The First Amendment
And Me
Introduction
Every U.S Citizen has the rights that come with the First Amendment. However, it is true that there are people in other countries who do not currently get to enjoy these luxuries. Furthermore, it is rare that we ourselves are asked to reflect on how our individual lives would be effected by the absence of the First Amendment. I personally, would not be free to express my religion, have any liberal views in terms of government, or even be able to go out with a group of friends.
Freedom of Religion
First of all, the First Amendment allows me to practice my own religion. As a Christian my faith is important to me, and if I was not allowed to go to church, pray, or even say things like "Thank God!", I don’t know what I would do. Also, having religious freedom means that I have non-religious freedom. By this I mean that my friends have the right to choose to be non-religious and they too do not have to fear persecution. This kind of freedom is fundamental to our country and if it was taken away, I truly believe we would be thrown into chaos.
Freedom of Press & Freedom of Speech
To continue, having freedom of the press and freedom of speech are important to me to. For example, if I was watching the news, and saw some thing that the Government wanted that I did not agree with, I could not go on twitter and rant about it. Also, I could not pick up a newspaper the next day and read about how angry people are about it on the front page. I wouldn’t even be able to discuss it with my teachers in school. Both of these rights would change everything about how our country is run, if we did not have them today.
Freedom of Assembly
Finally, the freedom of assembly gives me a lot more freedom than I previously realized. Everyday activities, such as going to the mall or to the movies with my friends would be illegal. Actually, a lot of things that I am accustomed to doing would be illegal such as going to Nebraskon (an anime convention) or to any type of concert. Not being able to assemble would eliminate our public schooling system as a whole, or it would become a lot stricter.
Conclusion
In conclusion, life as we know it would be turned upside down. In this essay, I myself have come to realize just how much the First Amendment effects me. From more serious matters like religion to trivial things like concert tickets, my freedom a very important part of my life and I am grateful to have it.