Tuesday, May 8, 2012 --- Warm Up
1. What is “free speech” and how is it a cornerstone of any democracy?
2. What are the limits of “free speech?”
History of the Bill of Rights An amendment is a change to the U.S.
Constitution to reflect changing times. There are 27 amendments.
The author was James Madison. The first ten amendments form the Bill of
Rights. The first ten amendments were ratified in
1791. The Bill of Rights protects the rights of all
citizens, residents and visitors in the U.S.
The First Amendment:
“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 Amendmentincludes 5 rights:
1. Freedom of Speech
2. Freedom of Religion
3. Freedom of the Press
4. Freedom of Assembly
5. Right to Petition the Government
First Amendment
1. Freedom of ReligionTwo Clauses:
Establishment Clause (No state religion.)
Free Exercise clause (Free to practice your own religion.)
Establishment Clause: You Can You Cannot
Teach the history and culture of a religion in public school
Allow individual private prayer in public school.
Transport students to a religious school after public school. Paid for privately not w/public $
Set a state religion
Teach religious beliefs or theology in public school
Pay seminary teachers with public $
Teach creationism
Lead a group prayer in public school.
Free Exercise clause to practice a religion:
You Can You CannotChoose a religion
Pray in a house of worship and worship how you want.
Ask basic questions about religions in school.
Allow religious dress in public schools
Break the law and claim it is a religious belief
Raise children without an education – keep at home.
Deprive children of basic needs (like medicine) claiming it’s because of religious beliefs.
Distribute flyers about a church or temple youth group program at school.
Free to practice but not promote religion in public settings:
Question: In public
schools, can students
ask to lead an entire
class in prayer
before a test? Why or
why not?
Answer: No, in public
Settings there is
separation of church
(religion) and State.
But, a student can say
a silent prayer.
First Amendment
2. Freedom of Speech
“Congress shall make no laws abridging (deprive) freedom of speech.”
In Free Speech Individuals Can…Say any political belief
Display symbolic speech expressing an opinion. (an armband or t-shirt w/a message.)
Protest (without getting out of control)
Say things about someone that are true
Burn the American flag
Say racist and hate slogans
Free speech means someone might say something you disagree with.
Limits of Free SpeechYou may not:Threaten national security
Speak obscenities in public
Yell fighting words
Commit hate crimes
Make incitements to violence
Make incitements to overthrow the government
Create too much social chaos
In school, disrupt in an unsafe/disrespectful way
First Amendment 3. Freedom of the press
“Congress shall make no Law
abridging (limiting) the freedom of
the press.”
Freedom of the Press means… You Can You Cannot
Print any political position
Make fun of people, especially politicians
Expose wrongs by the government
Write ideas others may disagree with
DO’s: Ethics, fact-check, accuracy, fairness, truth and give the full context.
Libel; intentionally injuring a person’s reputation by false facts
Disclose defense-security secrets
Detail how to make a certain weapons
DON’Ts: Sloppy reporting, plagiarism, bias, conflict of interest, poor judgment, deception.
First Amendment 4. Freedom of Assembly
“Congress shall make no law respecting the right of the people to
peaceably to assemble.”
Freedom of Assembly You Can You CannotProtest
Parade (with a permit)
Parade chanting hate slogans
Gang members can congregate in public
Protest by throwing rocks and breaking windows
Hang out on private land against owners will---loitering
Violate Teen curfew
First Amendment 5. Petition the Government
Citizens can write letters to elected officials to protest government actions.
Individuals may sue the government for wrongs
Individuals can’t be punished for exposing wrongs by the government
The courts decide the wrongs
“Congress shall make no law respecting the right of the people to
petition the government.”