Ninth Amendment
Oscar Garza // 8th Period
Amendment Basics
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights, shall not construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Description of the Amendment
It was created around the same time the U.S Constitution and the Bill of Rights were being adopted. It was made when the people believed that the Bill of Rights would take away any rights not listed in the Constitution.Fortunately, that was never the case. This amendment was made to ease the people's worry and to assure them that they still have rights outside the Constitution, including their basic liberties.
In my Words -
This amendment basically means that there are more rights than those listed in the Constitution. Just because you have rights that are stated in the Bill of Rights doesn't mean that your rights outside of the Constitution don't matter. All the rights you have are still your rights and the government cannot take them away. You have the right to keep your rights!
Supreme Court Case
Roe vs. Wade (1970)
Background -
Before this case, it was illegal to have an abortion. Many women would illegally preform abortions either on themselves or with a willing doctor. Norma McCorvey was six months pregnant when she decided she wanted an abortion, but the government wouldn't let her. She took her case to the district court where she pleaded her incapability of having an abortion violated the right to privacy. The court agreed with her but did not give her the right to an abortion. She took her case to the Supreme Court where they voted and came up with a final conclusion.
Court's Decision -
The Court ruled that women would have the right to terminate their pregnancy. This meant that abortions wold be legal for all women. The Court acknowledged that the Constitution contained no explicit information on the right of privacy, but were proven wrong when the Ninth Amendment came into the case. The right to privacy was not in the Constitution, but it is a law. The Ninth Amendment proved that just because it isn't in the Constitution, doesn't mean the right can be taken away.
Amendment Picture -
Citations -
"Ninth Amendment." Constitutional Amendments: From Freedom of Speech to Flag Burning. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2008. N. pag. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 9 Dec. 2015.
Amendment Basics and Description of the Amendment Citation -
Leavitt, Amie Jane. Bill of Rights in Translation : What It Really Means. Mankato: Capstone, 2009. Ebook.