Does the Government Control Our Rights?
How many rights do you have? You should check, because it might not be as many as you think. Some people are not concerned that the police can execute a search warrant without knocking, set up roadblocks, and interrogate innocent citizens. Nor are they concerned when a drug dealer receives a life sentence for selling a quarter gram of cocaine for $20 (Bailey). When you combine current events with the widespread need of people to fit into society, we should all be concerned. The Bill of Rights, when written, established and protected our personal freedoms from government interference.
For centuries, governments have tried to regulate information thought to be inappropriate or offensive. Today's technology has given the government an excuse to interfere with free speech. By claiming that radio frequencies are a limited resource, the government tells broadcasters what to say and what not to say. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) carefully monitors news, public, and local programming for what they consider obscenity (Hyland).
As in speech, technology has provided another excuse for government intrusion in the press. The Secret Service can confiscate computers, printers, hard disks, and mail from electronic services they do not consider a press. Entire stores of books and videotapes are seized because of sexually explicit material. The Bill of Rights and the First Amendment exists to protect speech and press that is unpopular. "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression (Steele)." If unpopular ideas did not exist, we would not need the First Amendment.
The right to bear arms is so commonly challenged that it has its own name: gun control. Banning weapons not for "legitimate" sporting purposes is a misuse of the right to bear arms amendment. "If the need for defense arises, it will not be herds of deer that threaten our security, but humans (Steele)." It is an unfortunate fact that the guns we need for defense are guns that attack people
For centuries, governments have tried to regulate information thought to be inappropriate or offensive. Today's technology has given the government an excuse to interfere with free speech. By claiming that radio frequencies are a limited resource, the government tells broadcasters what to say and what not to say. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) carefully monitors news, public, and local programming for what they consider obscenity (Hyland).
As in speech, technology has provided another excuse for government intrusion in the press. The Secret Service can confiscate computers, printers, hard disks, and mail from electronic services they do not consider a press. Entire stores of books and videotapes are seized because of sexually explicit material. The Bill of Rights and the First Amendment exists to protect speech and press that is unpopular. "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression (Steele)." If unpopular ideas did not exist, we would not need the First Amendment.
The right to bear arms is so commonly challenged that it has its own name: gun control. Banning weapons not for "legitimate" sporting purposes is a misuse of the right to bear arms amendment. "If the need for defense arises, it will not be herds of deer that threaten our security, but humans (Steele)." It is an unfortunate fact that the guns we need for defense are guns that attack people
Cited: Bailey, Thomas A., David M. Kennedy, and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Hyland, Paul, Sammells, Neil. "Writing and Censorship." London: Routledge; 1992: 1-13; 133-167. Steele, Shari. "Taking a Bite Out of the First Amendment." http://www.eff.org/pub/Cenorship/human_rights_961420.article. 1996. United States. "Annotated Constitution." GPO Gate 20 June 1998 http://www.gpo.ucop.edu/cgibin/gpogate?waisdoc=1&4=waisback.access.gpo.gov;constitution_1996_supplement/TEXT/10982/3=6%2010982%20/disk3/wais/data/constitution_1996_supplement/s96art2.wais; (20 June 1998).