Should Civil Liberties Be Restricted During Times of War

During Americas most consequential wars, the United States government has restricted civil liberties of the American people despite the nation’s strong rooted foundation for preserving every citizen’s rights. When danger is an ever present factor for the nation due to war or conflict restrictions are often placed on some of the most basic freedoms and liberties. Perfect balancing of these restrictions is vital to the countries wellbeing. One of the most well-known examples of this type of restraint is Abraham Lincoln’s precedent of suspending the writ of Habeas Corpus and issuing martial law. Lincoln’s actions clearly violated the rights of the people that are guaranteed to them under the Constitution. While out of context it wouldn’t†¦show more content†¦Despite the fact that his actions were unconstitutional, they were justified and therefore should be allowed because of the circumstances. Admittedly however, internment of American citize ns may seem too drastic to be considered justified. It can be argued that pure racism was the cause for the demand for punishment of Japanese people and the Niihau Incident was just an excuse; distrust for immigrants and foreigners had already existed before the war. The treatment of the Japanese people within the camps was inexcusable. Camps looked similar to jails, President Roosvelt himself called the 10 facilities â€Å"concentration camps.† Some died in the camps due to inadequate medical care. Records exist of people that were killed by military guards who allegedly claimed that their victims were resisting orders. One source said â€Å"our government had in its possession proof that not one Japanese American, citizen or not, had engaged in espionage, not one had committed any act of sabotage. From a social and humanitarian standpoint, it’s apparent that the taking these people from their homes was cruel and unjustified. President Roosvelt however, saw the big picture. In hindsight it was unlikely that any of the captives of Japanese descent were a threat, all possible precautions were used in a time of such dire crisis. Following in suit of PresidentShow MoreRelatedCivil Liberties During World War II1665 Words   |  7 Pagesstand for justice and recognize that serious injustices were done to Japanese Americans during World War II. --President George H.W. Bush, 1988 Many times in history the Supreme Court has been faced with deciding how to treat civil liberties during war time. This raises the question, what restrictions if any should the court allow during wartime. The court is faced with making the decision on civil liberties during wartime for security reasons, and to protect the rights of the individual. While someRead MoreDemocracy And Liberal Democracy827 Words   |  4 Pagescan take full control over the government; restricting the civil liberties of the people. 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