Americanists....worldwide!

From Lugano to La Jolla....what a remarkable amalgam of ideas, insights, and perspectives. Welcome to this site. Mr. Izsa (TASIS) and Mrs. Shaul (LJCDS) invite you to join us in our conversations about the history and the realities of America's history and culture--from a decidedly international perspective.

Each month a new series of questions will be posted here by Mr. Izsa and Mrs. Shaul. Please click on the blog posts and write in your comments for the questions below, per your teacher's instructions.

Please make certain that entries are thoughtfully written (check for typos and grammatical faux pas), as erudite as you can make them, and appropriately worded for a school-related activity (note: students from other parts of the world may not share your same philosophies or your same sense of humor, so please be mindful of our differences).

With every blog session assigned, one or two can be direct responses to the questions, but at least one MUST respond directly to the students who have already written posts, answering one thread per question (more is welcome, this is the minimum requirement).Be specific. Explain why you might agree or disagree with their (his/her) opinions. Feel free to "debate" or "discuss" with your international counterpart. Make sure we can identify you with your name so you can receive credit for your contributions.


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Question 3

Does your perspective regarding the term "civil rights" seem different from those of an older generation--perhaps form those who were adults before 9/11? (Many see this as a defining moment where Americans began to consider that all of these rights might lead to some real risks)? If so, why?
Posted by at

28 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 25, 2012 at 12:29 AM

    I think that there is some difference between how we see the civil rights now and how our parents, and grandparents did, i think that we are more open minded to different religions and different race.

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    1. UnknownNovember 18, 2012 at 2:55 PM

      I agree that we are more open minded and possibly accepting of different religions and different races, but I think that our generation also has a lot more misconceptions and stereotypes than some other generations. I think that 9/11 affected the generations before us and in turn it ended up rubbing off onto us. For some, they can't even fathom the idea of traveling without having to go through extensive security lines or anything like that. I think our generation needs to re-evaluate our outlooks on people and the world, and not be so antsy to take an eye for an eye.

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  2. AnonymousApril 25, 2012 at 12:35 AM

    It is risky to have those rights, but it is also risky to control all of those people under the power because they could have taken the same action as 9/11.

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  3. AnonymousApril 25, 2012 at 6:09 AM

    Of course the understanding of the civil rights changes with the time. Perhaps our parents would consider some particular rights more important then we do nowadays. Many of us were not born by the time the 9/11 had happened, and so we do not perceive that event the same way as our parents do. Therefore, we have different perspectives on the term of ''civil rights''.

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    1. YoonMay 29, 2012 at 1:47 PM

      I totally agree with this opinion. For example, those who experienced 9/11 would be very scared of terrors and would insist the rights to be properly protected by their countries. However, since my generation who didn't really feel the terror of the 9/11 event would not consider this as much as did those who experience the event. Thus, It is clear that my generation has differnet perspectives on civil rights from those in the past.

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  4. AdinMay 19, 2012 at 4:07 PM

    The "post 9/11" era is an interesting concept because we really do need to view some civil rights differently in order to enjoy continued national security and aviation safety. For example, since the threat of terrorism has increased so much, we have much stricter and more invasive security checks at airports. Many people have spoken out against strip searches and new x-ray technology, but this is all needed in this constantly changing terrorist threat world. There are some civil liberties you forfeit when you choose to board an aircraft. If people aren't ok with these increased security measures, there's an easy solution- maybe they don't need to fly....

    Adin (LJCDS)

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    1. AnonymousMay 27, 2012 at 12:41 PM

      I agree with you, Adin. I think people should not get angry when they are asked to do security checks at airport. There are no reasons. If a person has a clear conscience, then he/she will not have problems when they ask to do some searches. I feel it is a right thing to do more checks, mostly to Muslim people, especially after 9/11. It is not a form of discrimination. It is just a precaution to be sure nothing bad can happen again.

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  5. LaraMay 19, 2012 at 5:50 PM

    The older generation perceives “civil rights” as an African American cause while today’s generation perceives “civil rights” as a broader cause that should pertain to everyone, in particular gay rights.
    Lara (LJCDS)

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  6. Diego John VelasquezMay 20, 2012 at 10:23 AM

    I feel like much of our generation, and pockets of the older generation, can be very liberal with their definition of Civil Rights. However, the idea of equality in marriage and equality among citizens should not even have to be debated, they belong in society. Airport security should be as extensive only if the ends justify the means,flying had better be safer. The older generation has a large conservative group which is evident because it has taken so long or change in certain areas that might need change. The two generations are substantially split with their perceptions of Civil rights, and 9/11 increased the division.

    DJV (LJCD)

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  7. YoonMay 20, 2012 at 1:50 PM

    Different. Older generations struggled to obtain very basic rights such as freedom of speech, but in our generation, that kind of rights is already taken granted, so we don't struggle for them, but we look for more equality between the wealth and the poor. Thus, older generations and our generation differ in perspective.

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  8. ChaseMay 20, 2012 at 2:02 PM

    the term "civil rights" changes from generation to generation. Older generations could not imagine a thing such as 9/11 happening. Things and times change and make the definition of the term "Civil Rights" change too.

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  9. Eduardo GarciaMay 20, 2012 at 5:24 PM

    Civil Rights will always be different for each generation no matter if there was a major incident like 9/11

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  10. UnknownMay 20, 2012 at 6:20 PM

    As time goes on, the perspective of Civil Rights changes because different things in the world are relevant.

    - Carter

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  11. DustinHughesMay 20, 2012 at 6:30 PM

    Yes, because those who were born after 9/11 and those who were very young at the time and did not remember did not experience any tragic events that endangered the people of the United States. With 9/11 I really think it made people think twice about civil rights as a lot of racial profiling started to take place with in the United States.

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    1. Deborah ShaulMay 20, 2012 at 7:21 PM

      This is hardly the first time racial profiling had been the way for the American people. The idea that it is sometimes necessary is an interesting one--perhaps that is what has changed most since 9/11? What about cameras in public places? Searches in airports? Do we tolerate more than we used to?

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    2. G.P.May 20, 2012 at 8:17 PM

      I think we do not tolerate more than the US used to since 9/11. People are more afraid of danger, and believe that it could be anywhere and at anytime, which is why the security has increased so much.

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  12. G.P.May 20, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. Trevor SmithMay 20, 2012 at 8:42 PM

    Before 9/11 the term civil rights usually applied to the African Americans, but after 9/11 the term began to apply more and more to the Muslim community. Now, civil rights aim to protect Muslims from racial discrimination compared to before 9/11 when civil rights heavily aimed towards protecting African Americans from racial discrimination.

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  14. Connor ArleoMay 20, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    Different generations have slightly different ideas of what our "civil rights" should be. For example, generations before 9/11 may have thought that people should be able to refuse a body search at an airport, however my generation now realizes that it should not be a civil right to be able to refuse a body search at an airport as it could lead to a bombing or hijacking.

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  15. LucasMay 20, 2012 at 8:49 PM

    Different generations always look at things differently. Civil rights prior to 9/11 was certainly different because it was mainly for the African Americans yet now religion is involved aswel.

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  16. UnknownMay 21, 2012 at 9:22 AM

    My definition of Civil rights is not different from my parents, but how we interpret and what civil rights should be are different amongst the the generations.

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  17. JacksonMay 21, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    When I think of civil rights, 9/11 does not come up in my mind. When I think of Civil Rights I think of the time of Martin Lurther King Jr. and Malcolm X. I think of Rosa Parks and the bus boycotts. I think of the Little Rock 9 and the church bombings.

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  18. ericMay 21, 2012 at 9:47 PM

    I think that the perspective of civil rights hasn't changed but the focus of civil rights has. It's shifted from civil rights for African Americans to LGBT rights

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  19. PhelanMay 21, 2012 at 10:11 PM

    The concept of civil rights is the same however the focus is more broad for the current generations.

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  20. ChristineMay 23, 2012 at 11:45 AM

    I don't think people see it differently but I do think that the civil rights have been expanded after 9/11 especially in airports

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    1. AnonymousMay 28, 2012 at 1:05 AM

      Chiristine,

      I disagree with you statement that Civil Rights have been expanded after 9/11. In my opinion, Civil rights were degraded to some degree because many people, especially Muslim, forgo their liberties to undergo various check before boarding an airplane

      Tim(TASIS)

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  21. AnonymousNovember 14, 2012 at 6:23 AM

    I agree with Eduardo Garcia. Civil Rights are like the Bible, they are understood indifferent ways by people, because time is changing, and so do the generations, and each generation would be different from the previous one, because people in it would have experienced different events. In addition, events like 9/11 won't effect the latest generations, in my opinion is because of gossip. People stop believe in what is true. For example, I heard that 9/11 was a governmental "controlled'' incident in order to keep financing war against terrorism of which the real purpose was oil in middele-asia, and I saw a video where was shown how the towers were detonated, specifically to make them fall on their basement not on other boulders. I mean what I saw and read was pretty convincing.
    Let me know what do you think about that, and have a nice day!

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