Responsibilities

• Although few responsibilities are demanded beyond obeying the law, a responsibility to serve the country, to be knowledgeable about democratic issues and to vote are implied. Judge Manuel A. Fernandez of the 34th Judicial District, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana sums up the list of duties as obeying the law, paying taxes, defending the nation, serving in court, attending school and voting. Judge Fernandez includes on his list responsibilities to be informed about government and know your rights, to participate in government, respect the rights of others and respect diversity.
  
  

Personal Freedoms

• The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, grant a great amount of personal freedom to the American citizens. These include the freedom of religion, of speech and of the press. These measures insure that knowledge, ideas and information will never be banned by law in the United States. These things are tied into the political rights of U.S. citizens, which include the right to vote, to petition the government and to run for office if they are qualified. The Second Amendment, the "Right to Bear Arms," has been limited to an extent in the age of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, but Americans still have some of the least restrictive gun laws in the world.
  
  

Legal Protection

• In addition to great personal freedoms, Americans are granted considerable legal protection against the government itself. These include the right to an attorney if arrested, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, the right to a speedy trial and to confront their accusers and protection against "cruel and unusual punishment." U.S. citizens also cannot be forced to testify against themselves, cannot be tried for the same crime twice, and any crime they are accused of must be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt" according to a jury of their peers.
  
  

Implied Rights

• The Ninth Amendment states that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." This means that the framers could not envision all rights that might be appropriate to grant and that the people have rights that are not specifically mentioned in the constitution. For example, there is no "right to drive," but individuals are only denied a drivers license if they physically can't do it or if they regularly violate the rules of the road. There is also no "right to get married," a "right to start a business," or a "right to travel abroad," but people do these things every day. Perhaps most importantly, Americans are granted equal protection under the law.