requirement of the states to include a Bill of Rights was ,in theory, a sound idea. The rights of the people should be protected. The times called for a specific list of these rights because of frequent failure to protest them. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to state the rights of the people and to serve as law to protect them. The Bill of Rights lists both the civil liberties, freedoms guaranteed to an individual, and civil rights, what the government must provide for an individual. The list includes freedom of religion, speech, and press; the right to assemble peaceably and to petition the government, the right to bear arms, and the rights of the accused. The main opposition to the Bill of Rights came from Madison himself. He believed that an enumerated list of rights would limit protection to what is written. This led Madison to include the ninth amendment. The ninth amendment states that “The listing of some rights did not mean that government could infringe on others not listed.” (Ninth Amendment). This amendment is crucial to the lasting protection of rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights allowing the means of privacy to change with time. Though the Bill of Rights did not settle all the disputes concerning the Constitution it did ,however, establish an outline to be changed and revised as necessary to keep current. One example of how the Ninth Amendment has benefited the people is in the case of Griswold vs. Connecticut (1965). Estelle Griswold, a director of a family clinic, and Dr. Lee Buxton, a physician at the clinic were convicted of violating a state law prohibiting any distribution or advice about contraception to married couples. The accused believed the law invaded the private aspects of the people. In his ruling Justice Douglas stated “. specific guarantees in the Bill of Rights have penumbras, formed by emations from those guarantees that help give them life and substance.” That mea...
