The Second Amendment, Ramirez argues, is a safeguard of the First Amendment, which guarantees citizen freedoms against governmental power.
For elections and human-rights law alone will never give citizens freedom or provide the guarantees of democracy.
We desperately need liberty, rule of law, equality to all citizens, freedom of speech and freedom of press.
The second is the extent to which societies give their citizens freedom from the power of others.
Whether it's protecting citizens' freedom of speech or protecting citizens' rights to their reputation and privacy, both should ultimately rest on rule of law".
The First Amendment is supposed to protect citizens' freedom to say more or less whatever they like without fear of retribution.
"If it is true that installation has become party of the policy again, officials are limiting citizens' freedom to choose and freedom of expression," Ai said.
In his view, religious authorities could become political partners - when it is precisely their restriction to the private sphere which guaranties citizens' freedom of opinion.
A quote from Mr. Karimov is painted on a wall, together with an excerpt from the Uzbek Constitution guaranteeing citizens freedom of religion.
"We encourage meaningful dialogue between the Azerbaijani government and its citizens to address legitimate grievances and also urge authorities to respect citizens' freedom of assembly and expression," the American Embassy said in its statement.
And it fears that Moscow and Beijing would exploit a global regulation of military activity on the Web, in order to justify and further strengthen the powerful tools they already use to restrict their citizens' freedom on the Net.
