Final answer:
Civil rights necessitate government action to uphold equality and prevent discrimination, contrasting with civil liberties, which limit government power to protect individual freedoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
False, civil rights are not solely about what the government must not do; they are also about the affirmative steps the government must take to ensure equality. When we discuss civil rights, we're talking about the actions that governments must perform to guarantee equal protection and nondiscrimination under the law. Essentially, civil rights involve government action to create conditions of equality for all citizens.
For example, consider voting rights. For these rights to be meaningful, the government must provide accessible polling places, ballots, and ensure a fair counting process. These are proactive steps that governments take to protect and facilitate the exercise of civil rights for individuals, especially within minority groups who may otherwise face discrimination.
Therefore, while civil liberties limit government action to protect individual freedoms, civil rights require government action to ensure all individuals are treated with equality and fairness, regardless of race, gender, or other personal characteristics.