1st amendment rights Under the Bill of Rights of our constitution, Americans are
given basic human rights which cannot be taken away. Sometimes these rights
conflict with each other, causing debate. The 1st amendment causes many
controversial issues to arise. This amendment gives us the freedoms of speech,
press, and religion. Freedom of speech is one of those very controversial
issues. I feel pretty strongly about our right to freedom of speech. In other
countries you could be killed for saying negative things about your government.
Here in America, you can call the president a fat idiot who should be shot, and
not face any penalty. I do believe that people should restrict themselves to
saying appropriate things at appropriate times. For example not yelling
“fire” in a crowded area where many innocent people would get trampled. A
very controversial issue of freedom of speech is the issue of art. Art is a form
of freedom of speech. And as some British artists have recently showed us, some
people have some very twisted things they want to say through their artwork.
Although I do not agree with the way some artists choose to express themselves
(such as Sensation), I do think that they have the right to do so. People do not
have to view the work if they do not want to. Freedom of the press also arouses
much debate. This is one topic I tend to sometimes question. Although I feel it
is very important for the public to know what is going on in our country,
sometimes I feel it is better not to know. For example when the press wanted to
print the Pentagon Papers it was a threat to our national security. I think
also, the press influences people or gives them ideas. When tragedies such as
the one in Littleton, Colorado occur, it is not necessary to show live coverage
of frantic people running for their lives. I don’t think it was right to put
that tragedy on national television. The attention the press gave to that
situation also put many other people in danger. Practically every school in the
nation had a bomb threat after that, and some of them checked out to be serious.
The publicity that the tragedy got, gave other kids ideas and thoughts of how to
repay those they had a grudge against. The third freedom given to us by the 1st
amendment is the freedom of religion. This is a freedom I am personally very
grateful for. The first provision of this freedom gives me the right to any
religion I choose to follow. I think every American is grateful for this
freedom, no matter what religion they are. As a Christian, I have the right to
worship God without being persecuted for doing so. The second provision states
that there must be a division between church and state. I think this is also
very important. When there is a theocracy, things tend to get very corrupt. You
get priests imposing mandatory tithes (such as in the Middle Ages), and making
statements that if you don’t follow the law of the land; you also won’t be
going to heaven. Although I feel this way I think it would be nice if prayer was
allowed in the schools. But I do understand that this would violate the
separation of church and state. All of these freedoms have been granted to us by
the 1st amendment of the Bill of Rights. Without these freedoms, I think our
country would be a horribly corrupt society.