Civil rights are those rights that an individual is automatically entitled to by virtue of their citizenship. These civil rights encompass the right to political, economic and social rights which require that every individual should enjoy these rights equally without facing any kind of discrimination (Aune, 58). The economic rights are such as the right to equal opportunities for employment regardless of one’s sex, age and racial affiliation. A social right is such as the freedom of speech, the freedom from discrimination and even the freedom of religion. Finally, an example of a political right is the right to good governance.
Yes, the various kinds of civil rights were treated differently by the legal system in the US. I think progress was made more with certain kinds of rights because a greater degree of importance was attached to certain rights. For instance, there was some good progress with the social rights because it greatly affected the manner in which people related as well as in the economic rights. There were laws, which discriminated against the African-Americans and thus hindered them from using the same public facilities that were used by the whites, they were not allowed to vote, restrictions were imposed on their travel and even interracial marriages were forbidden (Rutherglen, 117). As a result, of these sensitive laws, it became necessary to put a lot more focus on these social issues that were very sensitive thus the reason why social rights have made a major progress. Progress was made with certain kinds of rights such as the social and economic rights through the enactment of certain laws. For instance, the enactment of the Civil rights legislation in the year 1964 made it possible for the blacks to enjoy public facilities without any form of discrimination end it even offered employment opportunities to the African-Americans (Oosterveld 68).
Works Cited
Aune, James A. Civil Rights Rhetoric and the American Presidency. College Station: Texas A & M Univ. Press, 2005. Print.
Oosterveld, Valerie, and Isfahan Merali. Giving Meaning to Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001. Internet resource.
Rutherglen, George. Civil Rights in the Shadow of Slavery: The Constitution, Common Law, and the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Oxford [UK: Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
