A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual preference. Civil rights attorneys handle cases involving the rights of individuals to be free from unequal treatment (or discrimination) based on legally-protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and religion. Civil rights cases can arise in a number of settings -- including employment, housing, lending, and education.
Climax is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 791 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Climax Township on the northern boundary with Charleston Township, and is roughly 15 miles west of Battle Creek and 10 miles east of Kalamazoo. Climax shares a school district with the neighboring town of Scotts. Almost everything in Climax is located on the main cross streets, Main and Maple. The school, cemetery and Harvester restaurant all lie along South Main St. North Main boasts the relatively new music studio (housed in what used to be an independent hardware store), a convenience store, the village library, park, phone company and post office, the bank, Peace Community Church, a few homes, and the town newspaper: the Climax Crescent . Maple is almost entirely residential, with the exception of the United Methodist Church and Sinclair's Market.