Helpful Links

Personal liberty can mean many things to many people, but most would agree that the core American democratic principles revolve around the rights of individuals to express themselves and to live free of undue government control. Determining where to draw the line between freedom and chaos is where the debate begins.

A foundation of personal liberty is represented in the First Amendment to the Constitution. It guarantees us not one but five freedoms: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble and freedom to petition the government.  Organizations like the First Amendment Center and the American Civil Liberties Union devote their time to defending these rights.

To others, personal liberty has an economic context, valuing governmental restraint and policies that favor the free market. The Libertarian movement embodies this philosophy, representing a political alternative to liberalism (liberalism technically means personal liberty and is in line with the libertarian movement, it’s not really an alternative) or conservatism. This underscores that personal liberty, as an issue, really transcends traditional partisan politics. It’s not the exclusive domain of the right or left, or Democrats or Republicans. Self-described “Ultra-Conservatives” site Personal Liberty as a core value, as do liberal organizations like People for the American Way.

In March 2008, a Christian Coalition Vice President testified before a Congressional Committee in support of laws protecting net neutrality. During her testimony, she cited an example of Verizon Wireless censoring a text message sent by NARAL (a pro-choice organization) to its members. The Christian Coalition does not support abortion, but it recognized the harm of censorship, even when applied to the message of a group with which it disagrees. While Personal Liberty-related issues create unexpected alliances, they also are at the center of some of the most heated ideological schisms.

One of the more pressing Constitutional issues relates to the Second Amendment – the right to bear arms. The National Rifle Association is one of the largest membership based groups in the U.S., and one of the most influential in government.

The fight to legalize same-sex marriage has created a sea of change in America in just the last five years. With groups such as The Task Force lobbying and waging legal battles, five states have legalized same-sex marriage and a third of all Americans support such measures.

Another movement that is rapidly gaining momentum is the fight to legalize marijuana for personal or medical use, led by organizations such as the Marijuana Policy Project. About half of all Americans now favor the legalization of marijuana, according to a recent poll, and 12 states have adopted measures to de-crimininalize marijuana use. President Barack Obama even addressed this in a press conference earlier this year, answering calls from the online community for him to state his position. He said he does not favor marijuana legalization. However, his administration has halted federal government raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in California, which are legal under state law.

Want to know how Personal Liberty affects you? Have you ever been pulled over and not wanted to consent to a search? Did you know the Fourth Amendment protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures? To navigate through these questions, visit flex your rights.

On a broad, societal level, the President and the makeup of the Supreme Court has a great affect on Personal Liberty in the U.S. and the reaction of citizens. There are reports that gun sales have skyrocketed since Barack Obama took office, out of fear that tighter gun control will be adopted. Now, as another Supreme Court justice steps down, the potential changes to the personal liberties we now experience may change. The retirement of Justice Souter, an avid civil rights and Roe v. Wade supporter, has given President Obama the chance to nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor as Souter’s replacement and the opportunity that the political makeup and our personal liberties could change again.

Here are some additional links about various personal liberties you may find interesting:

• NCAC.org – The National Coalition Against Censorship works to support free expression.
• TheFirstAmendment.org – A nonprofit group that protects “freedom of information, expression and petition.”
• PrometheusRadio.org – A nonprofit organization that builds, supports and advocates for community radio stations.
• TheFire.org – the web site of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
• TheFutureOfMusic.org – This organization represents the interest of musicians and has been leading the fight regarding net neutrality and open airwaves.
• FreePress.net – A national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media.
• GunOwners.org – A nonprofit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the rights of gun owners.
• National Gun Rights Blog – Regularly updated news on gun rights.
• SSDP.org – Students for Sensible Drug Policy advocates reform of drug laws through a network of campus chapters.
• FreeSpeech.org – Got an idea for an unconventional TV show? Free Speech TV works to reflect the diversity of our society, to provide perspectives that are under-represented or ignored by the mainstream media and to shine a national spotlight on engaged citizens working for progressive social change.
• PrivacyRights.org – A clearinghouse of information regarding privacy rights.
• CivilRights.org – A regularly updated website listing civil rights news.
• IGLHRC.org – The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
• TheTaskForce.org – The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force builds the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
• LamdaLegal.org – Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV.