Civil liberties are rights bestowed by societies and protected by laws. Although each society has a different view of the most important rights, some universal values distinguish the importance of liberties. Another viewpoint states that the nature of human rights is contradictory in itself, thus causing the suggestions to limit civil liberties. Understanding what constitutes a human right is essential in ascertaining what civil liberties are the most important.
A right is the possibility of a person behaving in a certain way. This implies two facets of civil society. The first is that all people live in conditions of limitations, otherwise there would be no need to articulate human rights. The second is that once the person encroaches on another person’s rights, there is a violation. This is a contradiction that raises the question of whose liberties and right take precedence.
To solve this dilemma, it is essential to see which rights are critical for living. They include the right to life, the right to privacy, freedom of conscience, the right to have a fair trial, the right to equal law treatment. These are the things that each person needs to have adequate life. I believe that these are the most important civil liberties, which should be protected.
There are other rights and liberties, which do not constitute the basic life necessities. Examples include freedom of speech, freedom of property, right to own weapons, and other instances, where a person can infringe upon someone else. In my opinion, such liberties enable violations and should be limited. It is better to see them not as civil liberties but rather civil privileges, thus differentiating between what is vital and what is convenient.