“A society that will trade a little freedom for a little order will lose both and deserve neither.” ~Thomas Jefferson. This quote summarizes my position that curfews should be eliminated. Freedom is a concept in political philosophy that means that human beings are able to govern themselves and behave according to their own free will. Curfews ignore the idea of ​​freedom and have not proven to be an effective tool against juvenile crime, yet they are commonly used throughout the United States. Curfews should be eliminated because they violate constitutional rights, can lead to discrimination and profiling of youth, and diverts resources, including money and time, from law enforcement. The rights of freedom and speech have long been recognized by the Supreme Court, and freedom of speech and assembly go hand in hand. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that neither state nor local governments can take away First Amendment rights. With that said, let's examine the constitutionality of the legal curfew. Over the past decade or so, many of the juvenile curfew laws have been challenged because they were deemed to violate First Amendment rights as detailed in state and U.S. constitutions. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and many other civil liberties groups have become very active in challenging these curfew laws to help protect the rights of all U.S. citizens. The First Amendment states that Congress may not make laws prohibiting people from peaceably assembling, which in the simplest translation means that laws cannot prevent people from peaceably dating. Curfews are passed to prevent groups of people and individuals from gathering or congregating in public places at certain times. ...... middle of paper ...... US citizens are as important to you as they are to me, so I hope you will oppose the curfew law. Works Cited Men, Mike. Macallair, Dan. “An Analysis of Curfew Enforcement and Youth Crime.” Nya. 1999. National Association for Youth Rights, Web. April 16, 2011. .Rands, Geoff. "Profiling courses." Democratic Marshall 2009, . .Print.Unknown. “Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School.” First Amendment Center. April 2011. Vanderbilt University, Web. April 16, 2011. .Unknown. “Juvenile Justice Reform Initiatives in the States 1994-1996.” Office for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. unknown. Ojjdp, Web. April 19, 2011. .