Informative Essay: The First Amendment Rights

The First Amendment was originally adopted into the Constitution in 1791 along with the other Bill Rights. Included into the First Amendment is freedom of speech, to press, to petition, to religion, and to assemble. This amendment protects our five basic freedoms and is the cornerstone of our democracy. It provides us with the protection we need to be able to freely express ourselves and to develop our own beliefs, but with every good thing comes limits. The limits put on the First Amendment are fine and no changes should be made. First, we have the freedom of religion. This provides citizens with the right to believe in any religion they choose. It also contains two clauses that help with our right to any religion. The establishment clause …show more content…
Back in the day, press only stood for newspapers, magazines, and books. Our world has advanced and developed technology so press stands for any information outlet; television, radio, phone, etc. The freedom to press inhibits the government from interfering with what can be published. They are not allowed to censor anything or have control out these outlets. This allows for citizens to obtain any information from any outlet they seek. Next is the freedom to petition. We are given the right to express our ideas to the government about adjustments and changes. With this right, you do not have to fear any punishments while addressing the changes you wish were made. This has to be in the form of a petition though. If you seek to address a concern with the legislatures, gather up some signatures from people in your community and present to a council. Second to last is the freedom of assembly. This is the right to gather in groups. This right only pertains to citizens who have a peaceful assembly. It does not protect any violence that would outbreak in the midst of it. Another limit to this is that the government can control when and where the assembly can happen. The one thing they cannot do is ban