First Amendment Bill of Rights

First Amendment Bill of Rights Free Online Research Papers I. The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791, it guarantees four rights, freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly 1) Our founding fathers came to the agreement that those very rights needed to be protected and they most certainly had the right idea a) but unfortunately these freedoms came with the price of too many debates and bloodshed; b) Going through our everyday lives here in America we tend to forget how much we take for granted. c) People all over the world are still fighting for the very rights that we have had for centuries making America a place where they flee to seeking simple freedoms that Americans are born with. 2) Freedom of speech derived from England during the revolution in 1688 King James II was overthrown and joint monarchs replaced him by name of William and Mary who put in place the concept of the bill of rights, a. a century later came our founding fathers took it upon themselves to expand the idea granting America the bill of rights b. In 1801 Thomas Jefferson reiterated the fact that it is imperative for us to protect these freedoms by stating If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it. II. The first amendment has stood for much more than just our freedom of speech and has been in place for such a significant amount of time that it’s important we don’t let its value diminish by means of censorship 1) Censorship usually becomes an issue in our Nation when we face most difficult times a. In 1927 Whitney v. California came about in efforts to ensure fear didn’t become a reason to suppress the public Kara Harris SPEECH 101 5:10-6:30 b. Justice Louis Brandeis opined by stating â€Å"Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify suppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burned women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears. 2) 1944 Franklin D Roosevelt addressed the state of the union during the WWII era which was another difficult economic time for America a. Roosevelt states while addressing congress We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression- everywhere in the world. b. In this Roosevelt makes mention of government- sponsored social economic reforms and outlines a second bill of rights c. His intent was to ensure that our individual prosperity was protected as well as our nation d. America through out history has set the bar all around the world with its freedoms and rights. This is why we must always keep in mind the idea that our founding fathers had initially by simply understanding and appreciating the Bill of Rights and everything it truly stands for Research Papers on First Amendment Bill of Rights19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XQuebec and CanadaNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceTrailblazing by Eric AndersonCapital PunishmentDefinition of Export QuotasTwilight of the UAWComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito