Constitutional Principles help

Jane Doe

April 10, 2018

Module 4: Essay #4

POS 111 American Government

The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University was founded December 15, 1991,

the 200th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. Review the

information on the following websites concerning the First Amendment and then write an essay on ways

in which the First Amendment is relevant to today's world. What is your opinion with respect to this

topic? Explain fully.

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” (Edwards, Wattenberg, & Lineberry, 2014, p.108). As American citizens,

this lays the foundation for some of our basic civil liberties. These liberties have a constant

presence and importance in today’s world.

Everyone is the United States is allowed to practice whatever religion they so desire.

Personally, I grew up Catholic, and all of my extended family is Catholic as well. Currently, I

live in Forsyth, Montana, which is home to less than two-thousand residents. I have counted

there to be right around ten churches. Many of the people I have become close to here each

practice a separate religion and go to different churches. American Presidents throughout time

have recognized the importance of religious freedom. “In his Farewell Address, President

Washington further warned that national morality cannot exist in exclusion of religious

principle” (Rooney, 2017). Later, President George W. Bush was quoted saying, “freedom of

religion is not something to be feared…faith gives us a moral core” (Rooney, 2017). Religion is

a significant aspect of the lives of many Americans and will continue to be so. Although I don’t

consider myself to be a religious person, I value that myself and others are able to practice

varying religions. We have the right to believe in what we wish to believe.

Freedom of speech is another valuable component included in the First Amendment, but

it can also be one of the most difficult to accept when we have a differing view. Our textbook

states, “A democracy depends on the free expression of ideas. Thoughts that are muffled, speech

that is forbidden, and meetings that cannot be held are the enemies of the democratic process”

(Edwards, Wattenberg, & Lineberry, 2014, p.116). In this week’s class discussion, we have been

talking about if groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazis should be controlled or

regulated by the government. So far, most of us have agreed that what they do is protected by the

First Amendment, and although we highly disagree with their messages, they have the same

rights as we do. We can’t deny them their rights just because we do not agree with what they

preach. Unfortunately, we have to accept that there are people out there that have horrible things

to say. I read an article written about a survey that was taken by college students about freedom

of speech. While most of the students agreed that freedom of speech is very or extremely

important to democracy, when asked to choose whether free speech or diversity/inclusivity was

more important, the majority said diversity/inclusivity (Chokshi, 2018). We tend to hold our

freedom of speech very high, but when there are views which differ from ours, we tend to

believe that this right should be controlled.

Recently, we have heard about many protests on the news stations. One of the largest has

been the “March for Our Lives.” These protesters have been practicing their right to peacefully

assemble while protesting for the increase of gun control in the United States. “More than 800

protests were planned in every American state, including in some gun-friendly cities, and on

every continent except for Antarctica, according to a website set up by organizers” (New York

Times, 2018). My thought on protests are that as long as they are peaceful, I agree with people

advocating for what they believe in. I don’t always agree with what is being protested, but I fully

understand that American citizens have the right to do so. “However, no group can simply hold a

spontaneous demonstration anytime, anywhere, and any way it chooses. Usually, a group must

apply to the local city government for a permit and post a bond of a few hundred dollars as a sort

of security deposit. The governing body must grant a permit as long as the group pledges to hold

its demonstration at a time and place that allows the police to prevent major disruptions. There

are virtually no limitations on the content of the group’s message” (Edwards, Wattenberg, &

Lineberry, 2014, p.127). As long as a group follows the rules and peacefully assembles, they

should be allowed their rights.

All aspects of the First Amendment are extremely important in today’s world, as well as

the future. People will always continue to have differing views, but American citizens should

always be allowed to have their own view and express them freely. I believe that the freedoms

outlined in the First Amendment are there for a reason; they are the most important.

References

Chokshi, N. (2018). What college students really think about free speech. Retrieved March 20, 2018 from The

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/us/college-students-

freespeech.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FFreedom%20of%20Speech%20and%20Expression&ac

tion=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&conte

ntPlacement=8&pgtype=collection.

Edwards III, G.C., Wattenberg, M.P., & Lineberry, R.L. (2014). Government in America:

People, politics, and policy (16th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

New York Times.. (2018). March for our lives highlights: students protesting guns say enough is enough.

Retrieved March 20, 2018 from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/24/us/march-

for-our-lives.html.

Rooney, F. (2017). The role of religious freedom today. Retrieved March 20, 2018 from Real Clear:

https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2017/05/04/the_role_of_religious_freedom_today_110236.h

tml.