got in trouble when Whistleblower Edward Snowden said that the government had been collecting phone records without warrants (essentially to see who was calling whom). This was unconstitutional, causing outrage and even prompting President Barack Obama to reform the NSA. You can draw a lot out of this amendment. Congress is trying to protect peoples innate right to privacy. Lots of examples.
NaJihyeon
#4

Bill of Rights = First 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution
1.) Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion, Assembly, and Petition (culturally speaking, this is the most revered in America).
2.) Right to Bear Arms (The original intent was to protect Americans from invading British troops, but now guarantees the right to own a gun to protect yourself and your property. This amendment is highly controversial in the US Senate and Congress -therefore you can probably work in your congress thing. Senators and Congressmen--Conservative Republicans in particular i.e Republican Senate Majority Leader,Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, and Speaker of the House Wisconsin State Congressman Paul Ryan-- fight very hard against gun regulations citing this amendment -- personally I'm a Democrat and disagree with this stance. But, nevertheless, it's for your project. Also, even though I'm American, I know that in Australia, the government put in place a ban/buy back on assault weapons. That would NEVER happen in the United States. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pOiOhxujsE (check this vid out as a comparison between US gun culture and Aus). So yeah, people exercise this right in the US by striking down gun legislation. Search up NRA, which is the National Rifle Association, headed by Wayne LaPierre. It is a Political Action Committee, essentially meaning they sponsor candidates that support their interests by giving them money and running political ads, and endorsing the candidate and telling their--the NRA's is enormous--support base to vote for said candidate.

Don't worry, there is more to come I'll do three and four (probably the BEST amendment for your project) in another post right now. I just wanted to get this to you asap
JiYours
#5
You don't speak German, right? I've got a politic book where all points are summarised. When I'm done studying for my upcoming exam, I can summarise it for you ;)
FrozenInside
#6
Do you just need to know what the bill of rights is or something? I'm not really sure I got what you were asking ^^'