The federal and state constitutions recognize several civil rights. They must grant them to everyone regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, or any other feature marking a difference.

When these civil rights are violated, they are punished with all the intensity of a slap on the wrist; that is one of the reasons we should work even harder to expose them (more on that soon).

As a victim of civil rights violations, James Kenton is adamant that we must expose civil and constitutional injustices. Below are all the reasons you must expose these violations.

The Punishment for Civil and Constitutional Injustices

Civil and constitutional violations are hardly punished with the severity they deserve. Public servants are rarely punished for this crime due to qualified immunity. There is no punishment for violating the First Amendment or the Constitution.

If we can stand up for black lives, why can’t we stand taller for this crime? The lack of penalty is partially due to the lack of exposure. If more people mention the civil and constitutional injustices they face daily, more public servants will be punished, and fewer influential individuals will act with such impunity.

Fewer Illegal Seizures

Searching and/or seizing property as evidence is only fitting if the authorities have a valid warrant to justify it. Many civil rights claims about law enforcement are related to search and seizure. Officers may portray non-exigent circumstances as exigent to justify the absence of a warrant or present one that is only declared invalid after the fact.

Take the illegal seizure of James Kenton’s property. It had nothing to do with the criminal case and was returned once the case closed, but that doesn’t change the fact that Kenton’s rights were violated.

Once we expose such incidents, we may have fewer illegal search and seizure incidents and lower the chances of other law enforcement violations.

The Power of Knowledge

A recent National Opinion Research Center survey found that a third of Americans couldn’t even name one right protected by the First Amendment, whereas only 40% knew only one.

When most people don’t know their rights, they can’t even tell a constitutional injustice when it happens to them. By exposing such incidents, we make more people aware of their protected rights and take power away from those who think they can abuse it without consequences.

James Kenton vs. The State of Tennessee

James Kenton is a Tennessee roofer who is suing the state. His approach to exposing Tennessee’s civil and constitutional injustices is to expose the illegal actions of its law enforcement, DA’s office, and news outlets. Recently, the state refused to comply with Kenton’s discovery request.

Follow him as he files a motion to get the state to cooperate once and for all.