How Important Is The First Amendment - 950 Words

How Important is the First Amendment? The First Amendment was adopted in 1791. It states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† (Wikipedia, 2016) The freedom of speech documented in the First Amendment is not only a constitutional protection, but also an inevitable part of democratic government and independence, which are essential values in our society. â€Å"Censorship,† according to the ACLU, â€Å"†¦ is the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are offensive, happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others†. (ACLU, 2016) That is why the American citizen’s right to free speech should be held as the highest virtue and any censorship of freedom of speech should not be allowed, but only respected. Not to mention that censorship is unconstitutional. Freedom of speech is an essential part of our democratic government. The only way that the truth can be brought to the fore is when there is a forum where ideas and opinions can be openly expressed. However, there is a strong support of censorship when people start mentioning extremely offensive opinions. Should the freedom of speech be limited in this case? The answer is â€Å"No†. â€Å"If liberty means anything at all,† writes George Orwell, â€Å"it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.† (Wikipedia, 2016) IfShow MoreRelatedShould There Be A Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting Flag Burning?1637 Words   |  7 PagesShould there be a constitutional amendment prohibiting flag burning? 1) Describe the issue. Who, what, when, where, why, etc. Some people believe that burning the flag is extremely unpatriotic and disrespectful, while others believe it is an expression of free speech, which is protected under the First Amendment in the United States constitution. In 2006, a flag burning amendment was formally proposed in congress and failed to pass by just one vote. The closeness of this vote is a clear indicationRead MoreThe Bill of Rights: The Best Way to Limit the Power of the National Government772 Words   |  3 Pagesvocal group of critics who argued that the Constitution was incomplete without human rights guarantees and James Madison, the principal architect was persuaded to draft what eventually became the Bill of Rights. The adoption of these ten amendments were important to the common citizenry as they clarify the various natural rights recognized by the Government such as the right to petition the government, the right to free speech, freedom of religion and the right to assembly. Without these guaranteesRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography Notes Essay1282 Words   |  6 PagesBibliography Notes Fill in the notes for the amendment and for each of the three categories (multi-media, contemporary cases, advocacy documents). If you need support for the citation, consult the MLA Formatting Guide you printed from the lesson. Amendment for your topic (from the Bill of Rights) One Multi-Media Resource (videos, slideshows, audio files, infographics) Citation :Graphic : http://www.nancho.net/corperson/   THE SCOURGE OF DEMOCRACIDE   How Popular Rule is Suffocated by Corporate PersonhoodRead MoreBill Of Rights : An Important Part Of American History943 Words   |  4 PagesRights is an Extremely important part of American History. In the late 1700s the Bill of Rights was created to give Americans a basic set of freedoms. These freedoms have always been greatly valued by the American people ever since the Bill of Rights was created. The first amendment protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the freedom to petition the government. Freedom of religion allows people to choose who and how they worship. In many countriesRead MoreThe Importance Of The First Amendment842 Words   |  4 Pagespetition are some of the rights that make up the first amendment. Before the first amendment became part of the Bill of Rights in 1791 James Madison united a series of the proposed amendments, which only twelve were approved by Congress (book). The anti-federalists sent more than 200 potential amendments to Congress because they wanted a protection for individuals that did not agree or were against the power of the central government (book). These amendments have shaped the way the United States is todayRead More Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition Essay examples767 Words   |  4 Pagesreligion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. First, the 1st Amendment gives us our independence. Second, it also gives us the right to express ourselves. Last but not least, it allows people to express themselves without constraint by the government. The 1st Amendment is a very essential freedom that everyone should be entitled to. Our independence is the most important essential need of humans. It lets us be and act how we are and want to be. The reason why the Read MoreFreedom Of Speech By John Locke Essay1325 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is why there are these several categories that specify what is protected by the First Amendment, and what is not. A 1969 court decision Tinker vs. Des Moines is a great example of what qualifies as protected speech. On the other side, Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire in 1942 showed that the Supreme Court has recognized several limited exceptions to First Amendment protection. Freedom of Speech is so very important because if people cannot express themselves, then they can never reach and realize theirRead MoreImportance Of The Second Amendment1168 Words   |  5 PagesThe Second Amendment Imagine youre sleeping at night and then suddenly, you wake up. You walk in into your kitchen and grab a glass of water and hear a noise, you realize there is someone in your house. Whats your first action, what are you going to do? Our second amendment protects us in this situation. The problem solver to this situation is to get a gun and maybe use it in defense for your safety and others. Our Second Amendment gives us a right to guns and to use them for defense in orderRead MoreThe Treaty Of The Constitution Essay1441 Words   |  6 Pagesstrong central government. To ensure the ratification, a promise was made to include a bill of rights after the Constitution was ratified. Thus the bill of rights was instrumental in the ratification of the U.S. Constitution; without the promise of amendments that would uphold citizen’s individual rights of freedom form the government, the U.S. Constitution would not have been ratified. The founding fathers of the United States came to realize that the original constitution, The Articles of ConfederationRead MoreThe Constitutional Rights Of The United States977 Words   |  4 Pagestwenty-eighth amendment, that if ratified to the U.S. Constitution would take the constitutional rights away from all artificial entities such as corporations, and limit all campaign expenditures including the candidate s own contributions and expenditures. The Supreme Court has ruled on multiple occasions that according to the fourteenth amendment corporations are individuals that have constitutional rights. If corporations have the same rights as individuals, then under the first amendment they have