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.
Ronkonkoma (pronounced ron-KONK-uh-muh) is a census-designated place (CDP) and hamlet in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 20,029 at the 2000 census. The Ronkonkoma post office has the ZIP code of 11779, and serves parts of several hamlets and CDPs adjacent to Ronkonkoma also. Since 1988, Ronkonkoma has been the end of electrification along the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line, leading most service along the line to be referred to as Ronkonkoma Branch service. Ronkonkoma is also home to the Town of Islip owned and operated Long Island MacArthur Airport (sometimes referred to only as Islip), airport code ISP. The New York Air Route Traffic Control Center is located in Ronkonkoma, as is CVD Equipment Corporation, a nanotechnology and high-technology engineering company that is doing research on carbon nanotubes in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.