"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 ."
The First Amendment to the US Constitution
The words may sound funny to you, but this sentence is a very important part of being an American citizen! There are 5 freedoms that are protected by the first amendment.
The Establishment Clause: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
This part of the 1st Amendment protects freedom of religion. It states that the government cannot make a law that all citizens must believe in or practice one religion. It has been interpreted to mean that the government also cannot promote one religion over another. It also protects the right not to have a religion at all!
Practically speaking, this means that the government cannot fund schools that teach religion, cannot grant special privileges to certain religions, and cannot punish people for their beliefs.
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech..."
This section of the 1st amendment means more than being able to say whatever you feel like! Freedom of speech means that you can criticize the government, burn the flag, swear (but not at school!), publish pornography and give a million dollars to your favorite political candidate. Well, sort of.
While there are some limitations on what you can say or do, all of these listed here are protected rights. Freedom of speech also protects the Internet, and means that the government cannot censor what you can read or write online.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
"Congress shall make no law...abridging...the freedom of the press."
What is the press? The press includes all media: newspapers, television, Internet, magazines, and more. Freedom of the press means that reporters can publish stories on any topic-- they can investigate government corruption, they can criticize the government, and they can uncover stories about politicians. This is very closely related to freedom of speech.
Why do you think a free press is important to democracy?
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
"The right of the people to peaceably assemble..."
Thanks to this part of the first amendment, Americans can gather in groups of 2, 200 or 2 million to express their opinions and ideas. The freedom to assemble is usually thought of when it comes to protests and marches. Groups of all political opinions rely on this right to hold their rallies and events. Even Nazis are allowed to hold a march under this law. What do you think about that?
FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLE
"Congress shall make no law...abridging the right... to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
This one sounds a little more complicated than it is. A petition is a formal message that is submitted to an authority. To redress something is to fix it, or make it right. A grievance is a complaint. So, the freedom to petition is the freedom to complain to the government, and ask them to make a change. Often, this is done in written form, or more recently, online. Anyone can petition any part of the government about any complaint; there is no guarantee that anything will be done, but the first amendment protects your right to ask. The petition above is from the Hawaiian Territory, asking not to become part of the US. Did the petition succeed?
FREEDOM TO PETITION
FIRST AMENDMENT:
5 FREEDOMS
FREEDOM OF RELIGION
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS
FREEDOM TO ASSEMBLE
FREEDOM TO PETITION