![]() ![]() “Liberty is to faction – what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires,” said James Madison, the principal framer of the Constitution. ![]() Destruction of the property of others is not protected by the First Amendment. Harmful speech, such as yelling “fire” in a crowded room, is not protected, nor is a written lie that causes harm. One may not force the tenets of his or her religion on those who do not observe those beliefs. Of course, there are limits to these freedoms. The right to petition allows citizens to point out to the government where it did not follow the law, to seek changes, as well as damages for such missteps. Freedom of speech and press allows citizens to communicate their ideas verbally and in writing, while freedom of assembly lets them publicly express a common interest. The freedoms of speech, press, assembly and the right to petition the government and seek redress of grievances proclaim that citizens have the right to call the government to account. So, they ensured that federal government cannot interfere in the citizens’ practice of their religion. It would be doubly so if one religious sect were favored over all others. They realized that religious discord can be explosive and cause tremendous disruption in politics. The first part of that statement reflects the framers’ experience with the long history of religious strife in Europe. It states that “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.” These amendments are collectively named the Bill of Rights.Īrguably, the First Amendment is also the most important to the maintenance of a democratic government. To protect individual rights, the framers of the United States Constitution added ten amendments to the document, which came into force in 1792, three years after the Constitution itself did. ![]()
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