Are civil rights campaigns more effective in the US than the UK? Flashcards
Intro
Yes:
-US campaigns to protect the right to bear arms have been stronger than those in the UK.
No:
- Women’s rights are better protected in the UK
- Both countries have promoted LGBT rights
Para 1
Yes, civil rights campaigns are more effective in the UK since women rights are better protected
E.g. US women do not have paid maternity leave and the Equal Rights Amendment did not pass
(Therefore, it is harder for US women to look after their child since they may not be financially stable enough to take maternity leave. Women’s rights in the US are not specifically outlined in the constitution as the amendment failed to pass)
Yes, civil rights campaigns in the UK have been more successful in protecting women’s rights
E.g. women in the UK are entitled to paid maternity leave and the Sex and Discrimination Act 1975 explicitly forbids sex discrimination
(Therefore, women’s rights are better protected since they are explicitly included in the constitution)
(IDEOLOGY LINK)
Many liberal thinkers agreed with the notion that women should have equal rights
E.g. Mary Wollstonecraft argued that women are human, humans are rational and therefore women are rational also
(therefore, women deserve the same rights as men)
Para 2
No, US campaigns for the 2nd Amendment have been stronger than those of the UK to protect their right to bear arms
E.g. the NRA has protected the 2nd Amendment despite public pressure for gun control. They successfully lobbied Congress to reject any gun control legislation Obama proposed during his administration. (Therefore, efforts to protect the right to bear arms in the US were significant since no meaningful gun control was passed)
No, efforts to protect the right to possess a firearm have not been as successful in the UK
E.g. UK citizens lost the right to bear arms after the Snowdrop Campaign in 1997 following the Dunblane Massacre. This resulted 1997 Firearms Acts
(Therefore, citizens’ rights were not protected in the UK to the same degree as those in the US, since US citizens retain their right to bear arms)
Para 3
No, both the UK and US have successfully promoted LGBTQ rights. For example, the Marriage Act 2013 in the UK legalised same-sex marriage
(Therefore, this protected the rights of individuals of all sexualities to marry through a simple Act of Parliament)
No, in the US the court has protected this right due to civil rights campaigns
E.g. Obergefell v Hodges 2015 struck down the Defence of Marriage Act 1996 to essentially legalise gay marriage
(this therefore allowed the court to strike down unconstitutional legislation preventing gay marriage)
(IDEOLOGY LINK)
For many liberal thinkers, the promotion of LGBTQ rights would be seen as essential in a free society
E.g. John Stuart Mill argued in his work ‘On Liberty’ that while a representative democracy is essential, we must also be mindful of minority rights
(allowing humans to channel their innate rationality in electing their leaders, whilst ensuring the freedom of minorities against the tyranny of the majority)
Conc
No:
- Women’s rights are better protected in the UK
- Both countries have promoted LGBT rights
