Introduction
US constitution has gone through various changes as it seeks to grant freedom to citizens. It grants rights and freedoms namely, freedom of religion, freedom of press, and freedom of speech, among others. Founding fathers of sought freedom for all individuals in their declaration.
These were aimed at promoting happiness and decentralization of power. It is quite important to note that these rights vary slightly from one State to another. This paper will try to compare rights of citizens as provided in the federal government. It will also endeavor to compare it with that of State of Georgia (Chen, 1997, p. 1).
Rights of Citizens
Every nation protects the rights of its people. These rights serve to protect every citizen, including new citizens from interference, which may be caused by private organizations, and government, among others. Democracy is essential for peaceful governance of a people. This can only be achieved by giving freedom of rights to citizens. US citizens have various rights namely, freedom of religion, freedom of press, and freedom of speech.
They also have the right to assemble, and petition. The constitution also provides other rights such as rights of all Americans as well as that of blacks. Freedom of religion was instituted to help prevent a single religion from dominating citizens as it could lead to persecution and oppression. Freedom of speech, on the other hand, gives an individual the right to speak privately or publicly (Chen, 1997, p. 1).
Citizens are also allowed to gather and protest peacefully against political, economic, as well as social conditions. Moreover, they are allowed to demand reforms in such conditions. United States citizens have the right to seek redress by petitioning government through courts. There are amendments that have since been passed to add or change the constitutions. They include the right to trial by jury and the right to bear arms, among others. Others include rights of black Americans and those that apply to all Americans (Chen, 1997, p. 1).
Rights of Citizens in State of Georgia
The State of Georgia has a constitution that protects its citizens from oppression. These include right of persons to life, property and liberty. In addition, it provides right to equal protection, freedom of conscience, opinion and religion, as well as speech. Furthermore, it protects its citizens from libel.
Others include the right to bear and keep arms. The State also gives all residents citizenship, right to courts, warrants, and seizures, among others. From the information given above, it is very clear that State of Georgia provide similar rights to citizens as the federal government. This may differ slightly from those of other States (Cox, 2005, p. 1).
Conclusion
US constitution has gone through various changes as it seeks to grant freedom to citizens. It grants citizens freedom of religion, press, and speech, among others. These rights protect citizens from oppression. For instance, Georgia has a constitution that protects its citizens from oppression.
These include right of persons to life, property and liberty. It also provides rights to equal protection, freedom of conscience, opinion and religion, as well as speech and press, among others. Clearly, that State of Georgia provides similar rights to citizens as federal government. However, this differs slightly from other States (Cox, 2005, p. 1).
Reference List
Chen, D. (1997). Citizen Rights. Utah Education. Web.
Cox, C. (2005). CONSTITUTIONOF THE STATE OF GEORGIA. sos.georgia.gov. Web.