The Prime Civil Rights: the First Amendment

[NWRatCon]

Some time back, I started a series of threads to discuss, in detail, the Bill of Rights, and their importance to our American society. They have import far beyond our shores as well. So, in these fraught times, I intend to focus on what I consider the first principles and why they are so important to our future.

Why is the First Amendment the first? And why does it address five "rights"? Why not just one at a time? I submit is because they, collectively, represent the basic liberties that are necessary to give life to the document and our nation:

"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 redress of grievances." First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

The cornerstone of our society is self-governance by an informed public. We, therefore, must have free expression of our ideas. The Congress (read: government) cannot, therefore, suppress our avenues for expressing them - through religion, publication, individually or collectively. It is through public discussion that we are best informed. That was the premise behind the Federalist Papers, the pamphlets of Thomas Paine and even the Declaration of Independence.

Without free expression, none of our other rights can have meaning.

So, exercise your free expression.

 

[Loulit01]

The Washington football franchise exercised its free speech right to change the team's name.

Then came Trump:

Should the team not meet Trump's name change demands, they could see their $4 billion stadium project go South. In a statement posted to Truth Social, the President said he would consider blocking the Commanders' plans to build their state-of-the-art NFL venue at the site of it's former home, RFK Stadium, unless the franchise ditches the Commanders' name and reverts to its controversial identity as the Washington Redskins.

 

[Fearandloathing]

Some time back, I started a series of threads to discuss, in detail, the Bill of Rights, and their importance to our American society. They have import far beyond our shores as well. So, in these fraught times, I intend to focus on what I consider the first principles and why they are so important to our future.

Why is the First Amendment the first? And why does it address five "rights"? Why not just one at a time? I submit is because they, collectively, represent the basic liberties that are necessary to give life to the document and our nation:

"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 redress of grievances." First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

The cornerstone of our society is self-governance by an informed public. We, therefore, must have free expression of our ideas. The Congress (read: government) cannot, therefore, suppress our avenues for expressing them - through religion, publication, individually or collectively. It is through public discussion that we are best informed. That was the premise behind the Federalist Papers, the pamphlets of Thomas Paine and even the Declaration of Independence.

Without free expression, none of our other rights can have meaning.

So, exercise your free expression.

For its time, the US constitution was an awesome statement on man's rule of man.

Was.


It has become dated now, and ponderous. And now we see it IS possible to gain control of all three sectors of government, a fact that will trigger more than debate when Trump refuses to leave office. That is if you get through the mid terms without a civil war over eligible voters etc.

I sat through eleven years of discussion and debate over Canada's constitution, a fine but flawed document as are they all. The Canadian constitution is riven with language issues and no real means of managing regional disparity without subsidizing the taxpayer directly. It taught me the flaws of the US constitution which you are experiencing now. The current round up of suspected illegal aliens is unconstitutional....yet no court is taking dramatic action.

Trump is wiping his ass with what the founding fathers saw as their child.

 

[Fearandloathing]

The Washington football franchise exercised its free speech right to change the team's name.

Then came Trump:

Should the team not meet Trump's name change demands, they could see their $4 billion stadium project go South. In a statement posted to Truth Social, the President said he would consider blocking the Commanders' plans to build their state-of-the-art NFL venue at the site of it's former home, RFK Stadium, unless the franchise ditches the Commanders' name and reverts to its controversial identity as the Washington Redskins.

Blackmail

 

[MamboDervish]

Some time back, I started a series of threads to discuss, in detail, the Bill of Rights, and their importance to our American society. They have import far beyond our shores as well. So, in these fraught times, I intend to focus on what I consider the first principles and why they are so important to our future.

Why is the First Amendment the first? And why does it address five "rights"? Why not just one at a time? I submit is because they, collectively, represent the basic liberties that are necessary to give life to the document and our nation:

"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 redress of grievances." First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

The cornerstone of our society is self-governance by an informed public. We, therefore, must have free expression of our ideas. The Congress (read: government) cannot, therefore, suppress our avenues for expressing them - through religion, publication, individually or collectively. It is through public discussion that we are best informed. That was the premise behind the Federalist Papers, the pamphlets of Thomas Paine and even the Declaration of Independence.

Without free expression, none of our other rights can have meaning.

So, exercise your free expression.

It's also worth taking note of the fact that none of the rights cited in the first amendment contain any conditions, qualifiers or caveats. They are simply stated without equivocation. Conversely, note that the 2nd Amendment actually begins with a qualifier before it even states what the right is supposed to be! If the proviso for regulation were not deemed necessary, then the "Right to Bear Arms" would have been included in the first Amendment. But it was not! In a saner USA, this distinction would make SCOTUS, and the citizens, give more consideration to regulation.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Why is the First Amendment the first? And why does it address five "rights"? Why not just one at a time? I submit is because they, collectively, represent the basic liberties that are necessary to give life to the document and our nation:

"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 redress of grievances." First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

Pretty much, they are all collected in one Amendment because they all relate to the basic premise of being free. Freedom of thought and freedom to express.

 

[Cameron]

Some time back, I started a series of threads to discuss, in detail, the Bill of Rights, and their importance to our American society. They have import far beyond our shores as well. So, in these fraught times, I intend to focus on what I consider the first principles and why they are so important to our future.

Why is the First Amendment the first? And why does it address five "rights"? Why not just one at a time? I submit is because they, collectively, represent the basic liberties that are necessary to give life to the document and our nation:

"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 redress of grievances." First Amendment, U.S. Constitution

The cornerstone of our society is self-governance by an informed public. We, therefore, must have free expression of our ideas. The Congress (read: government) cannot, therefore, suppress our avenues for expressing them - through religion, publication, individually or collectively. It is through public discussion that we are best informed. That was the premise behind the Federalist Papers, the pamphlets of Thomas Paine and even the Declaration of Independence.

Without free expression, none of our other rights can have meaning.

So, exercise your free expression.

The First Amendment, all together, essentially guarantees freedom of conscience and expression, as against the government.