Van Le-PDA2
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Dallas County Community College *
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1302
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History
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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docx
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Van Le
HIST-1302-81420
PDA Essay 2
Word count: 263 words
PDA Essay 2: Voices of Freedom (Chapter 20)
Justice Louis Brandeis' dissenting opinion in Olmstead V. United States and Justice James
C. McReynolds' majority opinion in Meyer V. Nebraska offer different perspectives on civil
liberties, particularly the right to privacy and freedom of education. Both documents are concerned with individual rights and liberties. To be more specific,
the primary focus of Brandeis' dissent is on the right to privacy and the potential harms of
government wiretapping. He argues that technological advancements in surveillance pose a
significant threat to individual liberties. In contrast, McReynolds' opinion centers on the
freedom of education and language instruction. He challenges a Nebraska law that mandates
English-only instruction in schools.
Moreover, both documents express concerns about rights violations. Brandeis argues that
government wiretapping infringes upon Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights. McReynolds
interprets the Fourteenth Amendment's protection of liberty in the context of language
instruction. He argues against state interference in teaching languages other than English,
emphasizing that language restrictions infringe upon the rights of teachers, parents, and
students.
1
Furthermore, Brandeis' dissent is rooted in the context of the 1920s and concerns over
government surveillance during a period of technological advancement. McReynolds' opinion
is based on the aftermath of World War I and the coercion of Americanization, which
targeted immigrant communities.
In summary, these documents present different facets of civil liberties, with Brandeis'
dissent emphasizing privacy rights and technological advancements, while McReynolds'
opinion centers on the freedom of education and language in a multicultural society. While
Brandeis is concerned with government surveillance, McReynolds focuses on the protection
of linguistic diversity and individual liberty in the context of education. 2
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