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.
Whether or not we embrace--live by--these words, the First Amendment of our U.S. Constitution grants us these words by which we may choose to conduct our lives.
The establishment of religion.
Though we may feel imposing constraints to do so, we do have the choice of religions by which we will live--direct our lives. We may disagree with our religion's structures--our religion's face. We may disagree with our religion's face. We may pray for a faith truer to whom we are created to be, so that we may be guided anew with a different spirit.
The freedom of speech.
We may disagree with--object to--the words others speak. Yet, we may disagree. We may object.
The freedom of the press.
We may disagree with the specific political, or religious leanings of a given newspaper, or television network. Yet, we may not be governed by one state press--one state television network.
The freedom to petition the Government for redress of grievances.
If we feel our freedoms have been compromised according to what has been affirmed by the First Amendment, we have been granted a system--a structure--by which we may appeal for our freedom's restoration. Fortifying this freedom, our society has created the fertile ground in which businesses may publish the laws--the rules--which structure how our freedoms may be exercised. The publication of those laws reaffirms the freedom of press. Without the freedom of press, private enterprise would be unable to conduct their business of publishing government's rules.
All of these freedoms secure no superiority. Such serve only to dilute freedom's effect. Each of us must exercise our individual freedoms as our conscience dictates. If we do not, we live by no fuller freedom than those individuals whose lives are structured by external dictates.
The establishment of religion.
Though we may feel imposing constraints to do so, we do have the choice of religions by which we will live--direct our lives. We may disagree with our religion's structures--our religion's face. We may disagree with our religion's face. We may pray for a faith truer to whom we are created to be, so that we may be guided anew with a different spirit.
The freedom of speech.
We may disagree with--object to--the words others speak. Yet, we may disagree. We may object.
The freedom of the press.
We may disagree with the specific political, or religious leanings of a given newspaper, or television network. Yet, we may not be governed by one state press--one state television network.
The freedom to petition the Government for redress of grievances.
If we feel our freedoms have been compromised according to what has been affirmed by the First Amendment, we have been granted a system--a structure--by which we may appeal for our freedom's restoration. Fortifying this freedom, our society has created the fertile ground in which businesses may publish the laws--the rules--which structure how our freedoms may be exercised. The publication of those laws reaffirms the freedom of press. Without the freedom of press, private enterprise would be unable to conduct their business of publishing government's rules.
All of these freedoms secure no superiority. Such serve only to dilute freedom's effect. Each of us must exercise our individual freedoms as our conscience dictates. If we do not, we live by no fuller freedom than those individuals whose lives are structured by external dictates.
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