Taking What's Yours!

"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours." -Cesar Chavez

14th Amendment to the US constitution section 1, established 1868:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Article. IV.
Section. 1.
Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Constitution of The State of Georgia
ARTICLE I. BILL OF RIGHTS SECTION I.: RIGHTS OF PERSONS

Paragraph I.
Life, liberty, and property. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property except by due process of law.

Paragraph II. Protection to person and property; equal protection. Protection to person and property is the paramount duty of government and shall be impartial and complete. No person shall be denied the equal protection of the laws.

Paragraph VII. Citizens, protection of. All citizens of the United States, resident in this state, are hereby declared citizens of this state ; and it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to enact such laws as will protect them in the full enjoyment of the rights, privileges, and immunities due to such citizenship.

Life, Liberty, Property, Rights, Privileges and Immunities afforded by marriage:

A short list of list of 1138 federal and hundreds at the state level
o Employment assistance and transitional services for spouses of members being separated from military service; continued commissary privileges
o Per diem payment to spouse for federal civil service employees when relocating
o Indian Health Service care for spouses of Native Americans (in some circumstances)
o Sponsor husband/wife for immigration benefits
• Larger benefits under some programs if married, including:
o Veteran's disability
o Supplemental Security Income
o Disability payments for federal employees
o Medicaid
o Property tax exemption for homes of totally disabled veterans
o Income tax deductions, credits, rates exemption, and estimates
o Wages of an employee working for one's spouse are exempt from federal unemployment tax[3]
• Joint and family-related rights:
o Joint filing of bankruptcy permitted
o Joint parenting rights, such as access to children's school records
o Family visitation rights for the spouse and non-biological children, such as to visit a spouse in a hospital or prison
o Next-of-kin status for emergency medical decisions or filing wrongful death claims
o Custodial rights to children, shared property, child support, and alimony after divorce
o Domestic violence intervention
o Access to "family only" services, such as reduced rate memberships to clubs & organizations or residency in certain neighborhoods
• Preferential hiring for spouses of veterans in government jobs
• Tax-free transfer of property between spouses (including on death) and exemption from "due-on-sale" clauses.
• Special consideration to spouses of citizens and resident aliens
• Threats against spouses of various federal employees is a federal crime
• Right to continue living on land purchased from spouse by National Park Service when easement granted to spouse
• Court notice of probate proceedings
• Domestic violence protection orders
• Existing homestead lease continuation of rights
• Regulation of condominium sales to owner-occupants exemption
• Funeral and bereavement leave
• Joint adoption and foster care
• Joint tax filing
• Insurance licenses, coverage, eligibility, and benefits organization of mutual benefits society
• Legal status with stepchildren
• Making spousal medical decisions
• Spousal non-resident tuition deferential waiver
• Permission to make funeral arrangements for a deceased spouse, including burial or cremation
• Right of survivorship of custodial trust
• Right to change surname upon marriage
• Right to enter into prenuptial agreement
• Right to inheritance of property
• Spousal privilege in court cases (the marital confidences privilege and the spousal testimonial privilege)
• For those divorced or widowed, the right to many of ex- or late spouse's benefits, including:
o Social Security pension
o Veteran's pensions, indemnity compensation for service-connected deaths, medical care, and nursing home care, right to burial in veterans' cemeteries, educational assistance, and housing
o survivor benefits for federal employees
o Survivor benefits for spouses of longshoremen, harbor workers, railroad workers
o Additional benefits to spouses of coal miners who die of black lung disease
o $100,000 to spouse of any public safety officer killed in the line of duty
o Continuation of employer-sponsored health benefits
o Renewal and termination rights to spouse's copyrights on death of spouse
o Continued water rights of spouse in some circumstances
o Payment of wages and workers compensation benefits after worker death
o Making, revoking, and objecting to post-mortem anatomical gifts

These are YOUR rights bought for you by the lives, blood, sweat and tears of countless brave and principled Americans before you. Now come take them. Happy Independence Day!