Read Your Rights!

Bill of Rights, pt. 1

What is Free Speech?
Free Speech. As Americans, you have the ability to say whatever you want
without repercussions. You can say how you feel about senators, presidents, and
the government in general, and never have to worry about being thrown in jail.
Well…. Sort of…

Today, we will watch a quick video on Free Speech, what it means, what it’s
limitations are, and where theses protections all come from!
Free Speech
Bill of Rights
On September 17, 1787, in the city of Philadelphia,
39 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional
Convention signed the newly negotiated United
States Constitution. Many of those who did not
sign refused to do so because the document did
not include a "Bill of Rights" that would both
secure basic civil rights for its citizens and define
the limits of the federal government’s power.
The Bill of Rights is a list of limits on government
power. For example, what the Founders saw as the
natural right of individuals to speak and worship
freely was protected by the First Amendment’s
prohibitions on Congress from making laws
establishing a religion or abridging freedom of
speech. For another example, the natural right to
be free from unreasonable government intrusion in
one’s home was safeguarded by the Fourth
Amendment’s warrant requirements.
But what does it
all mean…?
Ye Olde English
Coming from a time where the “S”s look more like modern day “F”s, we need to
understand that these basic tenets of our civil liberties were written at a time
when English was a bit more proper in its’ structure. It is legislature from
yesteryear, and this is why it is so important to understand what is said in each
amendment!

So let’s break it down!

Amendment I
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.
Congress can’t make any law that:
1) Favors one religion over another religion, or no
religion at all, or opposes any religion;
2) Stops you from practicing your religion as you
see fit;
3) Keeps you from saying whatever you want, even
if you are criticizing the President of the United
States;
4) Prevents newspapers, magazines, books, movies,
radio, television or the internet from presenting
any news, ideas, and opinions that they choose;
5) Stops you from meeting peacefully for a
demonstration or protest to ask the government
to change something.
Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the Congress can’t stop people from having and carrying
weapons.
security of a free state, the right of the people to
keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Amendment III
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in You don’t have to let soldiers live in your house,
any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in except if there is a war, and even then Congress
needs to pass a law and set the rules.
time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by
law.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their Nobody can search your body, or your house, or
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against your papers and things, unless they can prove
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
to a judge that they have a good reason for the
violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon
search.
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Amendment V
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or
otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or
indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in
the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual
service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any
person be subject for the same offense to be twice put
in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any
criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law; nor shall private property be taken for
public use, without just compensation.
Except during times of war or if you are in the military:
1) You can’t be tried for any serious crime without a Grand
Jury meeting first to decide whether there’s enough
evidence against you for a trial;
2) If at the end of a trial, the jury decides you are innocent,
the government can’t try you again for the same crime
with another jury;
3) You cannot be forced to admit you are guilty of a crime
and if you choose not to, you don’t have to say anything
at your trial at all;
4) You can’t be killed, or put in jail, or fined, unless you
were convicted of a crime by a jury and all of the proper
legal steps during your arrest and trial were followed;
and
5) The government can’t take your house or your farm or
anything that is yours, unless the government pays for
it at a fair price.
Why are these important?
Think about the state of the world when these were first written.

Who was the biggest “power” in the world at that point in time?

Some of these rules seem like common sense right? What reasons would the
Framers have to include some of these in the basic and strongest law in the land?
Do they still
matter?
Let’s Look at Some
Examples
Let’s see some events that recently
happened that potentially could have
changed a lot about the country, but
were stopped or allowed by these first
five Amendments!
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-
style/gadgets-and-tech/news/donal
d-trump-twitter-blocking-free-speec
h-rights-constitution-first-amendme
nt-lawsuit-new-york-a8247251.html
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive
/2017/11/05/opinion/editorials/editor
ial-debate-gun-control.html
 HW
Homework for today: Find an instance of one of these amendments being
discussed in the news. Write one paragraph saying why you either agree with the
article or not!