FREE ESSAY ON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

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.