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.
Your first amendment rights, collectively is considered to be the most important out of all 27 amendments. Your mission on this blog is threefold. (three parts) One, decide which of the five freedoms you think is the most important and why. Two, which of the freedoms would you be willing to give up and why?(be careful). And finally, which freedom do you feel should be added?
75 comments:
The most important right that we have is the freedom of speech. We need the freedom of speech because many people have good ideas and the only way they may be able to express them is by telling them to people. I would personally like to get rid of the freedom to peaceably assemble because think of the 1992 L.A. riots. People went on a free for all. I think that the freedom to express ourselves in any way that we want.
The most important right that we have is the freedom of speech. We need the freedom of speech because many people have good ideas and the only way they may be able to express them is by telling them to people. I would personally like to get rid of the freedom to peaceably assemble because think of the 1992 L.A. riots. People went on a free for all. I think that the freedom to express ourselves in any way that we want.
The most important right that we have is the freedom of speech. We need the freedom of speech because many people have good ideas and the only way they may be able to express them is by telling them to people. I would personally like to get rid of the freedom to peaceably assemble because think of the 1992 L.A. riots. People went on a free for all. I think that the freedom to express ourselves in any way that we want.
when they turn into riots they werent coverd by the first admenment because they were not peaceful
I strongly disagree,because if we didn't have any laws,then a lot of accidents would happen and there would be a greater chance of people dying.
I think that the freedom of speech is the most important, because it allows us to express our individual ideas and thoughts. It also allows us to say, within reason, what we are believing.
I would be willing to give up my freedom of religion because I am not a practicing member of any religion.
I also would like to see the actual freedom of the press, because as of current we don't truly have a free press because not all of the truth is presented to the public.
I think that freedom of speech is the most important. People get the right to say what they think is right. Alot of people have some good ideas and they should be able to tell other people.
The freedom that i could give up is religion. I dont have a religion that i practice.
The freedom of happiness should be in there because everyone has the right to be happy.
I believe the right of the people to a peaceably assemble is the most important right because it includes the right to religion because as long as churches meet peacefully they are allow but it includes other meetings such as marches and conventions.
It allows others to express their feelings, to do activities, and express their interests.
The most important right, is the right to speech. If there no right to free speach, no other right would work. For example, how can we have a freedom of religion, but not have the right to agree or disagree with, or give our own versions of, said religions. Or for the right to petition, how can we petition the government for something we believe false, if we don't even have the right to say so! Thus, freedom of speech is most important. Two that could potentially dealt without, could be the right to peaceably assemble, or the right to establish religion. Like kenny said, many times riots are formed out of, supposed peace full assemblies. For an antiwar protest in Kent State University, the proclaimed peaceful riot, turned into the killings of four students. The officers who fired they shots were doing so in defense, because they felt their safety was in danger. Giving up the right to establish a new religion, does not mean that you cannot practice your own version of the religion, just not to call it something different. Making it possible, but tricky, to get by that amendment. I feel the right privacy is of utmost importance. In todays world, police, schools, and parents often take advantage and work around peoples privacy. If i wanted something kept a secret, i should have the right to keep it that way. Not allowing people, neighbors, parents, teachers or anyone else for that matter to spread what happened or whatever to whomever they please. Granted there may be cases in national security where necessities may be breached, but for the most part, how can i see myself as a free individual if i cannot keep certain things to myself, and for myself only.
test 1 2
2. I would give up the right to press because unfortunately with much of our generation reading is not fun or considered important. Also word of mouth can be used instead of the press.
3. I think the right to choose to be educated should be in the freedoms because all levels of jobs need to be filled and many people would choose to not go to school therefore "qualifying" themselves for lower jobs. The government wouldn't have to waste money and schools wouldn't have to del with problem children.
Kenny....
In response to your blog I must disagree with your view that the freedom to peacefully assemble should be abolished. I know along with you some examples of 'peaceful assembly" have turned violet, but such a great percentage have been positive. Even some assemblies by some often thought of as violent groups most often turn out good.
I strongly disagree,because if we didn't have any laws,then a lot of accidents would happen and there would be a greater chance of people dying.
I believe that the right that is most important in the right to petition. this right helps us over rule what we don't like. i think that if we had to get rid of a right i would say the freedom of press. i say tis because without them there would be no misunderstood facts and contradicting stories. i think we need to add the right to do what you want when you want
The most important freedom is freedom of speech. Without this freedom it would be difficult to express one's own beliefs. I would be willing to give up the freedom of religion only because it does not make a large impact my life. The freedom that I would choose to add is not new one, but a revision to the freedom of press. I don't think that our society truly lives life knowing they can publish articles freely. For example, a Newspaper could turn down an author's article, undermining freedom of press.
The most important is the freedom of speech. We have to have the right to speak our minds. No one can take that away because its very important to have a say in something. If i could take away any right it wouldnt be any of them. Thats our constitution and its what gives us rights as people and keeps us in check.
lol
In response to michael lang
so when you say you feel giving up the right to religion is okay because you do not believe in one, isn't the contradictory the the entire right itself? If you give that up, the government then can choose which religion for the whole country. Thus, you are forced to believe something, when you say you do not believe in any.
In response to: michael lang
i strongly agree because you should be able to say what you want!
Of the 5 freedoms speech is the most important to me.
I would give up religion, I am not a religious person therefore wont bother me.
An amendment that should be added is equal wealth.
This is the response to Kenny
I disagree with Kenny because his example deals wit an unpeaceful assembly
if he could give me an example of why PEACEFUL assemblies should be taken out of the 5 rights then I could understand his view.
The 5 most important freedoms are: Freedom of Speech,Freedom of Religion , Freedom of Press, Freedom to Assemble,Search and Seizure Protections. These are the basic foundation for declaring our independence from England. Speech allows us to say our opinions without fear of death. Same with Religion. The Freedom to peaceably assemble allows protest of issue that we strongly believe in. And Search and Seizure Protections prohibit officials to search you or your belongings with out a warrant.
The amendment i would give up or more accurate being given up already, the freedom of the press. Do to the News Corporations being owned by a sole entity is causing selective journalism.
Freedom of "State Funded elections" to allow politicians with less money a fair shot to get their message out there.
In response to Kenny:
I agree with your opinion that freedom of speech is the most important out of the five in the first amendment. People cannot put a price on speaking their ideals/beliefs so having the freedom to express them is the most meaningful freedom.
I believe the most important right is the freedom of speech. Almost everything comes down to the freedom of speech because without it, we wouldn't have any other way of communicating with eachother or with the news/media. I believe if that right was taken away, we would probably be living under a dictator who tells us how to think and express ourselves. How else are we supposed to warn others of possible danger, exciting news, or to get a better understanding of eachother if we did not have the freedom of speech? The right that I would be willing to give up would be the freedom of religion. I do not have a religion, its just not something that is included in my life. It's not a necessity because Im getting along fine without it. The freedom i feel that should be added is the freedom of charity. I think it should include the multi-million/billionaires donating a portion, (it doesnt have to be a big portion) of their money to people in need and to good causes instead of being greedy and spending large amounts of money on ridiculous things.
All five are important try living without one of them, it would be near impossible. We need all five to protect us, you should be able to say what you want to say when you want to say it same goes for press. The government should not be able to stop you from assembling that only ends in violence. People came here for religious freedom not to become condemned again and for petitioning the government, it was Jefferson that said the government should fear the people not the other way around
Oh and with the freedom that should be added I agree with
arager1 he makes a good point.
I believe that the world and it's countries are entitled to go through cycles, therefore one generation might value certain rights, just like another country might. My point is that freedom of speech, to me, is not the most important in our society. In fact, I would give up that right first, because as long as I have the right to peaceably assemble, I can say whatever I want in private. Ultimately anyway, you cannot say "EVERYTHING" you want in public regardless. Why, you might ask do I give that up first? We all want to say what we want to say; of course. However, if you think about it in my eyes, we have very limited "speaking" capabilities in school, or possibily at a job or other work environment. We say, and phrase, things how the teachers, faculty, or bosses, want us to say it. If Mrs. Burr said (like she did) that we have to add "Mam" to the end of the sentence, I personally would do it. It's not that I want to, but I would because I would get tired of punishments. Freedom of speech, Mrs. Burr? I think not! [ :) ] In my opinion, the most important clause in the original blog is "...and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Why again? Well think, if we didn't have that, would there even be a freedom of speech in the first place? Or right of the people peaceably to assemble? The government could technically remove such rights, and wait..we could not petition it! So they could throw a big "screw you" in our faces, and we could do absolutely nothing but whine, in theory. If I were to add another right that Congress would realistically pass, I would say that the people have the right to know what is going on behind the scences. Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are plentyyyyy of things the government knows, that I REALLY don't want to, but really, shouldn't we know a little more? Great example: Roswell, New Mexico. The aliens. Look, government, personally...I want to know if there are aliens or not! If there is...just tell us! Sure, some people might turn into psychos, but I'm turning into one just sitting here waiting. Not that there aren't plenty of psychos to go around anyways. However, that's my feedback. :)
In response to Larissa Lutz...in response to Michael Lang.....
I totally agree...just because someone might not believe in something [such as a God-ly like figure], if you were to give that right up... The government could ultimately MAKE you be a Christian, or a Jew, or Muslim, to name a few.
However, I think Mrs. Burr's main goal in this is to show us all that without one of these rights, all of them could potentially fall. Simply, without one right, others could go down with it. We should be thankful for all of these rights! And never take any of them for granted...
Michael,
Would you really want to give up the freedom of religion. Would you like to be told what religion you should practice? I also like your response on the freedom of the press. You are right to say the freedom of press is being taken away.dop
Well, I sure did ask for what I got. Some of your ideas are really frightening. Would we really want to give up our right to freedom of press?
Government controlled press is a dangerous thing. If I did give up freedom of religion am I not once again giving the government the right to pick my religious thought? I like how Larissa tied in other freedoms into the freedom of speech.
GO DAN!!! DON'T GIVE ANY OF THEM UP. WAY TO ROCK THE BOAT. YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT PATRIOT.
O.k. Mike, never let it be said that you are not brilliant.
I stongly argee. we didn't fight for our rights for freedom for nothing. i belive that people can come to a country to express their beleifs
Religon is very important in the world. in some countries you can get killed for what you belive in.
just like in Korea where that physco keeps his people from expressing them selfs.That's why i thank god that i have the right to do what i want when ever i want.
I think that the freedom of speech is the most important, becuase people have the right to say whatever they want anytime they want. with our generation reading is not important or fun to me so i would give up the right to press. i think we should add the right of do want you want, dont let anyone stop you from your crazy adventures.
I apologize if I'm not answering the questions "correctly" Mrs. Burr, but I think they're all important and I'm not really wanting to get rid of any, either.
Kenny, you make a great point about the riots. Michael, you make a great point about religion, or lack thereof. Heck, everyone is making good points about all of them.
Emilee,
There is no correctly. That was makes this blog so very interesting. I am asking you opinion. Your opinion is not incorrect, because it is your opinion.
1) I believe that the most important freedom is the freedom of speech. Like Larissa said, you can't exactly have any other freedoms without speech to back up what you believe.
2)Honestly, i don't think i would give up any freedoms. They were given to us for a reason and they all kind of in some way tie into each other. They are fine the way they were written.
3)I'm not very out of the box, so i think that i wouldn't add any more freedoms. Yes, they are nice but maybe sometimes too much freedom can get out of hand.
In response to kenny:
Even though i don't believe in having any rights taken away, i agree with you. For instance, the 1968 Democratic Convention. The meeting was only supposed to help choose the new democratic delegates but turned into violence betweeen the police and anti-vietnam protesters. Many riots happened during and after, and assembly's having anything to do with politics is sort of asking for arguments to happen.
I believe that the freedom of speech is the most important because nations grow through people being able to share their ideas. I am very grounded in my religion, and I do believe every one of our rights are important but if I had to choose to leave a right out of our amendments, it would be the freedom of religion. This in turn would mean that perhaps my religion would be persecuted. While religious persecution brings many sorrows, it also comes with some good. If my religion would be persecuted in America by the government, I would rebel against it and it would end up bringing me closer to my God in the end, and that is something that attracts me because people should either leave their religions if they're not serious about it or they should grow more united and passionate in it. America was in a large amount created because of religious persecution from Europe. Good things can come from bad things and that is why I would leave religious freedom out. I do not know what freedom I would add so I have to think more on that.
I think that the most important right we have is freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is probably one of the biggest reasons our country is so succesful. I think that all of our rights set us so different from other countries but not so much as freedom of speech. I would not like to give up any of these rights cause they all seem so incredibly importnant to me but if I ABSOLUTELY MUST, I would say goodbye to freedom of the press. I get really tired of reading so many lies in the magazines and stuff. Although I understand that freedom of the press kinda ties into freedom of speech, because freedom of press is speaking freely but speaking like to the entire country. And as for a freedom we should add, I can't think of one. I've racked my brain but I think that Mr. Jefferson did an absolutely fabulous job covering the freedoms a country should have.
Ok so i do think that asager1 makes a good point. About how the freedom of charity should be added. I mean I've watched like "Cribs" and "The Fabulous Life Of" and it is absolutely ridiculous and sickening what they waste money on. I think they should donate just a bit to charity. =]
I think that the freedom of speech is the most important. With out this freedom, and most specifically the freedom of the press, the government could have great control over the population without this freedom.
I would not be willing to give up any of these freedoms. They are all important and help define us as Americans.
I think a freedom to feel safe could be a reasonable freedom to add.
Regarding PSanches " would give up the right to press because unfortunately with much of our generation reading is not fun or considered important. Also word of mouth can be used instead of the press."
I disagree because world of mou8th can not spread throughout the country unless the pree caries it and and example of No free Press in the USSR people were lead to believe the government because there were no opinions to oppose.
In response to mike gilardi...
You make a great point about the freedom of religion being taken away, i did say that this was one of the rights i would be willing to give up. I didnt even think about the possibility of a dictator making you practice a religion. It didnt occur to me the affects that could take place if this freedom didnt exist, good thing it does.
in response to Andrew T
i think having the freedom of religion being removed would turn our society mad. im not very religious either but i know that if we all had to beleive the same thing or society wold errupt
in reponse to rebacca
i disagree with you
I think anyone should be able to speak their mind as long as it does not offend
If I had to add a freedom, it would be the freedom towards good healthcare, like in Spain, where the government pays the doctors well, and the patient is not refused and left to die if they don't have money or the patient doesn't lose much money if something tragic happens to them and lands them in the hospital for a long time. Another freedom they should have is the freedom of free or almost free burial. I believe it is very unfair to a person to have to pay so much just to be buried well. The government should pay for that since the citizens work for them their whole life amd pays so much in taxes and every person has to die so I do not believe it right that a one should have to pay for their grave too.
The first amendment is one of the most important pieces of writing to the United States. All of the 5 freedoms stated in the first amendment are important, and if we didn’t have any of them the country wouldn’t run as well as it does. But for me the most important freedom in the first amendment must be the freedom of religion. I think the main reason for this is because that’s how this country started when the pilgrims came here to get away for the persecution in Europe. Me being Lutheran myself I find it very important to have religious believes of some kind, and to stick behind them no matter what they are.
I think the freedom I could live without is the freedom to petition. Don’t get me wrong this freedom is very important but I think it is the least. With all the other freedoms of assembly, speech, and religion, and press I think you could rally enough behind those freedoms to get the same effect you wanted through the right to petition.
response to asager1.
I like the points that you make regarding freedom of speech, and I especially agree with the part on how having someone telling you what to think would be like having a dictator. However, you said that you would give up the freedom of religion because you're getting along well without religion, but giving up that freedom could result in you being forced to agree with a religion like they were in Europe when the Catholic Church had control. Also I agree on how super rich people should stop spending so much on silly things and give to charity since they have such a good opportunity to do so.
In response to Rebecca, yes I do believe in freedom of speech but to an extent. There are some things that as a person you should filter to be morally correct. Yes I believe in letting people know my opinion but in an educated and factual way as well as politically correct. Not just say what I want whenever I would like to state it.
The most important amendment for me is the freedom of speech. The reason for that being is because with that like you can say what you feel like saying and nobody can tel you what you can and what you cannot say.For example, if i have something to say and i just want to get oit out like i know that i should not be scared of saying what i feel like saying .If it was for me i would not give out anything because im fine with having all of them , but if i had to choose one to give out for sure it would not be the freedom of speech therefore, the one that i would choose would have to be the freedom of voting . The reason why i chose the freedom of voting is because i may be wrong but this is the way that i see it , for me presidents just want peoples votes and sometimes they just say that they are going to do something but then when you vote for them they dont do what they promised to do . Therefore, not just because you vote for them does not mean that you are going to change the things that you dislike about the world. The freedom that i feel should be added is the freedom of obtaining an education no matter what your legall status is, im not saying this to ofend anybody but thats just what i think looking at the situation that is going around the world.The reason why im saying htis is because if people say that everybody is the same then why do they treat any illigal person differently than the legal people. I feel that everybofy should have the equall rights of oportunity no matter what your legal status is.
......Isabel O. Cardenas
Well im kinda disagree with what u said that if we didnt have any laws, then a lot of accidents would happen and that there would be a greater chance of people dying. I do agree that its good to have laws because without laws the world would probably be upside down jeje ...but i dont belive that if we didnt have laws then there would be a greater chance of people dying , because people make there choices and that has nothing to do with the lwas. For example, 90% of the people know the laws and what is expected , but that does not keep them from making the choices they make like they know its wrong whatever they do and they still do it anyway.Therefore, i dont think that just because we have laws its going to reduce the chance of people dying :}....
but i like how you brought that up Isabel
The freedom of religion gives people the right to express whatever beliefs they have. These beliefs could also be of the not-so-religious nature. I do not believe, or care to believe, in any religion, and I proudly admit this. Therefore freedom of religion is the most important, because without this right I would not only have to keep my beliefs to myself, but I would most likely also be forced to attend the religious meetings of our leader's choice.
First, I would like to say, it is obvious that these rights are so very basic that it would be completely rediculous to give up a single one. Our founding fathers thought up these rights which have briliantly sculpted our society into what it is today. To extract one of these rights from our country would only create havock. I would never be willing to give up any of these rights.
If one freedom should be added to the first amendments it should definitely be freedom of age. This came from the very top of my head, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. People are forced to wait until the age of 16 to get a reliable job, and it has been noticed that most of the "best" jobs are now moving the waiting age up to 17 years. I started working at the age of 14 arranging files and making charts at my father's family physician office. In most cases, a 14 year old will be too preoccupied with his or her friends or going to the mall,(which I did enjoy as well) but in some cases, a 14 year is inspired, and wants to dedicate themselves to a job early in life. Despite their drive to hold a job and their long for responsibility these kids are rejected by the workforce because the legal working age is 16. A person should be allowed to work a minimum wage job, at least, at a young age if they are up for the challenge. Besides, let's face it, a caveman could do some of America's lowest paying jobs.
Thank you Frances! (frefec)
The freedom of religion bit is very crucial if you want to think for yourself and not for some arrogant person with the idea that their religion is the "right" one.
We have the right to believe in whatever we want.
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Kenny,
I strongly disagree because back in the days like in 1940's people couldn't say what was on their minds.But now they can say what they like a little. I don't think they should get rid of the freedom to peaceably assemble.I think people should always say what they like. Without Martin Luther King Jr, we would still be in danger.You can say what ever at longs you not disrespecting people.That's why i strongly disagree. Thanks TaBrisia.
I think the First Amendment is the most important one because it clearly gives you Freedom of speech, assembly, religion, the press and to petition the government. This is important because everybody should be able to pick their own religion, as well as everybody should have the freedom of speech.
I think the freedom to work or to vote at a younger age than what it is right now should be allowed, because its not only what the adults have to say, we as teenagers also have a lot to say, and we should be given the opportunity to also make a difference. And to work i mean there's some family's that really don't have that much money, or sometimes the parents of the child or something can't work for some reason,but they dont have money so what do they do? well some have kids that are 16 and under but they cant really do much cause your not allowed to work till your like 16 here, so if we would be allowed to work at a younger age, kids would be able to be helping there families.
Freedom of speech is definitely the most important. In some countries, they cut your tongue off for speaking against the government. Those countries don't get far. Except for China, but they have too many people to be weak.
I wouldn't care if we took out freedom of the press, because the government can filter that anyway, so it's really not free.
We should add an amendment where everyday a random person in the United States gets a free pizza. YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE HAVING THE CRAPPIEST DAY EVER, LIKE YOUR CAR JUST GOT STOLEN AND YOUR INTERNET IS DOWN AND YOU HAVE NOTHING TO EAT, AND THEN YOU GET A PIZZA!?You're so stoked.
Also, to the people talking about freedom of religion.
I agree that you shouldn't have to follow other people's religions and that you should get to choose your own. For example, if we were a Buddhist country, we'd get conquered in like .32 seconds, just like Burma.
I believe the most important right is the right to petition. I believe this because if we were unable to petition the government then we would have no say on what decisions the government make once they are in office. Another reason i think this is the most important right is because no matter how much freedom of speech we have and use it is all talk and no action without the right to petition.
I would give up the right to freedom of press. This right to me is very useful but needs to be modified. It is also being slightly controlled or more than slightly depending on your opinion and point of view.
I would create a new version of the right to the freedom of press. It would limit the ability of the press to be allowed to sneak into a place they aren't supposed to be e.g. a celebrity's backyard, but it would also dis-allow any say by the government in what is allowed to be shown on the news and in the papers. If you think about it the government is representative of the people it governs therefore government controlled media is like me telling myself I shouldn't be allowed to see something because it may damage myself.
In response to Michael Lang's post I have to say that I agree 100% with your comment on the freedom of press. Why is it we can learn about Britney Spears visible private parts and shaved head and whether or not she will finish re-hab instead of what goes on behind the scenes at the white house. For instance do you think the american people would have stuck by the invasion of Iraq had it been known that the WMD's were invisible.
Overall, excellent response to the question. I commend your deep thoughts and respect all of you immensely.
The most important right we have is the freedom of religion. Our country was founded on this so this right should be the most important. Without the freedom of religion our country wouldn't be the same.
in my opinion freedom of speech is the most important right we have. with out this people wouldn't share there ideas and emotions. least important is the freedom to petition because people tend to go over board with riots.
i disagree and agree with the kid above me. I'm not really religious so it doesn't matter to me. but then again if we couldn't have faith in whatever it is we believe, and i wouldn't want to do that.
Mike Gilardi...
You are so totally awesome.
I thought that your comment on the idea of all the rights being needed in order for the government to remain strong. I can not believe that thought was skimmed on but not plainly said until you said it. Cudos. Is that how you spell that?
The amendment that is most important is the first because it talks about freedom of speech. Freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is important because it allows us to say whatever we want without getting in trouble or getting arrested. I would be willing to give up freedom of press because nobody hardly reads the newspaper anymore. A right that should be added is that residents should be allowed to vote not just citizens. If they are permanent residents and they live here they should have the right to vote.
I disagree with not having freedom of religion. I think it is one of the most important ones because we would all have to practice one religion and we would have to go to church. People that are not religious would be forced to fallow the religion. Different religions also makes up part of the diversity in the u.s.
i think the most important right we have would be freedom of speech because some people have great ideas that want to share with others.
i think the one we should get rid of is freedom of religion because not that many people are religous.
i think we should add freedom of happyness because everyone has the right to be happy.
i agree with isabel because if we didnt have laws there would be a bigger chance of people dieing.
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