The Importance of the First Amendment Essays - 496 Words

The Importance of the First Amendment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of Religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, this Amendment is the most important part of the constitution. Without free speech, we the people of the United States would not be able to speak openly and freely about issues that affect our everyday life. Had it not been for Katie Stanton and Susan B. Anthony exercising their first amendment right to free speech and peaceful assembly, and the press covering and catching the womens suffrage movement it is possible that women may not have gained the legal right to vote until many years later. Many amendments to the Constitution were started by†¦show more content†¦Due to people using their first amendment rights the Civil Rights Act was put into effect in 1964. DR. Martin Luther King Jr. used free speech and the right to public assembly when he spoke from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and people listened and change was brought about by his speech. If the first amendment right was never ratified, we might be living in a nation that separates us on our race, sex or age. Through this amendment, the people have caused such enormous changes that even other nations have taken notice and adopted similar laws and policies. There are also times when information is released to the public, which could be potentially harmful to our national security. Ultimately Freedom of the Press is an essential right. For the press, they feel the need to inform people of situations that arise, such as health care issues (probably to raise their revenue but also because if they were part of the general public, they would want to be informed). The government may not be ready to tell its people that there is a potentially life threatening disease in populated areas, in fear that it might cause a panic. The press on the other hand, will supply its readers with the information. With the advent of the Internet, freedom of speech has come under close investigation. Although we as Americans are allowed to speak our mind, there comes a time when we are faced with materials we find offensive and repugnant. So, the question arises; shouldShow MoreRelatedImportance Of The First Amendment1114 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of the First Amendment When our Nation had regarded themselves as thirteen newly colonies and to separate themselves from Great Britain. Congress had imparted to the state legislature twelve amendments to the Constitution. These Amendments later became the Bill of Rights, the first basic rights that the country was founded to provide. The whole point that the Bill of Rights were made was so that new Federal Government were prevented from impairing human rights and freedom. HoweverRead 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 MoreThe Importance Of The First Amendment1239 Words   |  5 Pages 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 â€Å"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 religionRead MoreImportance Of Mass Media As A Representation Of The First Amendment2774 Words   |  12 PagesImportance of mass media as a representation of the first amendment in Hillary Clinton’s current presidential campaign Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, born in October 26, 1947 is an American attorney, politician and a member of the Democratic Party. She is the wife of the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton and she served as the First Lady of the united states from 1993 to 2001.Hillary Clinton was representing New York in the United States from 2001 to 2009.In 2008 election, she was theRead MoreThe Importance of the First Amendment of the United States’ Bill of Rights for Democratic Government and its Citizens787 Words   |  4 PagesBeing expression one of the most important rights of the people to maintain a connected society right to speech should be accepted to do so. The first amendment is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals have. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. This amendment describes the principal rights of the citizens of the United States. If the citizens were unable to criticize the government, it would b e impossible to regulate order. By looking freedomRead MoreWhy the 1st Amendment Is the Best1142 Words   |  5 PagesAmendment Essay By: Christina Ramler Neil Gaiman once said, â€Å"The current total of countries in the world with First Amendments is one. You have guaranteed the freedom of speech. Other countries don’t have that.† At the time of the amendments’ creation, a vast majority of operating countries had not yet granted their people such freedoms. Granting every citizen of the United States this right seemed to have been an important landmark in this nation’s history. Along with others, this right is declaredRead MoreThe Bill of Rights: The Best Way to Limit the Power of the National Government772 Words   |  3 PagesThe importance of the Bill of Rights was not universally agreed upon at the time of their suggestion (Amar, 1992). In fact, in the original Constitution the Bill of Rights was specifically rejected by the Constitutional committee. The general feeling among committee members was that the provisions of the Bill of Rights were unnecessary in that protections were already in place. For tunately, there was a vocal group of critics who argued that the Constitution was incomplete without human rights guaranteesRead MoreEffects Of Ratifying The Constitution Robert Whitehill s Speech On September Essay931 Words   |  4 Pagespermanent landmark by which they may learn the extent of their authority, and the people be able to discover the first encroachments on their liberties†. What Whitehill meant by this is that the Constitution needed something to back up the liberties of the citizens and protect them from an overpowering government. Thus, leading to the creation of the Bill of Rights. The first 10 amendments of the Constitution are the Bill of Rights. They were written by James Madison for a greater constitutional protectionRead MoreThe Case Of Samuel Roth921 Words   |  4 PagesDavid Alberts was prosecuted for publishing photos of naked women. Both men appealed to the Supreme Court and their cases were merged together. 3. Questions of the Case Did the California or Federal Statute violate David Albert and Samuel Roth’s First Amendment freedom of speech? Did California violate David Alberts Due Process? 4. Holding No. The ruling was 6-3 in favor of the United States. The ruling was 7-2 in favor of California. 5. Opinion of the Court Justice Brennan delivered the opinion ofRead MorePersuasive Speech On School Dress Code1316 Words   |  6 Pagesprohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...†. This is what our first amendment speaks about. The freedom of speech and expression. Schools have been violating this law in the place of school dress codes. There should not be a dress code in school because it violates the first amendment, they do not support creativity and they are expensive. Dress codes violate the first amendment. Students should have the ability to express themselves as it is their right to do so, but