Conclusion for Students

Throughout this LibraryQuest, you have explored the historical foundations of our basic rights and liberties as Americans, and discussed the difficult job government has in safeguarding these rights while also protecting and responding to the needs of the public interest. You have used several critical thinking skills including analysis and evaluation when working with primary source documents, and research and synthesis skills to take a stand and create a metaphor describing this delicate balance. Finally, you have worked in a variety of group configurations to express your thinking and opinions, and get the job done. These experiences will serve you well in the future.

Now what about this question of balancing one’s rights against the needs and demands of the public interest? Would the West have been “won” if Native American rights were truly protected? Would our country have grown to be an industrial giant at the turn of the century if the rights of child and adult workers were safeguarded from the onset? How about in times of war? Is it permissible to limit the rights of citizens and other residents of this country if our nation has been threatened by people sharing a common ethnicity?

Here are some questions to think about:

• What rights do you consider absolutely sacred? That is, you would not be willing to give them up under any circumstances.
• What rights would you be willing to give up for your nation, if called to do so?
• Should organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), or National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) limit their work of protecting rights in certain circumstances?
• Should government legislate protections of individual rights in public and private spaces?
• Can we call ourselves the “greatest democratic nation” if we restrict speech, the press, the right to assemble, the right to bear arms, the right to vote, etc. in any form?

Keep these issues in mind as you become part of the educated citizenry.