Basic Rights

We, the undersigned, wish our newly elected President and our Representatives and Senators in Congress to understand that we are politically concerned young Americans who take our rights seriously. The rights listed below are, we feel, the minimum that all Americans should possess.

1. Neither Congress nor the states should make any law, which violates our rights to freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly, or our right peacefully to petition our government to change law, or policies, which we feel, are detrimental to the interests of the people.

2. The people have a right to be free of unreasonable searches of their persons and homes, and unreasonable seizures of their property. A proper warrant must be issued for any search or seizure, and if it is not, any seized evidence must not be allowed to be used in court.

3. No one should have to stand trial twice for any crime for which the punishment might be death; nor should they be compelled to be a witness against himself or herself; nor should they be deprived of life, liberty, o property without due process of law.

4. Every Citizen has the right to equal protection of the laws.

5. Anyone accused of a crime must have the right to a speedy public trial by an impartial jury and to be informed of why he or she is accused. They should also have the right to confront witnesses against them and to require witnesses who might give testimony favourable to them to come to court to testify.

6. Excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment must be prohibited.

7. The list above (Numbers 1-6) should be considered the minimal rights of the people, not as a list of all the rights of the people.