Perspective: The 14th Amendment Laws and Cases
Since 1868, the 14th Amendment has safeguarded generations of Americans. It guarantees due process and equal protection of the laws, to protect and promote the rights of all individuals. The principles of freedom and equality continue to guide our nation as it seeks to fulfill its pledge of liberty and justice for all.
The 14th Amendment served the immediate purpose of protecting the rights of freed persons by guaranteeing their fundamental rights and barring states from denying them the privileges and immunities of citizenship. Since it went into effect, the 14th Amendment has become a cornerstone of historic civil rights legislation and landmark Supreme Court decisions.
The 14th Amendment has been the basis for the recognition of certain fundamental rights, including the right to privacy and the right to marry. Many of the laws that resulted from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s found their support and inspiration in this amendment. It has also served as the basis for such key United States Supreme Court cases as Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia, just to name a couple.
Every year since 1958, the United States has proclaimed May 1 Law Day, an annual opportunity to reflect on the importance of the rule of law in our daily lives. This year, as we close in on the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment, the American Bar Association has chosen as the Law Day theme, “The 14th Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.” As we commemorate Law Day in our homes, workplaces and schools, let us consider the many contributions this all-important Amendment has made to protect our liberty and making our nation more just.
Johnson is the president of the Omaha Bar Association. This signed article was written at The Daily Record’s invitation to underscore the theme of Law Day 2017
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