Amendment 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government got a redress of grievances. (X)
What does this mean?
Well, let's take it into sections.
Congress shall make no law respecting as establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [.]
This line gives We the People RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
Whether that person be a Muslim, Christian, Jewish etc. we are allowed to practice our religion freely; it is our right to do so.
[The First Amendment] forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual's religious practices.
-Slight Tangent-
So what tea went down in history that freedom of religion was included in the First Amendment?
In Europe, there were religious persecutions. Both Protestants & Catholics both had the belief that - in the interest of saving all citizens, there should only be one true religion & they had the right to force people to convert to be Protestant/Catholic - if they chose not to abandon their faith they would be killed.
Also - I don't mean you could choose to be either Protestant or Catholic:
If the person forcing you to leave your belief system was Catholic they wanted you to convert to Catholicism.
If the person forcing you to leave your belief system was Protestant, they wanted you to convert to Protestantism.
Ok so what does this have to do with America?
Well, rather than to accept death, those who refused to leave their belief system fled to the good ol' American Colonies to practice their faith freely.
-End of Slight Tangent-
[O]r abridging the freedom of speech, or the press [.]
This line gives We the People FREEDOM OF SPEECH & PRESS.
‣ It gives The Press the freedom to write as they please. This means even if it does not mirror / reflect the administration in a positive light, such as saying President Trump had less crowds than Former President Obama at his inauguration; that is a fact and saying differently is falsehood [or as the current administration refers to it as Alternative Facts].
The press does not play to the White House's tune, they play to the actual tune. The press provide facts, not a pair of rose tinted glasses.
[O]r the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for the redress of grievances.
This line gives We the People THE RIGHT TO GATHER & SEND REQUESTS TO OUR GOVERNMENT WITHOUT THERE BEING A FEAR THAT WE WOULD BE PUNISHED. (X)
The people have the right to form & assemble in a nonviolent way in response to disagreeing with a government action; i.e. peaceful protests such as the one in Battery Park, NYC.
This also includes, letter writing, email campaigns, filing lawsuits, petitions etc.
As stated by Learning to Give:
The Right to petition grants people not only the freedom to stand up and spread out against injustices they feel are occurring, but also grants the power to help change those injustices.
As stated by Learning to Give:
The Right to petition grants people not only the freedom to stand up and spread out against injustices they feel are occurring, but also grants the power to help change those injustices.
To view this point in detail, you may view it HERE in the third paragraph.
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The following is what President Trump & his administration have done that pertains to this First Amendment:
1.
The latest executive order signed on January 27, 2017 barred people from 7 predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States violates the very first sentence of this Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting as establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [.]
Among those held in Airports, it included American Citizens who held dual citizenship from the countries listed.
It was said by President Trump, when referring to refugees, that precedence would be given to Christian families.
Also, it was reported by Shaun King, Senior Justice Writer for New York Daily News:
How is this unconstitutional?
People are allowed to, via this First Amendment, to practice any religion without persecution. [ Definition of Persecution: Hostility and ill-treatment, esp. because of race or political or religious belief.]
_____
2.
In relation to the press, Trump has essentially made it known that if you - a member of the press- do not showcase him in a favorable light, you are considered to be fake news.
President Trump deemed CNN Fake News at an event at the White House honoring Black History Month.
The job of the press is not to paint the narrative the administration wants, but to paint the actual narrative.
UPDATE 6 MARCH 2017:
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3.
This is an 'updated version of the Muslim Ban' signed on March 6, 2017 which barres people from 6 predominantly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen
~Iraq is no longer on the list as it was originally~
How is it unconstitutional?
It violates the very first sentence of this Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting as establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [.]
UPDATE 28 SEPTEMBER 2017:
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4.
Presidential Proclamation Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United Sates by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats
This is an updated version of the Muslim Ban (referred to as the Muslim Ban 3.0 - the previous 2 are above) released on September 24 2017. This new directive places travel restrictions on: Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
~Sudan is no longer on the list~
Now - including North Korea & Venezuela can be seen as Trump's way of "hey this isn't a Muslim ban!" however 6 of the 8 countries listed are majority Muslim.
How is this unconstitutional?
It violates the Establishment Clause (aka the first sentence of the First Amendment:
Presidential Proclamation Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry Into the United Sates by Terrorists or Other Public-Safety Threats
This is an updated version of the Muslim Ban (referred to as the Muslim Ban 3.0 - the previous 2 are above) released on September 24 2017. This new directive places travel restrictions on: Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
~Sudan is no longer on the list~
Now - including North Korea & Venezuela can be seen as Trump's way of "hey this isn't a Muslim ban!" however 6 of the 8 countries listed are majority Muslim.
How is this unconstitutional?
It violates the Establishment Clause (aka the first sentence of the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting as establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [.]
- This will be updated from time to time.-
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Is there an Amendment you would like to know more of?
to be taken to a list & choose which one you would like to learn more about.
This is a series that is ongoing - Every Wednesday [ #WednesdayAmendment ] there will be an Amendment Explanation paired with what President Trump & his administration have done that pertains to the Amendment discussed.
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