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.
Fruitport is a village in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 1,124. The community is located within Fruitport Charter Township. Fruitport was founded by Edward L. Craw in 1868, who platted and named it as Crawville. It was renamed Fruitport a year later when the Pere Marquette Railroad built a station there, as the town was in the middle of a fertile fruit growing area and also a port. It incorporated as a village in 1891. In an election on November 8, 2005, 306 residents voted to dissolve the village municipal corporation, while 155 voted no. However, a 2/3 majority (308 votes) was needed to dissolve the village. This was the fourth time since 1979 that a proposal to dissolve the village was on the ballot for an election. In 1990, a proposal to disincorporate was defeated by a 2 to 1 margin while a proposal in 1998 failed by 41 votes.