The first amendment to the constitution 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.
What it means to me...
This amendment makes it possible for every American citizen to follow any form of religion they choose. Whether they were brought up being taught what religion to follow based on their family beliefs, or they were free to choose based on others influences as they got older, no person is forbidden to believe what they want to believe. It also lets citizens have freedom of speech, as well as our right to disagree and protest the Government's decisions. If we don't like it, we can do something about it.
The following video describes how religion plays such a major role in our society today.
A group known as the Freedom Form Religion Foundation put up a billboard sign in Rancho Cucamonga, CA back in 2008. The sign reads, "Imagine No Religion." The Wisconsin-based group behind this national campaign are saying that the sign means people need to imagine what it would be like without all this religious conflict, and they are advocating the idea of separation from church and state. However many are offended by this sign and think it is disrespectful to those who are religious in that area. City Hall apparently received about 90 calls of complaint in about 3 days regarding the billboard. Because of the uproar the campaign has caused, the sign company, Great Outdoor, removed the sign after only about a week.
According to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, religion has become such a big deal in our society that it is actually killing the idea of Free Speech, which our Founding Fathers put into place for a reason. Everyone is constantly at war with each other over which religion is right and why others are living in sin because of what they believe. Freedom of Speech is supposed to mean everyone has the right to say what they believe, but having this sign is like telling those who are religious not to believe what they are accustomed to. And if they can't believe it, they can't talk about it. If they are wrong for believing it, then they are also wrong for saying it.
This video shows how important it is for us to be able to protest what the government does for us.
Local police departments in the United States and Canada are becoming more and more violent when it comes to protesters. The Federal Government gave billions and billions of dollars worth of military hardware and weapons to police all across the country. They were fearful of the political unrest that the failing economy and other issues can cause in the public, and protests have become more common and dangerous than in the past.
According to the First Amendment, people have the right to Free Speech and the right to protest or question what the government does. Now the amendment does use the word "peaceably" and that word is not usually used to describe a protest. But people still should be able to speak their minds and disagree with the government. To say one can only have the right to exercise a right once they ask the government for permission first is rhetorical none the less. Actually, it isn't even up to us as citizens to decide how, when, and where we can exercise our first amendment right to free speech. It's up to the government, whether it is local, state, or federal, they have the ultimate say on OUR rights. This totally opposes what our Founding Fathers intended in the words of the Constitution.
Through this action our ability to peaceably assemble and petition the government has lost all its meaning. In order to make an impact, a protest has to interrupt the natural flow of business and life in an area. But if causing things to work out of the ordinary is illegal, then how can one get their point across? So unless you follow the government's rules and apply for a permit prior to your protest, and you stay within your SMALL designated are and not block business, you can PEACEFULLY petition the government. Not sure how much affect this will have, but at least you won't get sprayed with mace or dragged off by police.
