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.
Standish is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,581. It is the county seat of Arenac County. The town was platted by John D. Standish in 1871. Before the plat was formally recorded, Standish sold some of his land in the community and the town was initially named "Granton. " Standish, who owned the town's first business (a sawmill), had the name changed back. It was incorporated as a village in 1893 and a city in 1903. The Jackson and Lansing Railroad reached the community in 1871. It is home to the Standish Maximum Correctional Facility. In late 2009 the facility was considered, along with the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as the United States site for more than 220 prisoners relocated from the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Many neighbors of both sites expressed concern, with opposition expressed in Michigan and Kansas. In December 2009, the detention camp was slated for relocation to Thomson, Illinois.