How Important is the First Amendment?
The First Amendment was adopted in 1791. It states that “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. “Censorship,” according to the ACLU, “… 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 “No”. “If liberty means anything at all,” writes George Orwell, “it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” (Wikipedia, 2016) If
Although we, as citizens of this country, are guaranteed freedom of speech and press by the first amendment, we are encouraged to “watch what we say”. In order to avoid unnecessary violence and to keep people from being offended, it is recommended the certain things be censored. While many may look at this censorship as a well-needed percussion it can reversely be seen as going against one's first amendment rights, in itself causing controversy.
The first amendment, the right of freedom of speech is one of the most important classic fantasy to almost anyone living in the United States, building the foundation of our nation. This right gives us plenty of different opportunities to express our opinions and political viewpoints on any issues in America. But it comes with a price, people have been protesting multiple different events trying to prevent people from expressing opposing opinions or political viewpoints on that has issues in America. For the minority of people, expressing a different opinion should be protected no matter how controversial or insensitive it may be.
Since this country was founded, we have had a set of unalienable rights that our constitution guarantees us to as Americans. One of the most important rights that is mentioned in our constitution is the right to free speech. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
The first amendment states your basic liberties. It is one of the most important bills in the bill of rights. These basic liberties are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government. This amendment also has a lot of historical significance and there are a lot of court cases today that involve this amendment. There are also quite a few current issues involving the first amendment.
In today’s era people are being limited in their freedom of speech because people are too sensitive and it can be offensive.
Censorship has been a big topic in America since the birth of its modern government. There are things that go on around the world that the media would never show its American viewers. This has also been seen in places like the military, where if a soldier were to send a letter back home, he or she can not disclose information such as their location. While it is a way to protect the American people from potential threats, it also restricts our freedom of speech. Everyone has the right to speak his or her mind; whether you agree with an idea or not is always a conscious choice. An
A very popular constitutional issue in America is the First Amendment. The First Amendment is meant to protect, but in today’s society it is being questioned that the argument is being overly used. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference (Esmaili). Freedom of religion created the separation of church and state. It prohibits the government from interfering with a person's practice of their religion. The right to freedom of speech allows individuals to express themselves without government interference or regulation. The right of freedom of expression gives the right to assemble and gather for peaceful and lawful purposes. It was adopted into the Bill of Rights in 1791. The Court later interpreted the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment as protecting the rights in the First Amendment from interference by state governments. Putting this is layman’s term, you can pretty much say what you want without being penalized.
The first amendment formed our country and brought us together to be the free country we are. The first amendment talks about how we get the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, Freedom of press. Amendment 1 is the most important Amendment because it doesn’t allow Congress to make laws about respending religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, and abridging the freedom of speech or press.
The first amendment is the most important part of the Constitution because it has been the most exercised right by U.S citizens. First amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or 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.” Meaning, as citizens, the Constitution protects our freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition the government. This amendment is a good reflection of what America represents, equality for all.
First Amendment: To have the rights and freedoms that sadly many other countries do not have. To have the freedoms of speech, petition, assembly, religion, and press. I feel this is the most important amendment out of all ten because if you don't have the freedom to be your own person then, what do you have? Would you have your money? Your faith? Power? An opinion? Imagine if you had that and not be able to use it because someone told you they don't agree with it. That you don't have the right to have it, and then it is taken from you by force. That is why I think the first amendment is the most important. If you don't have your freedom, you essentially have nothing that is yours. As Benjamin Franklin said, "They who can give up essential liberty
The First Amendment gives us the essential freedoms we as United States citizens deserve. This amendment gives us Freedom of peaceful assembly, speech, press, religion and the freedom to petition the Government. It is thought to be the most important freedom of the United States. Only because of this right we are able to speak our mind freely, pray without judgment, express ourselves, and protest peacefully. Our Founding Fathers had been Framers of the Constitution and they are responsible for all the rights documented and established in the United States.
Individuals in America possess many freedoms that individuals in foreign countries like China, South Korea, and Afghanistan do not have access to. The liberties granted by the First Amendment gives people the right to express their personal and religious beliefs without interference from the Government. The protection given to the people by the First Amendment stops the Government from becoming too strong or monarchical, a fear that comes from the oppressive rule of Great Britain that the Founding Fathers desperately wanted to avoid happening again. The preservation of individuals expressing their political, religious, or personal beliefs is an important right of American citizens that should not be overlooked. A recent illustration of the First Amendment in use for individuals can be seen with the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. The Court ruling directly impacts individuals by giving people the legal right to have same-sex marriages.
Freedom of speech is a right that is meant to be interpreted according to how it is written in the constitution. Susan Jacoby makes a valid argument that the first amendment should be interpreted strictly on how it is written despite the vulgar that content that may be displayed. The author even goes as far as to saying pornography, content the author highly disapproves, is a valid point that applies under the first amendment. Moreover, the first amendment should be upheld at all costs despite the content that may be presented. The first amendment should be strictly interpreted, furthermore, federal courts should thoroughly evaluate truly controversial topics that may arise in the future.
The first amendment of the United States says that as a United States citizen we have the freedom to speak what we believe. We have been given the right to speak our mind in public and let our views be heard. But does this mean we can insult our listeners or be harsh to them according to race or gender? Does this mean we can speak without any regard for others views and personal feelings? No it does not. By allowing everyone to speak their mind in public, it would cause havoc and disarray among us. This is why certain people should censor the speech beforehand to make sure it has no abrasive material and will be beneficial to the public.
First we must focus on the motivation and foundations behind these individuals attempting to challenge the right to free speech. There are various reasons given for censorship: in a classroom or library they may restrict or ban a book or other learning resource because it includes social, political, or religious views believed to be inappropriate or threatening. A movie or television program may be considered violent, or obscene because of nudity or indecent behavior. A song or speech may contain language thought to be vulgar, or ideas and values that some consider objectionable. Furthermore, a group may edit or withhold a newspaper story from publication because they may judge it as a threat to national security. All though these examples are valid motivations for censorship, initiating these steps would unveil a censorship disaster. It is my view that this action would cause a national uprise of interests groups, as well as the individual, demanding that every division of published information be censored. We must identify exactly who these individuals are that want these items censored. Looking at all levels of American citizens, some are legislators on a local, state, and even federal level. Others are members of boards or committees, organized to review books, films, or other forms of communication on behalf of a community. Occasionally the