JENNA VOIGTGOVERNMENTAMENDMENTS

The First Amendment is Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion and Petition. This is what the First Amendment says “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.”

What that basically means is that we have the freedom to say what we want, we live in a country that we are allowed to do so. We have the option to pick which religion we choose to follow. We have the right to show others what are religion is by using media and other forms of communication, which is held safe by the freedom of press. Us as Americans also have the right to want to change things about our law, through the freedom of petition.

The First Amendment is sort of like the Sixth Amendment, but not exactly. The only thing that makes it somewhat the same as that in the first one it says freedom of speech. In the sixth one is says right to a speedy trial. Meaning you don’t have to plead guilty, you don’t have to say anything you don’t want to say. So in that case they sort of relate somewhat.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH, PRESS RELIGION AND PETITION

The first amendment is talking about us as American citizens of the United States. It’s talking about protecting us with or speech, press, religion and petition. It’s meant for all the people that are in the United States. It was written in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson. This law was made so that people would be protected from choosing there religion, saying specific things, being allowed to say that there is a law they don’t agree with and being able to tell others about there religion they are following. It was done by first being written and then proposed to the Virginia Legislature in 1779. many years later on January 16, 1786 it finally became a law.

Thomas Jefferson was president when the first amendment was made. It has not been disputed since it was last put out. Yes we are better off with it because it gives people the freedom to do things, without we would have no freedom.

Voting at age 18

The 26th amendment talks about people being of the age at 18 to vote. It’s self explanatory, anyone who is of the age of 18 that is a United States citizen has the right to vote.

The president was Dwight D. Eisenhower when the 26th amendment was ratified. What it is, is letting people vote at the age of 18. President Nixon signed the constitution approving it. It was the fastest amendment ever passed for the constitution. It was finally passed in 1972, the YMCA and NAACP helped get the law to pass along with some other youth activities. They made this amendment because the youth wanted to be able to have a say in stuff. They did it by getting a ton of youth groups to get together and get there decision on it.

It doesn’t relate to any other amendments. The original age was set to 21 right off of the bat. It was been disputed in a way. The argued about it when the voting was set to age 21 in the beginning, people didn’t like it. So then that’s when they came up with the 26th amendment allowing people to vote at the age of 18. We don’t really need this amendment because voting at the age of 21 or 18 doesn’t make that much of a difference. But yes voting at the age of 21 would be better because you have more of an understanding on things. At the age of 18 you may not always make the smartest decision that you possibly would if you were 21. It took three months for it to be passed.

The 26th Amendment

Citations:

1. http://www.ratical.org/co-globalize/BillOfRights.html2. http://www.religioustolerance.org/amend_1.htm3. https://www.google.com/search?

hl=en&q=pictures+of+the+first+amendment&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35466521&biw=1920&bih=938&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=egqIUK2fI-rAyAGRw4CQDQ#um=1&hl=en&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=freedom+of+religion&oq=freedom+of+re&gs_l=img.3.0.0l10.121262.125296.0.126974.13.9.0.4.4.0.113.819.7j2.9.0...0.0...1c.1.WdYGI5XfsiU&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=4a2849bffb1697be&bpcl=35466521&biw=1920&bih=938

4. http://democracyday.com/the-26th-amendment.html5. http://

www.learner.org/workshops/civics/workshop2/readings/youthvoting.html

6. http://introductorystats.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/a-statistical-look-at-the-ammendments-to-the-united-states-constitution/