Grievances of the first amendment
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: “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.”
In honor of Constitution Day, which was yesterday (Sept. 17), and in observance of Constitution Week, it is only fitting to discuss the First Amendment. The amendment is part of the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Our Founding Fathers added it because some believed the Constitution was not adequately protecting individual civil rights. Thank God they added it.
It’s amazing and frankly almost miracle-worthy that our Constitution has survived the 200 plus years it has existed. It is one of the shortest constitutions at only 4,543 words, including the signatures.
What I find most amazing about the U.S. Constitution is the wording of the First Amendment. The language is not written to be grey. “Congress shall make NO law … ” regarding the establishment of religion, abridging freedom of speech or the right to peacefully assemble. So, why do we keep adding laws that infringe upon these rights?
Republican politicians wanted to censor any one who disagreed with the Iraq War. And now Federal Communications Commission Chief Diversity Officer Mark Lloyd so advocates freedom of speech that he wants to eliminate, or silence any opposition to President Barack Obama on the radio. The plan is to seek to impose a tax on private broadcasting companies that would “equal their total operating costs to allow broadcasting outlets to spend the same on their operations as the private companies do,” according to the FCC rules and regulations for non-public radio. Who could afford that? This sounds more like censorship to me and not free speech.
Also, the Senate is now currently debating and actually considering authorizing a bill that would give Obama “emergency” control over the Internet, with the ability to limit who can and cannot use the Internet, according to a bill being proposed by J. Rockefeller.
I could also argue the Patriot Act, authorized by President George W. Bush and many other Republicans, infringed upon the personal rights outlined in the First Amendment. Many American citizens were paranoid – rightfully so – about what they told a friend in a private telephone conversation. Does that sound like free speech? My point is this: both sides are slowly killing the First Amendment. The First Amendment is one issue I hold near and dear, as should every other American. There is no liberal or conservative issue here.
If you want the First Amendment and the Constitution as a whole to stand for what it’s meant, stand together as one on this issue. We’re not always going to agree on our politics, but we should all agree that we have the right to express our own views. No one should feel they are silenced simply because someone doesn’t agree with their viewpoint.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 18 2009. Filed under Opinion.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
