| Terrorist Screening |
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| The Terrorist Screening Center is a multi-agency center that was established to consolidate and integrate various terrorist "watch lists" and to provide constant operational support for federal screeners. When the Terrorist Screening Database is fully functional, federal agencies such as the Transportation Security Administration should be able to access it online, in real time. Plans include making the Terrorist Screening Database capable of storing "biometric" information such as fingerprints. Private companies will be able to submit names of individuals for screening for any connection to terrorism.
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| Same Sex Survivor Benefits |
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| The same sex marriage battle continues to intensify. State and federal legislators have proposed "Defense of Marriage" laws, some of which have become laws. In November 2004, voters in 11 states passed state constitutional amendments banning same sex marriage. Conservative, religious, liberal, and civil rights groups continue the debate over whether same sex couples should be permitted to enter into legal marriage. Those in favor of same sex marriages say that same sex couples seek "marriage equality" for the same reasons that everyone else does: to protect their relationships and to receive the same benefits and recognition as heterosexual couples and their families. Among those benefits are survivor or death benefits.
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| College "Speech Codes" and the First Amendment |
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| "Speech codes" on some college campuses have created debate about the freedom of speech. Opponents of speech codes contend that the policies actually violate students' right to free speech by limiting what students can say, and sometimes where they can say it. A federal court has determined that a university could not enforce those parts of a code of conduct that had the effect of limiting students' First Amendment rights. More... |
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| Due Process and Civil Rights |
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| The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides "due process" and "equal protection" to all Americans. The Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the states from passing or enforcing any law that abridges the "privileges or immunities" of citizens or deprives a person of "life, liberty, or property without due process of law." Put another way, the Due Process Clause protects citizens from interference by a state with most of the rights listed in the United States Constitution.
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| The Right to Education |
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| Contrary to popular belief, the right to a free public education is not among those rights specifically listed in the United States Constitution. Put another way, the Constitution does not require a state to provide free public education to its residents. Instead, a right to a free public education must be enumerated in a state's constitution. Nearly every state's constitution has a provision for free public education. These states have enacted laws with the purpose of providing equal access to a quality education to all resident students.
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