| 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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| 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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| Felony voting disenfranchisement |
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| The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 includes a provision that allows states to "disenfranchise" or take away the voting privileges of persons who have been convicted of a felony. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution gives states the authority to decide whether or not to deny the right to vote to persons who have been convicted of a felonious offense. Accordingly, a convicted felon or an ex-felon may or may not be able to register to vote in his or her state of residence.
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| "Defense of Marriage" Laws |
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| About 38 states enacted "Defense of Marriage" laws after the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) became law in 1996. The federal DOMA defines marriage only as a union of a man and a woman. Some of the state Defense of Marriage laws explicitly refuse to recognize a civil union or same sex marriage entered into in another state or country. Some state laws go even further by making no legal recognition of same sex couples. Currently, only Massachusetts permits same sex marriage. Vermont law provides for civil unions.More... |
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| What is "racial profiling?" |
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| Racial profiling is defined as the targeting of individuals or groups by law enforcement officials on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion, except where there is trustworthy information that links the person or the group to an identified crime or scheme. The Department of Justice's (DOJ's) racial profiling guidance permits the use of race and ethnicity in the identification of terrorists, but only to the extent permitted by federal law and the United States Constitution. The DOJ's guidance prohibits law enforcement officers from using race or ethnicity in making routine or spontaneous enforcement decisions.
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