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1st amendment

            THE FIRST AMENDMENT "Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." What exactly are the limits to free speech, anyway? This amendment forbids the government from making any law that prohibits it. The debate against this will rage on forever, even judges can't agree. One of the big things that cause argument is people suing publishers and editors for all kinds of things. We need to remind these folks that the First Amendment is a man-made law, not something that is God-made and perfect in all situations, it does have it's limits. Our founding fathers wouldn't mind if we drew the line at a book that gives instructions on how to commit murder. There have been many songs that talk about violence against the police. A man from Texas claimed that the lyrics from Tupac Shakur's "2Pacalypse Now" inspired him to murder a deputy sheriff. But Tupac's song wasn't a how-to on killing police, with explicit instructions. There is a thick line that falls between a work of art that depicts or describes an act of violence and a book that gives advice on murder. Anyone with even a shred of common sense knows that you can't say or write anything about any subject at any time you please. That's why newspapers and magazines across the country go through a self-censorship process that's stricter than any amendment would impose. Unlike some people, most editors and publishers know that the First Amendment's forbidding government from making a new law impinging on freedom of speech doesn't mean that private individuals can't sue you. One judge might throw their cases out, another might rule for the bailiffs. Printing something that's simply offensive may be protected under our Bill of Rights. But that has never stopped individuals from suing them.


Essays Related to 1st amendment

1. The Beauty of the First Amendment

The 1st Amendment protects our rights and diversity as Americans. ... The 9th Amendment gives power to the state to protect it's citezens. ... In addition, each state has the power of the 9th Amendment to protect its citezens from inappropriate or dangerous reading material, such as items with no social value like child pornography. ... The 1st Amendment protects against the "tyranny of the majority,"" or, in other words, it keeps minority religions legal. ... The 1st Amendment prevents the government from taking away our freedoms of expression and opinion. ...

  • Word Count: 857
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Censorship And 1st Ammendment Rights

CENSORSHIP AND 1st AMENDMENT RIGHTS "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press- So why is censorship such a big deal? ... Besides in his lyrics he's just using his 1St Amendment Rights to freedom of speech. ... Maybe you should just let this man use his way of art to express himself and abide by the 1st Amendment. ...

  • Word Count: 756
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Gun Ban Policy on University of Utah Campus

Gun Ban Policy on U of U Campus The Banning of concealed weapons on University of Utah campus not only prevents gun owners from practicing their rights in the 2nd amendment of the constitution, also prevents law abiding citizens from protecting others or themselves when they"re harmed by criminals of malcontent. ... It is in the best interest of students as pointed out by the ASUU, that the 1st amendment is taken into consideration before the 2nd. ... A Poll was carried out recently in April 2003 on the University of Utah campus. 50.9% believed concealed weapons should be allowed on colleg...

  • Word Count: 576
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Hate speech

After carefully examining the given packet I found 4 categories that will really help reveal the truth, and they are regulation, the 1st Amendment, emotional harm, and the law. ... Lawrence III) The 1st Amendment is another valid category that we must analyze to truly see that it would be impossible to make hate speech legal. ... This is a direct violation of the 1st Amendment especially because it is a government funded school meaning they are not allowed to make their own rules and standards. ... "To engage in a debate about the First Amendment and racist speech without a full under...

  • Word Count: 1466
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Flag Burning Court Case

This can be proven in the 1st Amendment, The Flag Protection Act, and the fact that the flag does not loose its symbolism when it is burned. ... Outlawing flag burning also denies the people the first part of the 1st amendment, freedom of speech. ...

  • Word Count: 546
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Censorship: Freedom at its worst

Explaining the 1st Amendment would just tell these people what they already know, but when it comes to something that they don't approve of, or agree with, they get to play Thomas Jefferson and switch the rules according to how they see fit. Censors, those people who decide what you get to be exposed to, are subconsciously sabotaging the 1st Amendment and, well, us! ... Maybe limits on the 1st Amendment is what is eating this country up. ...

  • Word Count: 672
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Prayer In Public Schools

The latter would violate the principle of the state and church separation, which is defined by court interpretations of the 1st Amendment to the U.S. ... George Bush stated:" I support voluntary, student-led prayer and am committed to the First Amendment principles of religious freedom, tolerance, and diversity. ... The first Amendment to the U.S. ... In 1995, President Clinton delivered a speech on religious freedom, which described the benefits derived from that amendment. ... In order to avoid transplanting religious hatreds from Europe to America, they incorporated the Establishment Cla...

  • Word Count: 904
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Religion In Schools

The Founding Fathers Had the 1st Amendment and the Last Word On December 15th, 1791, our "founding fathers" ratified the Bill of Rights, which have been both the basis of our freedoms and the basis of our limitations. In particular, the 1st Amendment, and more specifically, the first two clauses: " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." ... The answer: not according to the Supreme Court's interpretation of the first clause of the 1st amendment. ... I love our government and hold the constitution, and the amend...

  • Word Count: 1306
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Speech Conduct and the First Amendment

The first amendment, which consists of the first 45 words in the Bill of Rights, was ratified in 1791. ... The First Amendment, however, does not protect purely private recreational, non-communicative photography.... Circuit courts, the 1st and the 11th, say that there is a right to photograph/videotape police activity. ... If they communicate a message, are they protected under the first amendment? ... Such images enjoy higher First Amendment protection in some places than in others" (Haynes). ...

  • Word Count: 1328
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

10. The second Amendment

And in the Bill of Rights holds the Second Amendment. ... The Second Amendment, along with the other Amendments and Constitution is for the people, by the people. ... That's why they wrote freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, petition to government (1st), right to a fair and speedy trial (6th), the right of trial by jury (7th), and to be secure in their houses (4th Amendment). ... So when the anti-gunners say that the 1st Amendment protects them to say what they want, because it is a right that was given to them, but not the right to individual ownership in the Second, they are h...

  • Word Count: 1807
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

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