Explain how the Bill of Rights promotes civil rights and protects diversity.

Civil Rights and Diversity in America

In the United States of America, the Bill of Rights does not only articulate the rights of individuals, but it also promotes them in very real ways. The explicit guarantees found in the Constitution and the amendments thereto have yielded a free and diverse political society. Think about the range of freedoms that the Constitution recognizes and protects:

• The freedom of speech and expression, especially political and religious
• The freedom to assemble publicly
• The freedom to sue the government when wronged
• The guarantee of a fair trial when accused of a crime
• The freedom from having property taken without just compensation
• The right to vote
• The right to keep and bear arms

As noted above, the rights listed in the Constitution are not meant to be an exhaustive listing of the freedoms and privileges of United States citizens, as explicitly stated in the Ninth Amendment. The Ninth Amendment explicity states that rights are not limited to those guaranteed in the body of the Constitution.

The rights and privileges guaranteed to the citizens of this country have long attracted individuals seeking greater religious or political freedoms. Today, the United States of America is the most racially, ethnically, religiously, and culturally diverse country in the world. The freedoms listed above have all allowed people to be themselves, express themselves, and associate with others in ways that they choose. Consider a few of these: