First Amendment to the United States Constitution Essays & Research Papers

Profanity: The original meaning of “profanity” was restricted to blasphemy. “Blasphemy” was an offensive attack on religion and religious figures, which included swearing in the name of God. As centuries passed, profanity became more distinct from blasphemy. Although blasphemy still refers to language that defames God, a religion or a religious figure, profanity has evolved to include expressions with vulgar, racist and sexual themes. Used in a court case: Respondent public high school...

First Amendment is the Cornerstone of the United States of America On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed freeing the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain, creating what would become the most powerful democratic country in history. The United States of America’s path to success is filled with trial, error, and countless sacrifices. The founding fathers envisioned a nation that was governed by the people not by a tyrannical king. On December 15, 1791 a...

State of the First Amendment Q1. As you may know, the First Amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution. Can you name any of the specific rights that are guaranteed by the First Amendment? In the First Amendment I can name three specific rights that are guaranteed by this Amendment. One of them is the Freedom of speech, the second is freedom of religion and lastly freedom is the press. Two of the freedoms that I could not name were the right to petition and the right of assembly. Most of the...

U.S Constitution Essay Period 5/6 12/12/12 The freedom contain within the first amendment is the most important to me is the second P in RAPPS, which means R is for religious, A is for assemble, P is for press, P is for petition, and S is for speech. I say petition because it includes you and what you think. So do the other ones but a petition is for you. To create a more perfect union means to create a nation in which all the states work together. But with that it’s five more important...

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 to assemble peacefully, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The first and the most significant of the amendments to our Constitution is the First Amendment. "The amendment that established our freedoms as citizens of our new confederation." The First Amendment insures freedom of...

The First Amendment The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is part of our countries Bill of Rights. The first amendment is perhaps the most important part of the U.S. Constitution because the amendment guarantees citizens freedom of religion, speech, writing and publishing, peaceful assembly, and the freedom to raise grievances with the Government. In addition, amendment requires that there be a separation maintained between church and state. Our first amendment to the United States...

The First Amendment and Its Conflict Freedom of speech, of religion, of the press, to assemble peacefully, and petition; this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. However, many people will say that the law has stopped people from being able to exercise their rights. Personally I believe that people have lost their freedom to exercise their rights mentioned in the first amendment. Inhibiting a person’s right to exercise the...

Amendment One ------------------------------------------------- The Bill of Rights, founded by Thomas Jefferson, is a name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These amendments help to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. One of the most Important amendments is the first amendment. This amendment protects the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press, as well as the right to assemble and petition the government. This...

Government Regulation There have been various changes in government regulations over the last decade. Many people believe that the government interferes in the operations of businesses, and others feel as if there is not enough. The government has to regulate business, otherwise, anything goes. The economic functions of government tend to be viewed primarily as either public spending programs or revenue-generating activities that are used to pay for public spending. Another area in...

First Amendment The First Amendment was written because at America's inception, citizens demanded a guarantee of their basic freedoms. The First Amendment protects the five basic freedoms that are essential to the American way of life. These freedoms are: the freedom of speech, the freedom of press, the freedom of assembly, the freedom of petition, and the freedom of religion. Freedom of speech allows you to say what is on your mind, in public or private places, without fear of getting...

I am Afraid We Have Awakened a Sleeping Giant In many of today’s developed nations we take pride in the fact that it has become a standard for children growing up to attend school in order to receive a formal education. This monumental accomplishment is very new to human history that now there exists a global movement that believes that regardless of gender, race, or economic status everyone deserves the right to pursue an...

Jeremaiha McIntosh Greg Turner English1A 11/2/12 Our First Amendment Issue Being able to express one’s self is 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...

1 First Amendment Lynda Davis Hist/301 September 16, 2012 Nort Seever 2 The word “privacy” is not mentioned in the Constitution, although the Constitution does strongly imply the right to privacy. The right to privacy is evident in the first 10 amendments. The First Amendment protects the right to private individual worship regarding religion. Freedom of speech and freedom of press are also protected in the First Amendment. There have been many cases regarding the First...

First Amendment Paper The First Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is our rights as citizens living in the United States of America. In this paper I will look at three provisions to the First Amendment, highlighting one case for each provision. Included are one case to discuss freedom of speech, one case to discuss separation of church and state and one case to discuss freedom of association. 1.) Discuss at least one Supreme Court case of significance related to...

The First and Second Amendment When the Constitution was written, it was not the intent of the authors to assure human rights to its citizenry, it was written in order to set up a federal government that would allow the United States to be a self-governing entity, and to put in place a system of government that would serve the citizens of the country in the way that they saw fit. After the ratification of the Constitution in 1787, “people soon began to notice that it did not list many...

The Evolution of the First Amendment The 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.(encyclopedia) The inhabitants of the North American colonies did not have a legal right to express opposition to the British government that ruled them....

Checkpoint: The First Amendment and Its Impact on Education Lillian Jenkins August 31, 2012 Tonya Torrez The First Amendment of the United States is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of laws respecting an establishment of religion, the exercise of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, right to peaceably assemble, or petitioning for a government redress of grievances. The five key educational issues related to the first amendment and the first one is...

Re: Brief of Appellant: 42 USC § 1983 Application to Employment Dismissal Case II. The District Court erred in disregarding Mason County District Attorney’s Office involvement with respect to the firing of Mr. Brady, an independent contractor, who was fired in retaliation to his comments criticizing the Mason County District Attorney’s Immigration policy, and in concluding that the Pickering test only protects full-time government employees. The District Court incorrectly held...

Essential Restrictions on the First Amendment Limitations on freedoms of society are crucial, especially in America. As Roger Rosenblatt noted in his essay, “We Are Free to Be You, Me, Stupid and Dead,” many people express their freedom of speech in very offensive and controversial ways. Often their expressions violate other amendments and freedoms as well. A few examples given by Rosenblatt included acts of freedom of speech performed by professional sports players. Many believe these...

Amendments in the United Sates constitution have changed our government and our society. Amendments are usually ratified due to social events that occur over time .Ideologies also pay a considerable role to the ratification process as well. If it wasn't for political groups such as The Anti-Feudalist we may not have obtained the 1st amendment which sates "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of...

Reflections on the First Amendment On December 15th, 1971, the first X amendments to the Constitution went into affect. The first X amendments to the constitution were known as the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment was written by James Madison because the American people were demanding a guarantee of their freedom. The First Amendment was put into place to protect American’s freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and freedom of petition. The First Amendment was written as...

First Amendment Question In modern times we view America as a thriving nation at the top of the power rankings amongst countries. Such supremacy is found not through the weapons of mass destruction but instead in the people living in a free society. The idea of free society can be related to the first amendment found in the constitution which enforces the idea of freedom. The first amendment is vital to functioning of a free society. Justice Robert Johnson once said, “No official can...

Reflections on the First Amendment Paper Ephraim Iivula HIS/301 May 29, 2011 Kenneth Johnston University of Phoenix Reflections on the First Amendment According to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, “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,...

Jenica Situ Period 3, History Bill of Rights – Persuasive Essay Of all the Amendments we have, there are 10 main ones. Out of the ten main ones, I personally believe that the First Amendment is the most important one. There is a reason why this amendment is so important. The reason this amendment is so important because it protects the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. One of the freedoms the First Amendment protects is religion. Freedom of religion supports...

Reflections on the First Amendment Megan Cresse His/301 June 18, 2013 Karen Levosky Reflections on the First Amendment The First Amendment is one of the most important Amendments in the Bill of Rights. The forefathers felt that the Bill of Rights was needed in the Constitution to assure the rights of the people and proceeded to add such protection in the First Amendment. Presently and throughout history the First Amendment stands as an important role in America. Many believe it is the...

Legal Brief 10/24/11 Citation: Charles T. Schenck v. United States, Supreme Court of the United States, 1919 Issue: Whether distributing anti-conscription literature during war time is protected under the First Amendment. Relief Sought: Schenck did not want to be convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 so he appealed to the United States Supreme Court. Facts: Charles Schenck was the general secretary of the Socialist Party of America. Socialists believed that the war had been...

Mary Cathleen ThomasUnited States GovernmentGovt-2305-54245Jinnell Killingsworth | U.S. Bill of Rights | “Amendment I” | | | 2/19/2011 | | “The First Amendment” In the beginning, our founding fathers where working on drafting a formal Constitution for our newly formed country. The representatives for some of the newly formed states, worried about the current draft of the Constitution. Many of the states and there representatives, had concerns about the wording of the...

Chick-Fil-A First Amendment Controversy The Wall Street Journal article written by Jack Nicas titled “First Amendment Trumps Critics of Chick-fil-A” overviews the hotly debated topic of Chick-Fil-A and it’s CEO Dan Cathy’s comment that he supports “the biblical definition of a family unit”. His comments have sparked outrage, assertions of bigotry, a record revenue day, millions of social media postings, hundreds of thousands of protestors, and even comments from mayors in Chicago and Boston...

Jacoby then argues that pornography can hardly be deemed more offensive than Nazism, which is also protected by the First Amendment. Next, Jacoby takes on the argument that the First Amendment is refuted by kiddie porn by submitting that kiddie porn is an issue of child abuse, not the First Amendment. Also, she counters the argument made by feminists that censorship of pornography is more sensible than other forms of censorship, by pointing out that some nude depictions are attractive to some...

COURT CASE: ALA vs. CIPA (may be United States vs ALA) Argued March 5, 2003 Decided June 23, 2003 CASE SUMMARY: In this case the American Library Association (ALA) challenged in court the constitutionality of the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) enacted in 2000, saying that it violated the First Amendment. In this lawsuit ALA sued to overturn the requirement that libraries restrict patrons’ access to computer information, that if Internet filters were not installed, federal funding and...

A Female for the First. Although a very respected female journalist, Susan Jacoby was labeled as a "First Amendment junkie" by many other women for her personal views concerning the censorship of pornography in society. Ultimately, she believed that censorship of any kind against pornography was wrong. Feminists were infuriated that another female acknowledged pornography's right to exist. Susan Jacoby did not necessarily agree with pornography, but she felt that its rights guaranteed under the...

In 1789, James Madison first proposed a set of documents that gave certain inalienable rights to Americans. On December 15, 1791 the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution were ratified and became known as the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment of the Constitution is the most sacred to Americans. It says that, “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...

Political Science Name: rsonam Donohue Briefs #2 Tuesday, March 5 Schenck v. United States 1919 Criminal Case Federal Petitioner: Schenck Respondent: United States Events: During World War I in 1917, Congress had passed a law called the Espionage Act which states that during wartime obstructing the draft and trying to make soldiers disloyal or disobedient were crimes. Schenck going against the war, mailed...

SCHENCK VS. UNITED STATES (1919) The Schenck court case of 1919 developed out of opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I (1914-1918). Antiwar sentiment in the United States was particularly strong among socialists, German Americans, and religious groups that traditionally supported antiviolence. In response to this outlook, Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917. This law provided heavy fines and jail terms for interfering with U.S. military operations or for...

United States v. Lee (1982) This case involved a conflict between the beliefs of the Old Order Amish and government regulations on employment and Social Security. The Amish regard the care of the sick and elderly to be one of their religious obligations; as a consequence, they believe that paying Social Security taxes (designed to care for the sick and elderly) would entail acknowledging that the government had that task rather than they. Thus, paying Social Security taxes would mean denying...

Foster Zinn Team History 4/4/2013 The Constitutionality of Yates v. United States The case Yates v. United States was asking if the Smith Act was a violation of the First Amendment. Fourteen leaders of the Communist Party were sent to court for violating the Smith act. Yates argued that he was protected by the First Amendment. The Smith act was made to set criminal penalties for planning the overthrow of the government. The dissent was Yates had the protection of the First Amendment. The...

In the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), John Tinker and his siblings decided to openly protest the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school (Goldman 1). The school felt that their efforts to protest the war disrupted the school environment. “The Supreme Court said that ‘in our system, undifferentiated fear or apprehension of disturbance is not enough to overcome the right to freedom of expression.’ School officials cannot silence student...

THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE U.S CONSTITUTION IS A PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION, ACCORDING TO MANY OBSERVERS. IT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO DOMESTIC LAW. The United States of America has one of the world's powerful systems of legal fortification for freedom of the press. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides the foundation assurance of press freedom and freedom of speech. In this essay I will be keen on highlighting the significance of the First Amendment and relating its motive of...

Censorship and the First Amendment: The American Citizen's Right to Free Speech Are we protected from censorship under the First Amendment? In other words do individuals or groups have the right or the power to examine material and remove or prohibit anything they consider objectionable? This argument has been progressing for centuries, in fact the first notable case was against John Peter Zenger, in 1743. Zenger was an editor of a New York colonial newspaper that often published articles...

RAP LYRICS Should rap songs be protected by the first amendment? Yes, song lyrics are protected under the Constitution. The First Amendment is considered the backbone of American freedom however, it is important you understand that the rights guaranteed in The Bill of Rights are relative, not absolute. That means our guarantees of freedoms (including song lyrics) can be restricted if subjected to clarification by the Supreme Court. Should people be allowed to say and or write anything...

Today I will be discussing three freedoms from the first amendment. I will identify how these freedoms have developed in our society. You will also hear a few of my own personal experiences that I have had regarding these freedoms. The first amendment states : “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of, or abridging the freedom of speech; or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the...

Does the first Amendment affect your livelihood? Hmmm...I'm not sure...Is water wet? Is the grass green? Do skittles come in different colors? Do we even really need to ask? Of course it does....The first Amendment is important for a lot of reasons, one being that it allows us to show our individuality and uniqueness. If we weren't allowed to express ourselves, be it in writing dancing, comedy, and many other ways, then our individuality and uniqueness would never be seen. We might as well be...

Leg 500 Midterm Question 1 5 out of 5 points The best example of a source for virtue ethics for a business is Answer Selected Answer: the corporate mission statement. Correct Answer: the corporate mission statement. Question 2 5 out of 5 points Corporate director or officer decisions to dedicate corporate funds for social causes is called: Answer Selected Answer: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Correct Answer: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Question 3 5...

Ermina Dedic Legal Brief 1 Name of Case: Dow Chemical Co. v United States. Court: U.S. Supreme Court Citation: 476 U.S. 227 (1986) Parties and their roles: Dow Chemical (Plaintiffs/Petitioner) and United States (Defendants/ Respondents) Facts: Dow Chemical operates a two-thousand-acre chemical plant at Midland, Michigan. The facility, with numerous buildings, conduits, and pipes, are visible from the air. Dow has maintained ground security at the...

Student #2 U.S. Government B3 Section 1: Overview In November of 1969, Frederick Walz, owner of property in Richmond County, New York, sued the New York City Tax Commission on the grounds that property tax exemptions for religious organizations (i.e. Churches, Synagogues) indirectly forced him to support said organizations. The case, Walz v. Tax Commission of City of New York, addressed the issue of if property tax exemptions violated the Establishment Clause of the first amendment. The...

The 27 Amendments to the Constitution have had a profound impact on our country. Although all of the Amendments have had a direct effect on the citizens of the United States, there are three amendments that stand out above all of the others due to their impact and significance. The three amendments to the Constitution that I think are the most important to the American people are Amendments one, two, and four. #1 Freedom of Speech is to help people speak and write freely without any punishment....

I think the most important Amendment of all time would be the first Amendment. This freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and politics allows our country to be unique and protects our rights as American citizens. There are many current day issues that are driven by the first amendment. My first example I would like to talk about would be the anti-war movement. The first amendment allows we the people to protest and voice our opinions. Cindy Sheehan pleads with Bush for a meeting and accuses him...

The First Amendment protects the rights of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to petition the Government. These rights are some of the most important rights granted to Americans. Some may argue that the First Amendment is too protective of our rights. I tend to disagree; I think in order for our country to have a written explanation of what is or isn't protected the First Amendment gets the points across precisely. The First Amendment grants Americans the...

The First Amendment The First Amendment is, in many people's eyes, considered the most important amendment in the United States Constitution. It protects the rights to freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of press from government interference. Basically, the amendment gives people the ability to live their lives the way that they want to, with the lifestyle that they choose. If people don't like what they hear, they...

Amendment Essay Thomas Jefferson once claimed, “A democracy cannot be both ignorant and free.” This is why I believe that the first amendment is the most important amendment to the American people. It states that we have the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition; meaning, we are allowed to voice our opinions, choose what religion we want to follow. As people, we have natural rights, meaning God given rights that the government cannot take away from us. These include...

Introduction For more than a century, the 2nd Amendment has been at the forefront of political upheaval. Great politicians and lawyers such as, Joseph story, speaking on the preamble of the 2nd amendment, stating that the “true office” of the preamble “is to expound the nature and extent, and application of the powers actually conferred by the constitution, and to substantively create them” § 462 (F.B. Rothman 1991) (1833). What Story meant by this was that the preamble to the constitution...

Facts: The petitioners, the leaders of the Communist Political Association (CPA), reorganized the Association into the Communist Party through changing its policies of peaceful cooperation with the United States and its economic and political structure to into the Marxist-Leninist doctrine of the Communist Party. The Communist Party set itself apart from other political parties by disregarding the normal process of change set forth by the constitution. From the literature, statements, and...

For nearly five years, the United States and Great Britain allied with the Soviet Union to defeat the Axis Powers, during World War II. During the war, the usual tensions between the West and the Soviets took a back seat to their mutually convenient alliance. Tensions gradually resurfaced after Germany's defeat, and the Cold War was born. As the Soviets extended their influence by promoting and installing communist governments in the countries of Eastern Europe, a so-called iron curtain...

Which Amendment? The freedom of speech, religion and press seems like an everyday activity, right? But imagine if you were not allowed to speak your opinion or practice your choice of religion, or even write about facts or opinions that interest you. What if you had to keep all your thoughts and opinions to yourself except for the ones that you were allowed to express or you would be in trouble. That would be like torture. That is why Amendment number one of the Constitution is the most...

Darius henry The First Amendment In my opinion freedom of speech and First Amendment rights are crucial to higher education because For One, Freedom of speech is the right for an individual to speak their mind without interfering with the law and the First Amendment is the law respecting an establishment of religion , the right to free expression, infringing on the freedom of the press, and freedom of belief. Which all ties into education itself sine the majority of it is sourly based...

 The First Amendment How did/does technology affect objectivity? How do multiple developments in technology effect society and challenge a journalists’ ability to communicate. Correlate speed (in any epoch/era) and the profound affect it makes on the need for First Amendment privileges. On September 25, 1789 the First Amendment was submitted to the states for ratification in order to fix the Constitution that lacked guarantees for civil liberties. On December 15, 1791, it was...

 First draft Free speech is a fundamental value for a democratic society. In the article “ Free Speech: Westboro Church Supreme Court Case Tests First Amendment” from Christian Science Monitor (October 2, 2010), author Warren Richey discusses about the first amendment right and free speech implications in some court cases. The author mentions veriest leaders of large cults that propagate hateful speeches. He acknowledges cases like burning the American flag, a Nazi parade in the...

Almost a century ago, back to the time when the modern corporation was created, sprung the Progressive era that flourished with political reforms and social activism. Along with the corporations also came laws that have always prohibited or limited the use of corporate money in elections as a result of Progressive reform’s efforts to eliminate social and political problems, especially corruption. These specific laws have been in place up until January 21, 2010 during the landmark case Citizens...

1st Amendment The freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly The 1st Amendment states that, “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.” This picture is showing our freedoms as birthday candles for us to celebrate the freedoms given to us. POINT: 2nd...

Hanna Laikin Essay on the 1st Amendment Mr. Fumusa School of Government With its adoption on December 15, 1791, the First Amendment, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights, set out to ensure civil liberties for all citizens within the Constitution. Although, the First Amendment first applied solely to the federal government, today, the Supreme Court interprets the Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause, Free Speech Clause, Freedom of the Press Clause, Freedom of Assembly Clause, and...

Westboro Baptist Church has the right to protest military funeral are protected by the First Amendment. Although it is within the legal rights of the Westboro Baptist Church,Picketing at military funerals is neither ethical nor justifiable. The church members should realize the unnecessary harm they have imposed on so many innocent people. Protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church, reviled for such acts as showing up at the funerals of U.S. soldiers with signs reading "Thank God for Dead...

 The First and Second Amendments of the United States Constitution On September 25, 1789, The Bill Of Rights was submitted to the states for approval, based on the previous Constitution's insufficient assurances for civil freedom, liberties and justice. Concerned that the Constitution neglected to clearly state the basic civil rights of the citizens of the United States, Anti- Federalists opposed the Articles of Confederations, which gave state governments more authority (“Bill of Rights,...

Amendment Essay By: Christina Ramler Neil Gaiman once said, “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...

The Bill of Rights was a group of 10 amendments that were ratified to insure the new government did not have too much power and to make sure the citizens’ rights were protected. Of these 10 amendments, I feel there are 3 that stand out and are the most important. The 4th amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches. The 5th amendment, which protects the right to a fair and speedy public trial by jury. And most importantly, the first amendment, which protects the freedom of speech and...

Central Texas College| Political Review One| Flag Desecration Amendment| Dr. Karen Waugh| Jamorion Stanford| 9/17/2012| Flag Desecration The American flag is one of the most recognizable symbols this country has today. As children, we learn in school to cross our heart with our right hand and recite the pledge of allegiance to the United States of America, while facing the flag, a beloved symbol. As a soldier in the United States Army, I proudly wear a flag as a part of my...

The Right to an Attorney Who Actually Does His Job The public defense systems of two towns near Seattle, Washington were found to be so in adequate that they violate the sixth amendment right to the assistance of counsel in criminal prosecutions. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik condemned the cities of Mount Vernon and Burlington, Washington for failing to provide meaningful representation to indigent defendants facing misdemeanor charges. A class-action suit against the cities, brought by...

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, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." -- Amendment One, Bill of Rights, United States Constitution Perhaps the most well known of all the amendments to the Constitution, the First Amendment contains many of the fundamental freedoms that...

Thomas Russell PHS/ Sodders Punishment/ After School 20120218 American Rights Punishment Essay In America, things are done democratically, and the main two mantras of a democratic government are, The People Rule and Majority Rule, Rights to the Minorities. The second is extremely important especially in the United States, with so many people from around the world living here in general peace. It means that the federal government cannot make any laws that would disrespect...

Analysis of the Lemon Test for determining alignment with the Constitution’s first amendment The first amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establish of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom for speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental...

The US constitution does not contain a specific right to privacy but the Bill of Rights does imply it. The ninth amendment of the Bill of Rights reads “the bill of rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people”. This amendment states that the rights of the people that are not specifically named are still equally important as the ones that are. Since the constitution does not give the government the right to violate privacy, it is said to be the same...

The United States Constitution is a very important piece of document for the American people and especially immigrants. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that the Constitution gives freedom to people who enter America. These freedoms are not in many other countries and that’s why immigrants flee to America to pursue the American Dream. Our Constitution is still relevant today because of two things: Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Religion. The first reason why the...

• 1. What does the term "Freedom of Speech" mean? Give examples of both allowed speech and prohibited speech. Freedom of speech is the right to say what you want when you want. Some countries don't have this right. In the United states, there are limitations, such as Libel, Slander, Obscenity, Sedition (speaking against the government),Criminal conduct such as bribery, perjury, or incitement to riot. Freedom of speech includes Art, Music, Clothing, Internet Communication, and Unspoken Speech,...

Religion and the U.S. Constitution HIST 121 - American History to 1877 May 2008 THESIS: The Constitution reflects our founder’s views of a secular government, protecting the freedom of any belief or unbelief. Some will argue religion, specifically Christianity, played a large role in the creation of this great nation’s government, the United States Constitution; however the facts reveal otherwise. The historian, Robert Middlekauff, observed, "the idea that the Constitution...

Joshua Allen English 122 Sylva Miller 09 Dec 2012 Ethical Issues with the Constitution Freedom of Speech is a negative concept when applied to immoral circumstances. “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech or of the press …” as defined by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America (U.S. Constitution). The majority of democratic governments around the world are adopting similar doctrine to solidify the principles of their governmental...

The Concept of Religion Grand Canyon University Constitional Law 531 Sameer Patel April 3, 2013 The Concept of Religion The first amendment states that there is to be a separation of state and religion. The founding fathers of this country wrote the amendments however, they did not follow what they wrote. They opened meeting with prayer. The public schools said the Our Father prayer and also in the morning they had a bible reading. Until one person made the decision...

In January 2008, Citizens United released a documentary that was critical of Senator Hilary Clinton and planned to run commercials of it at that time. However, through the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the McCain-Feingold Act which “prohibits corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech that is an ‘electioneering communication’ or for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate”, the United...

September 25, 2012 Federal Election Commission v. Citizens United The First Amendment has been one of the most controversial issues surrounding the Constitutions since its ratification in 1787. The 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...

The case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission was argued before the Supreme Court on March 24, 2009. Citizens United produced a political documentary that discussed whether Hillary Clinton would be a good president, however, the FEC stated that this was violating the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA). Although the film could have been shown in theaters, sold on DVDs, downloaded from the internet, and distributed in the form of a book, the producers could have faced five years...

Kiersten Foster AP Government & Politics December 8, 2013 Mr. Raveret Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: First amendment rights or the government's cold shoulder to corporations? With the bitter wounds of British tyranny still stinging, the Founding Fathers thought up the first amendment. Democracy flourishes only when freedoms to express views, both political and those of other concerns, are guaranteed. What happens, however, when your own...

Assignment 1 Tonia Maraden Introduction to Legal Analysis and Writing PA205-02 December 12, 2012 QUESTIONS: 1. The case study references one state statute. Identify it and explain what it prohibits. The case study is: 42.09(a)(3) of the Texas Penal Code. The Texas Penal Code for 42.09(a)(3) is the desecration of a venerated object. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly desecrates: (1) a public monument; (2) a place...

The Undeserving Rights of American Corporations Although corporations are comprised of individuals, it is highly debated if corporations deserve the same rights that the Constitution grants each American citizen. The First Amendment gives each citizen equal opportunity to pursue his or her own ambitions in coalition with their great nation. In the Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee case No. 08-205, the Supreme Court validated the idea of political spending as free speech and...

Running Head: THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE 1 The Separation of Church and State Montel Williamson Park University Psychology 101 SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE 2 “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”. Who...

Separation of Church and State Freedom of religion was established in the First Amendment to the Constitution along with other fundamentals rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom to the press, to guarantee an atmosphere of absolute religious liberty. Diverse faiths have flourished in America since the founding of the republic, largely because of the prohibition of government regulation or endorsement of religion. Traditions, holidays, and religious values free from government control...

Separation of Church and State “…I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church [and] state.” These words, spoken by Thomas Jefferson in his letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, reassured the nation of his support of the First Amendment. The wall Thomas Jefferson...

Prior Restraint and 1st Amendment Rights The American government has long feared that the release of classified information may jeopardize national security and has made special efforts to prevent publication of information considered top secret. There has been extensive debate over freedom of the press versus the right of the government to prevent publication of certain material. When the government intervenes before publication has occurred, it is called prior restraint. This paper...

The US Constitution: America’s Provider of Liberty “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” This famous quote from the American patriot Patrick Henry reflects early Americans’ thirst for liberty. After the American Revolutionary War’s victory, the new nation’s leaders needed to ensure that the government would provide liberty to Americans, thus the U. S. Constitution was created. By analyzing the first and second articles, as well as several of the Amendments, it can be proven that the U. S....

Separation of Church and State - The American Myth The first amendment of the American Constitution provides for a pluralist religious society and protection against laws that prohibit religious practices. However, numberless Supreme Court cases indicate that there are limits to the free exercise clause and throughout American history, religious practices seem to be limited to the acceptance of the practice under accepted social mores. Many religious observances have been prohibited by the...

 The First Amendment to the United States Constitution enjoins the government from interfering with any religion or church, but does not legislate against a religion or church interfering with the government. The first amendment to the constitution states that “…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” One of the reasons people migrated to the New World in the first place was for religious freedom, and when our...

AP Government and Politics Mr. Stephenson Writing Assignment Lanier Langdale September 9, 2014 U.S. Constitution, Civil Liberties, & Civil Rights The first amendment of the Bill of Rights 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.” (Bill Of Rights...

The First Amendment is arguably the most controversial issue with regards to the constitution since it was ratified in 1787. Under 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, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” However, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) directly contradicts...

Case Study: United Way and the Boy Scout of America. The United Way realized that the national Boy Scout of America policy that allowed discrimination against avowed gays goes against its own antidiscrimination policies. However the national UW permits local UW chapters to determine their own antidiscrimination policies. And that is how Larry Norvell (local head of the UW of Columbia) had to face the issue of allocations to the local BSA organization -- Cascade pacific Council of the Boy...

Resolved: On balance, the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission harms the election process. My partner and I stand in firm negation of today’s resolution. If my partner and I uphold that the Citizens United decision does not directly harm our election process, then we win today’s round. Contention 1: Citizens United has negligible effect on public participation in elections. In fact, the decision actually supports voter turnout. Many would argue that a...

What Went Wrong: An Examination of Separation of Church and State By the middle of the 20th Century, the United States had emerged as a world power. It accomplished this through its leadership in defeating Germany and Japan in World War II. These two countries' main objective was to enslave the world and destroy political, religious, and economic freedom. In Germany or Japan, anyone who disagreed with these goals, or was different was destroyed. This was a common practice in these two...

THOMPSON v. WESTERN STATES MEDICAL CENTER No.01-344.Argued February26, 2002—Decided April 29, 2002 NATURE OF CASE: Review of the restrictions on commercial free speech in relation to the advertisement of specified compounded drugs. PROCEDURAL HISTORY: Section 503A of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 353a exempts compounded drugs from certain provisions of the Food and Drug Administration’s standard approval requirements; provided that the distributors abide by certain...

Freedom of Speech The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787 and put into effect in 1789. The first amendment was put into place in 1791 as a part of the Bill of Rights. The first amendment of the Bill of rights ensures individuals freedoms of religion, speech, the press, and right to assemble. Freedom of speech will allow individuals to express their ideas freely. In the early 16th century individuals were taken to prison for speaking their minds and sometimes this penalty was...

Freedom of Speech: My Version and Theirs The First Amendment has led Americans to believe in a hallowed sense of freedom that does not exist; freedom of speech. Freedom of speech in this country has never been absolute. You can't yell fire in a crowded theater, solicit bribes, make terrorist threats, slander another, intentionally inflict emotional distress or be obscene in public (Dickerson). What Americans do have a right to is their opinion and the means by which to express it, no...