What Are The Four Civil Liberties

Civil Liberties Essay

Within a democratic society citizens obtain a specific set of civil, social, and economic rights which others are not entitled to in others countries. World War II was a significant event in history when the United States went to war for its freedoms. During WWII, American’s feared for their safety and for the continuation of these civil liberties due to Hitler’s fascist minded Nazi regime. In Four Freedoms by Franklin Roosevelt, the importance of why we fight for our U.S. freedoms is discussed. Roosevelt refers to the four freedoms as: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. He also relates these liberties to the idea of democracy and why we must help our allies in the
western hemisphere. Korematsu V United States, and Why Should We March by A. Philip Randolph both incorporate the idea in the importance of freedom and democracy which mirror Franklin Roosevelt’s essay. Ironically, Korematsu V United States and Why Should We March also speak of how the civil rights of individuals are violated within the United States itself. Four Freedoms’ main idea is the conservation of democracy in the US and around the world during WWII.
Roosevelt writes that if the communists successfully take over the East, it will be inevitable that dictators will take over the West as well. This is because he reveals that there are twice as many resources and people in the East compared to the West. Franklin Roosevelt exclaims that we should defend democracy; we cannot let communist dictators overrun our democracy. He announces that we should support any nation looking for democracy, and asks Congress to provide these nations with supplies, guns, and munitions. Franklin Roosevelt states that we will never surrender. Then there is a transition into what our “freedoms” are as US citizens. Roosevelt recites that our political, economic, and civil rights are simple. As citizens of the United States, we are entitled to “equality of opportunity for youth and for others, jobs for those who can work, security for those who need it, the end of special privileges for the few, and the preservations of civil liberties for all.” These civil liberties he speaks of are outlined in the U.S. Bill of Rights. The U.S. Bill of Rights includes all rights given to us under amendments 1-10 of the US Constitution. Some examples of these rights are the right to a fair and speedy trial, right to due process of law, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure. Finally Roosevelt communicates our “four freedoms” we need and to continue a democratic way of life in this country. These four freedoms are “freedom of speech” as in freedom to express one’s self. Second, “freedom of religion” as in the idea that any citizen can worship any god he or she chooses. Third, “freedom from want” as in people should enjoy a healthy lifestyle during a time of peace and prosperity. Finally, “freedom from fear” as in no one should fear aggression from any neighboring country and there should reduction of the world’s weaponry.
Franklin Roosevelt’s paper Four Freedoms defends democratic values and why the U.S. was at war during WWII. However, at the same time many of these same rights were being denied to certain groups of citizens everyday who were also fighting in the war to defend democracy. Korematsu V. United States was a Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled in favor of the U.S. 6-3, upholding their decision to remove all Japanese Americans from the West Coast during 1942. Executive Order 9066 was the cause for this removal; this order gave the secretary of war authorization to declare certain areas of the west coast “military zones” at this time. It forced many Japanese Americans into internment camps. It also was thought to be driven by an increase in hostility towards Japanese Americans due to the idea that there were disloyal members. Loyal Japanese Americans agreed with the exclusion of disloyal Japanese American members. However, all Japanese Americans were excluded which denies individual citizens their right to individual guilt. It buys into the idea that if one is guilty then the entire group is guilty. This is not a democratic idea under the U.S. Constitution. No one’s life, liberty, or property shall be deprived without a fair trial is a standard U.S. democratic ideal. Japanese Americans were not given these liberties at this moment in U.S. history. The same liberties Franklin Roosevelt boasts about in Four Freedoms were denied to Japanese Americans during the WWII era. Why Should We March by A. Philip Randolph directly relates to Executive order 8802. This order issued by President Roosevelt was the first action towards preventing discrimination in the work place. The Fair Employment Practices Committee was created and it helped to prevent discrimination in the defense industry. Randolph exclaims that blacks want to win the war for democracy. However, they are faced with the controversy that they are fighting for other democracy, but truly don’t have it for themselves. Due to discrimination, segregation, and Jim Crow Laws blacks didn’t have their full rights in which they are supposedly entitled to during WWII. Randolph states that their major demonstration power is nonviolent protest. “No power on earth can cause them today to abandon their fight” says Randolph. By fighting this fight, blacks are helping the U.S. stay in line with the original democratic values as described in Four Freedoms. The irony in these two works, Korematsu V. United States and Why Should We March, compared to Four Freedoms by Franklin Roosevelt is the direct contrast between Roosevelt’s idea of democracy and the limited civil rights certain groups had during this era. Roosevelt describes civil rights for all citizens and the excessive amount of freedoms U.S. citizens enjoy and should fight for. While Korematsu V. United States and Why We March highlight liberties in which certain groups have not yet attained within the U.S. at the time. Japanese American are denied their right to due process by executive order 9066 in 1942 and Blacks were stilling fighting to end discrimination in the work place at this time. It seems that the idea of civil liberties and rights are misconstrued between the different groups and levels of American culture.