Deliberation 2: Your Right to Safety
Should we be assured a life free from gun violence, hate violence, and state violence?
Explicitly:
Should the Constitution guarantee every person the right to live free from gun violence, hate-motivated violence, and violence carried out by the state?
What responsibilities should the government have to prevent gun violence and hate-based attacks while protecting individual rights and freedoms?
What checks should be in place so that the state power meant to protect us doesn’t cause harm?
Who should be protected under this right - citizens only, or all people living in or present in the United States - and why?
Information for joining the deliberation: Coming Soon!
Background
The Constitution never actually says people have a right to be safe. There’s no clear protection from gun violence, hate violence, or abuse by the state. Instead, safety is implied through scattered amendments: due process, equal protection, free speech, bans on cruel punishment - and a Second Amendment that often turns public safety into a political fight instead of a shared goal. Meanwhile, gun violence has exploded, mass shootings are routine, hate crimes rise during backlash moments, and state violence - from police brutality to crackdowns on protest - keeps exposing the gap between rights on paper and life in reality. People have pushed back at every moment in history, arguing that patchwork laws aren’t enough. The unresolved question is simple: shouldn’t the Constitution clearly protect everyone’s right to live safely, with dignity, and without fear?